The ribosome

The ribosome is a large assembly of RNA and proteins that synthesizes proteins under direction from an mRNA template. A ribonucleoprotein is a complex of RNA with proteins. Bacterial ribosomes sediment at 70 ! eu"aryotic ribosomes at #0 . A ribosome can be dissociated into two subunits. The large subunit of the ribosome $%0 in bacteria! &0 in eu"aryotes' has the peptidyl transferase acti(e site that synthesizes the peptide bond. The small subunit of the ribosome $)0 in bacteria! *0 in eu"aryotes' binds the mRNA. Translation of an mRNA into a polypeptide chain is catalyzed by the ribosome. Ribosomes are traditionally described in terms of their $approximate' rate of sedimentation $measured in (edbergs! in which a higher (alue indicates a greater rate of sedimentation and a larger mass'. Bacterial ribosomes generally sediment at +70 . The ribosomes of the cytoplasm of higher eu"aryotic cells are larger! usually sedimenting at +#0 . The ribosome is a compact ribonucleoprotein particle consisting of two subunits. ,ach subunit has an RNA component! including one (ery large RNA molecule! and many proteins. The relationship between a ribosome and its subunits is depicted in figure below. The two subunits dissociate in vitro when the concentration of -g./ ions is reduced. 0n each case! the large subunit is about twice the mass of the small subunit. Bacterial $70 ' ribosomes ha(e subunits that sediment at %0 and )0 . The subunits of eu"aryotic cytoplasmic $#0 ' ribosomes sediment at &0 and *0 . The two subunits wor" together as part of the complete ribosome! but each underta"es distinct reactions in protein synthesis.

1ig. A ribosome consists of two subunits

1ig. ,u"aryotic and 2ro"aryotic Ribosome

Function of Ribosomes: All the ribosomes of a gi(en cell compartment are identical. They underta"e the synthesis of different proteins by associating with the different mRNAs that pro(ide the actual coding se3uences. The ribosome pro(ides the en(ironment that controls the recognition between a codon of mRNA and the anticodon of tRNA. Reading the genetic code as a series of ad4acent triplets! protein synthesis proceeds from the start of a coding region to the end. A ribosome begins translation at the %5 end of a coding region6 it translates each triplet codon into an amino acid as it proceeds towards the )5 end. At each codon! the appropriate aminoacyl7tRNA associates with the ribosome! donating its amino acid to the polypeptide chain. At any gi(en moment! the ribosome can accommodate the two aminoacyl7tRNAs corresponding to successi(e codons! ma"ing it possible for a peptide bond to form between the two corresponding amino acids. At each step! the growing polypeptide chain becomes longer by one amino acid.