2015年4月23日訊 /生物谷BIOON/ --核糖體是進行蛋白質翻譯的機器，能夠催化蛋白質合成。目前，許多研究已經對多種生物的核糖體結構進行了原子水平的結構解析，但獲得人核糖體結構一直存在很大挑戰，這一問題的解決對於人類疾病的深入了解以及治療手段和策略的開發都有重要意義。
近日，著名國際學術期刊nature在線發表了法國科學家關於人類核糖體結構解析的最新研究進展。
在該項研究中，研究人員利用高解析度單顆粒低溫電子顯微鏡以及原子模型構建的方法獲得了人類核糖體接近原子水平的結構。該核糖體結構的平均解析度為3.6A，接近最穩定區域的2.9A解析度水平。這一研究成果對人類核糖體RNA，胺基酸側鏈的實體結構，特別是轉運RNA結合位點以及tRNA脫離位點處的特定分子相互作用提供了深入見解，揭示了核糖體大小亞基接觸面的原子細節，發現在核糖體大小亞基的旋轉運動過程中，其接觸面發生了強烈的重構過程。
這項研究進一步推動了對抗生素副作用以及因蛋白質合成紊亂導致的相關疾病的分析研究。（生物谷Bioon.com）
Structure of the human 80S ribosome
Heena Khatter,Alexander G. Myasnikov,S. Kundhavai Natchiar & Bruno P. Klaholz
Ribosomes are translational machineries that catalyse protein synthesis. Ribosome structures from various species are known at the atomic level, but obtaining the structure of the human ribosome has remained a challenge; efforts to address this would be highly relevant with regard to human diseases. Here we report the near-atomic structure of the human ribosome derived from high-resolution single-particle cryo-electron microscopy and atomic model building. The structure has an average resolution of 3.6 ?, reaching 2.9 ? resolution in the most stable regions. It provides unprecedented insights into ribosomal RNA entities and amino acid side chains, notably of the transfer RNA binding sites and specific molecular interactions with the exit site tRNA. It reveals atomic details of the subunit interface, which is seen to remodel strongly upon rotational movements of the ribosomal subunits. Furthermore, the structure paves the way for analysing antibiotic side effects and diseases associated with deregulated protein synthesis.