A new family of bacterial ribosome hibernation factors.

ABSTRACT: To conserve energy during starvation and stress, many organisms use hibernation factor proteins to inhibit protein synthesis and protect their ribosomes from damage^1,2. In bacteria, two families of hibernation factors have been described, but the low conservation of these proteins and the huge diversity of species, habitats and environmental stressors have confounded their discovery^3-6. Here, by combining cryogenic electron microscopy, genetics and biochemistry, we identify Balon, a new hibernation factor in the cold-adapted bacterium Psychrobacter urativorans. We show that Balon is a distant homologue of the archaeo-eukaryotic translation factor aeRF1 and is found in 20% of representative bacteria. During cold shock or stationary phase, Balon occupies the ribosomal A

SUBMITTER: Helena-Bueno K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10901736 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature