Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Structure Watch
  • Published:

Re-evaluating the decoding principle

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 13, page 280 (2012)Cite this article

Subjects

Following delivery of tRNA to the aminoacyl-tRNA binding site (A site) of the ribosome, a proofreading step ensures that the selected tRNA matches the mRNA codon of the A site. Previous studies suggested that the universally conserved nucleotides G530, A1492 and A1493 of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) promote a conformational change (domain closure) on the 30S ribosomal subunit only when they detect the formation of Watson–Crick base pairs at the first two positions of the codon–anticodon helix. Here, Demeshkina et al. challenge this view showing that 30S domain closure also occurs in the presence of nucleotide mismatches at the codon–anticodon helix. Moreover, G530, A1492 and A1493 nucleotides of the 16S rRNA interact in a similar manner with mismatched base-pairs as with Watson–Crick base pairs. Thus, it seems that it is the formation of a tight decoding centre following 30S domain closure that destabilizesthe incorrect base pairs, leading to the release of near-cognate tRNA.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

  1. Demeshkina, N. et al. A new understanding of the decoding principle on the ribosome. Nature 21 Mar 2012 (doi:10.1038/nature10913)

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Maria Papatriantafyllou
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Papatriantafyllou, M. Re-evaluating the decoding principle. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 13, 280 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm3339

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm3339

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing