RNA Structure: Reading the Ribosome
Harry F. Noller
The crystal structures of the ribosome and its subunits have increased the amount of information about RNA structure by about two orders of magnitude. This is leading to an understanding of the principles of RNA folding and of the molecular interactions that underlie the functional capabilities of the ribosome and other RNA systems. Nearly all of the possible types of RNA tertiary interactions have been found in ribosomal RNA. One of these, an abundant tertiary structural motif called the A-minor interaction, has been shown to participate in both aminoacyl-transfer RNA selection and in peptidyl transferase; it may also play an important role in the structural dynamics of the ribosome.
Center for Molecular Biology of RNA, Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, Sinsheimer Laboratories, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
