According to the standard model of bacterial translation initiation, the small ribosomal 30S subunit binds to the initiation site of an mRNA with the help of three initiation factors (IF1-IF3). Here, we describe a novel type of initiation termed "70S-scanning initiation," where the 70S ribosome does not necessarily dissociate after translation of a cistron, but rather scans to the initiation site of the downstream cistron. We detailed the mechanism of 70S-scanning initiation by designing unique monocistronic and polycistronic mRNAs harboring translation reporters, and by reconstituting systems to characterize each distinct mode of initiation. Results show that 70S scanning is triggered by fMet-tRNA and does not require energy; the Shine-Dalgarno sequence is an essential recognition element of the initiation site. IF1 and IF3 requirements for the various initiation modes were assessed by the formation of productive initiation complexes leading to synthesis of active proteins. IF3 is essential and IF1 is highly stimulating for the 70S-scanning mode. The task of IF1 appears to be the prevention of untimely interference by ternary aminoacyl (aa)-tRNA•elongation factor thermo unstable (EF-Tu)•GTP complexes. Evidence indicates that at least 50% of bacterial initiation events use the 70S-scanning mode, underscoring the relative importance of this translation initiation mechanism.protein synthesis | ribosomal functions | translational initiation | 30S-binding initiation | 70S-scanning initiation I t is textbook knowledge that 30S subunits initiate protein synthesis in bacteria; they recognize the initiation site of the mRNA composed of the Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence, the AUG codon, and fMet-tRNA, together with three initiation factors (IFs) forming the 30S initiation complex (30SIC). Association of the large 50S subunit triggers the release of the IFs, leading to the 70S initiation complex (70SIC) that enters the elongation phase of translation (reviewed in 1). We term this initiation path the "30S-binding mode" of bacterial initiation. After elongation and termination, it is thought that the ribosome dissociates into its subunits, thus providing 30S subunits for the next round of initiation.The functional role of IF2 is well defined. It can bind directly to the 30S, providing a docking site for fMet-tRNA (2), but it can also enter the 30S subunit as ternary complex fMet-tRNA•IF2•GTP (3). Both IF2 and IF3 are essential for viability. IF3 has a binding site at the 30S interface (4), which explains its antiassociation effect (5, 6), as well as its role in dissociation of the terminating 70S ribosome (7). However, the in vivo concentration of IF3 is 100-fold less (8) than required for full dissociation of 70S in vitro (4). Evidence for the presence of IF3 on 70S ribosomes was reported (9), indicating that the functional spectrum of IF3 is possibly not restricted to an antiassociation effect. Both IF3 and IF2 are also responsible for the fidelity of decoding the initiation AUG by fMet-tRNA Met f at the P site of 30S subun...

Bacterial ribosomes stalled at the 3' end of malfunctioning messenger RNAs can be rescued by transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA)-mediated trans-translation. The SmpB protein forms a complex with the tmRNA, and the transfer-RNA-like domain (TLD) of the tmRNA then enters the A site of the ribosome. Subsequently, the TLD-SmpB module is translocated to the P site, a process that is facilitated by the elongation factor EF-G, and translation is switched to the mRNA-like domain (MLD) of the tmRNA. Accurate loading of the MLD into the mRNA path is an unusual initiation mechanism. Despite various snapshots of different ribosome-tmRNA complexes at low to intermediate resolution, it is unclear how the large, highly structured tmRNA is translocated and how the MLD is loaded. Here we present a cryo-electron microscopy reconstruction of a fusidic-acid-stalled ribosomal 70S-tmRNA-SmpB-EF-G complex (carrying both of the large ligands, that is, EF-G and tmRNA) at 8.3 Å resolution. This post-translocational intermediate (TI(POST)) presents the TLD-SmpB module in an intrasubunit ap/P hybrid site and a tRNA(fMet) in an intrasubunit pe/E hybrid site. Conformational changes in the ribosome and tmRNA occur in the intersubunit space and on the solvent side. The key underlying event is a unique extra-large swivel movement of the 30S head, which is crucial for both tmRNA-SmpB translocation and MLD loading, thereby coupling translocation to MLD loading. This mechanism exemplifies the versatile, dynamic nature of the ribosome, and it shows that the conformational modes of the ribosome that normally drive canonical translation can also be used in a modified form to facilitate more complex tasks in specialized non-canonical pathways.

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