Discovery of a Third Class-I Release Factor in Bacteria
Author Information
Author(s): Baranov Pavel V, Vestergaard Bente, Hamelryck Thomas, Gesteland Raymond F, Nyborg Jens, Atkins John F
Primary Institution: Bioscience Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
Hypothesis
Diverse bacterial genomes encode an operon of two genes, one of which is an unusual class-I release factor that potentially recognizes atypical mRNA signals other than normal stop codons.
Conclusion
The study suggests that RFH, a newly identified release factor, may have different specificity compared to the known RF1 and RF2.
Supporting Evidence
- A number of bacterial genomes contain prfH orthologues with no discernable interruptions in their ORFs.
- RFH shares strong sequence similarity with other class-I bacterial RFs.
- RFH contains a highly conserved GGQ motif associated with peptidyl hydrolysis activity.
- Residues in areas interacting with mRNA and the ribosomal decoding center are highly conserved in RFH.
Takeaway
Scientists think there might be a third helper protein in bacteria that helps stop making proteins, and it might work differently than the usual helpers.
Methodology
The study analyzed 311 completed bacterial genomes for the presence of class-I release factors using the ARFA program.
Limitations
The exact function of RFH is not fully understood, and many prfH genes are found as pseudogenes.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website