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    Molbio

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    Prachi Shukla
    Ribosomes are macromolecules found within cells that are responsible for protein synthesis. They consist of two subunits - a small subunit and a large subunit - which contain ribosomal RNA and proteins. Ribosomes were first discovered in the 1950s and are considered complex cellular machines largely made up of specialized RNA and proteins. Their main function is to convert genetic code into amino acids and assemble protein polymers. Translation is the process by which the ribosome reads mRNA and links amino acids in the correct order to form a protein chain.

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    Molbio

    Uploaded by

    Prachi Shukla
    3 views4 pages
    Ribosomes are macromolecules found within cells that are responsible for protein synthesis. They consist of two subunits - a small subunit and a large subunit - which contain ribosomal RNA and proteins. Ribosomes were first discovered in the 1950s and are considered complex cellular machines largely made up of specialized RNA and proteins. Their main function is to convert genetic code into amino acids and assemble protein polymers. Translation is the process by which the ribosome reads mRNA and links amino acids in the correct order to form a protein chain.

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    Ribosomes are macromolecules found within cells that are responsible for protein synthesis. They consist of two subunits - a small subunit and a large subunit - which contain ribosomal RNA and proteins. Ribosomes were first discovered in the 1950s and are considered complex cellular machines largely made up of specialized RNA and proteins. Their main function is to convert genetic code into amino acids and assemble protein polymers. Translation is the process by which the ribosome reads mRNA and links amino acids in the correct order to form a protein chain.

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    3 views4 pages

    Molbio

    Uploaded by

    Prachi Shukla
    Ribosomes are macromolecules found within cells that are responsible for protein synthesis. They consist of two subunits - a small subunit and a large subunit - which contain ribosomal RNA and proteins. Ribosomes were first discovered in the 1950s and are considered complex cellular machines largely made up of specialized RNA and proteins. Their main function is to convert genetic code into amino acids and assemble protein polymers. Translation is the process by which the ribosome reads mRNA and links amino acids in the correct order to form a protein chain.

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    RIBOSOMES

    The ribosome are macromolecules which are found within the cells.
    Responsible for performing various biological functions like biological
    protein synthesis also called as mRNA Translation. The ribosomes
    consists mainly of 2 sub- units : the small and the large ribosomal sub
    unit. Both the sub units consists one or more ribosomal RNA or rRNA
    molecules and many other ribosomal proteins also called as RPs or R
    Proteins. The ribosomes along with their associated molecules are
    combined called as translational apparatus.

    Discovery of Ribosomes

    Ribosomes were first discovered in the mid 1950s by a cell biologists


    from Romainan American background named GEORGE EMIL PALADE.
    He initially named them Palade Granules because they were present in
    granular form. However, the term ribosome was then coined by an
    American biophysicist named HAROLD DINTZIS in the year 1958.

    Structure of Ribosome

    The ribosomes are considered as complex cellular machine. They are


    largely made up of a specialized type of RNA called as Ribosomal RNA or
    rRNA and as discussed above various proteins also. The two sub units of
    ribosome that is large and small sub unit they fir together and work as
    one single unit to translate the mRNA into the polypeptide chain during
    the synthesis of protein.
    The prokaryotic ribosomes are about 20 nanometers in its diameter.
    They are composed of 65% rRNA and 35% ribosomal proteins. The
    ribosomal sub units of prokaryotes and eukaryotes are much alike.
    Svedburg is the unit of measurement used to describe the ribosomal sub
    units along with RNA fragments. This is exactly why the units do not add
    up correctly. For example the 70S ribosome is made up of 50S and 30S
    sub unit.
    The 70S ribosomes consists of a smaller sub unit which is 30S and a
    larger sub unit 50S. The smaller sub unit that is 16S RNA sub unit
    consists 0f 1540 nucleotides which are bound to 21 ribosomal proteins.
    Where as the larger sub unit is composed of 5S RNA sub unit with 120
    nucleotides and a 23S RNA sub unit with 2900 nucleotides and 31
    proteins.

    Archaeal Ribosome they share similar dimensions to the bacteria ones


    and similarly 70S RNA ribosome made up of 50S larger sub unit along
    with 30S smaller sub unit and three rRNA chains. However, this does not
    apply any relation between Archaea and Bacteria.

    Eukaryotic ribosomes are about 25 to 30 nanometers in diameters with


    rRNA to protein ratio around 1. Eukaryotes have 80S ribosomes which
    are found in cytosol which are made of two sub units the larger one being 60S ant
    the smaller one being 40S. The smaller sub unit 40S containing 18S RNA
    with 1900 nucleotides along with 33 proteins and the larger sub unit
    containing 5S RNA with 120 nucleotides , 28S RNA with 4700 nucleotides
    and 5.8S RNA with 160 nucleotides and a total of 49 proteins.

