Trans-translation exposed: understanding the structures and functions of tmRNA-SmpB.

Emmanuel Giudice (1) , Kevin Macé (1) , Reynald Gillet (1)

1 IGDR - Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes

Ribosome stalling is a serious issue for cell survival. In bacteria, the primary rescue system is trans-translation, performed by tmRNA and its protein partner small protein B (SmpB). Since its discovery almost 20 years ago, biochemical, genetic, and structural studies have paved the way to a better understanding of how this sophisticated process takes place at the cellular and molecular levels. Here we describe the molecular details of trans-translation, with special mention of recent cryo-electron microscopy and crystal structures that have helped explain how the huge tmRNA-SmpB complex targets and delivers stalled ribosomes without interfering with canonical translation.

Mots clés: ribosome; tmRNA; SmpB; trans-translation; structure

Domaines: Biologie cellulaire

Emmanuel Giudice, Kevin Macé, Reynald Gillet. Trans-translation exposed: understanding the structures and functions of tmRNA-SmpB.. Frontiers in Microbiology, 2014, 5, pp.113. ⟨10.3389/fmicb.2014.00113⟩. ⟨hal-00985931⟩