Polyribosomes are molecular 3D nanoprinters that orchestrate the assembly of vault particles.

ABSTRACT: Ribosomes are molecular machines that function in polyribosome complexes to translate genetic information, guide the synthesis of polypeptides, and modulate the folding of nascent proteins. Here, we report a surprising function for polyribosomes as a result of a systematic examination of the assembly of a large ribonucleoprotein complex, the vault particle. Structural and functional evidence points to a model of vault assembly whereby the polyribosome acts like a 3D nanoprinter to direct the ordered translation and assembly of the multi-subunit vault homopolymer, a process which we refer to as polyribosome templating. Structure-based mutagenesis and cell-free in vitro expression studies further demonstrated the critical importance of the polyribosome in vault assembly. Polyribosome templat

SUBMITTER: Mrazek J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4245718 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature