Some proteins are degraded by a process called the N-end rule, in which a non-templated amino acid is added to the amino terminus as a marker for degradation. A set of crystal structures of the enzyme that promotes transfer of the amino acid along with the charged donor tRNA is solved in the presence or absence of target peptide. The results reveal that peptide bond formation occurs differently than on the ribosome.
- Kazunori Watanabe
- Yukimatsu Toh
- Kozo Tomita