    Functions of ribosomes

    Ribosomes are termed as minute particles consisting of RNA and few


    associated proteins which functions to synthesize proteins. Proteins are
    very much important for many cellular functions for example repairing
    damage or directing any chemical process. In the cell the ribosomes are
    found floating in the cytoplasm or can be seen attached to the
    endoplasmic reticulum. The main and the most important function of
    the ribosoms is to convert the genetic code into any particular amino
    acid and to build protein polymers from the amino acid monomers.
    Ribosomes also acts as a catalyst in two very crucial biological processes
    which are peptidyl transfer or peptidyl hydrolysis.
    Translation

    step in gene expression. The mRNA is "read" according to the genetic


    code, During translation which is also considered as the second most
    important which relates the DNA sequence to the amino acid sequence
    in proteins . Each group of three bases in mRNA constitutes a codon, and
    each codon specifies a particular amino acid (hence, it is a triplet code).
    The mRNA sequence is thus used as a template to assemble in order the
    chain of amino acids that form a protein. The mRNA leaves the nucleus
    and travels to the cytoplasm where the ribosome is located. The
    ribosomal sub unit contains various proteins and specialized RNA
    molecules Ribosomal RNA or rRNA and transfer RNA or tRNA.
    The tRNA molecules are called adaptor molecules because their one end
    helps in reading the triplet code in the mRNA with help of
    complementary base pairing where as the another end attaches to the
    specific amino acid. The base paring is facilitated when mRNA and
    amioacyl tRNA complexes are held together closely.
    The translation of mRNA begins with the formation of a complex on the
    mRNA present. There are three initiation factors which are named as IF1 ,
    IF2 and IF3 they all bind to the smaller sub unit of ribosome. This forms a
    pre initiation complex along with a methionine carrying tRNA which
    binds to the mRNA near the start codon or AUG or ATG. Although
    methionine is the first amino acid to incorporated or start the
    translation process it is not considered as first amino acids in mature
    proteins. A large number of proteins contains formylmethionine.
    Once the initiation complex is formed the larger sub unit binds to this
    complex which results in releasing or removal of the three initiation
    factors. The large sub unit has three sites at which the tRNA molecules
    comes and binds to it. There is A or amino acid at which the amioacyl
    tRNA anticodon forms pairs with mRNA codon which ensures that
    correct amino acid is added to growing polypeptide chain. Then there is
    P site or polypeptide site where the amino acid is transferred to from its
    tRNA to the growing polypeptide chain. And lastly there is an E site or
    also called as and Exite site tRNA rests before being released back to the
    cytoplasm for it bind to another amino acid and repeat the entire
    process again. The initiator methionine tRNA is the only aminoacyl-tRNA
    which is capable of binding in the P site of the ribosome, and the A site
    is aligned with the second mRNA codon.
    The next phase in translation is known as the elongation phase . Firstly ,
    the ribosome moves along with the mRNA in the 5'-to-3'direction, which
    needs the elongation factor G, in a process named translocation. The
    tRNA that corresponds to the second codon can then bind to the A site,
    a step that requires elongation factors (in E. coli, these are called EF-Tu
    and EF-Ts), as well as guanosine triphosphate (GTP) as an energy source
    for this particular process. After binding of the tRNA-amino acid complex
    in the A site, GTP is cleaved to give rise to guanosine diphosphate (GDP),
    then released along with EF-Tu to be recharged by EF-Ts for the next
    cycle.
    Next, peptide bonds between the now-adjacent first and second amino
    acids are formed via a peptidyl transferase activity. For many years, it
    was thought that an enzyme catalyzed this particular step, but recent
    evidence indicates that the transferase activity is a catalytic function of
    rRNA. After the peptide bond is formed, the ribosome shifts, or
    translocates, again, thus causing the tRNA to occupy the E site again. The
    tRNA is then released to the cytoplasm to pick up another amino acid int
    eh cytoplasm. In addition, the A site is now empty and ready to receive
    the tRNA for the next codon and synthesis.
    This process is repeated until all the codons in the mRNA have been read
    by tRNA molecules, and the amino acids attached to the tRNAs have
    been linked together in the growing polypeptide chain in the
    appropriate order. At this point, translation must be terminated, and the
    nascent protein must be released from the mRNA and ribosome.

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