Insights into the fidelity mechanism of mRNA decoding from characterization of viomycin induced miscoding in translation

• Using pre-steady state kinetics and an E. coli based in vitro translation system we have studied the effect of the antibiotic viomycin on mRNA decoding. We find that viomycin binds to the ribosome during initial selection of tRNA, after binding of ternary complex but before GTP hydrolysis by EF-Tu. Viomycin binding renders the ribosome completely incapable of rejecting incorrect A-site bound tRNAs in both initial selection and proofreading. Viomycin sensitivity correlates with the accuracy of initial selection for the four different codon·anticodon pairs tested here. Our results demonstrate that, in contrast to current ideas about ‘induced-fit’, accuracy in initial selection is achieved primarily by increased dissociation rates for near-cognate tRNAs rather than by decreased rates of GTP hydrolysis. Further, our results imply that the ‘monitoring’ bases A1492 and A1493 rapidly fluctuate between active and inactive conformations when a near-cognate tRNA is present in the A site.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Biokemi och molekylärbiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (hsv//eng)

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ref (subject category)

art (subject category)