Unveiling the coupling of transcription and translation in bacteria
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| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | The fundamental central dogma of molecular biology, underscores a two-step process in the expression of genetic information. Initially, RNA polymerase (RNAP) orchestrates the transcription of mRNAs, followed by the translation of mRNAs into polypeptides by fully assembled ribosomes. In eukaryotic cells, these processes are compartmentalized by the nucleic envelope. However, in bacteria these pivotal biological events can occur simultaneously in what is known as Coupled Transcription and Translation (CTT). This mechanism of genetic information flow was structurally described by single particle cryo-EM as a synergistic process, with RNAP and ribosomes directly interacting, and assisted by various transcription factors (TFs) such as NusG or NusA. Moreover, recent work using the genome-reduced human pathogen M. pneumoniae described the in-cell architecture of the CTT at sub-nanometer resolution6. Our research is focused on investigating CTT within the prototype bacteria E. coli, specifically examining its role in the elongation phase of translation. Here, the elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu), in conjunction with the corresponding tRNA and GTP, interacts with the ribosome and initiates the rotation of the ribosome. The ribosome rotation in combination with the intricate interplay between the ribosome and the RNAP in the context of CTT, contribute to the simultaneous movement of the whole complex. Our primary goal is to unravel the structural intricacies of how this sophisticated molecular machinery operates synergistically during elongation. Despite the challenges, our preliminary data provide a foundation for future investigations into CTTs across different organisms. |
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