Single Particle Cryo-EM of Ribosomal Complexes: Visualization of How Ribosome Works in Translation

Abstract

Ribosome decodes genetic information encoded on mRNA to corresponding amino acid sequences forming proteins. Accuracy of translation is maintained by dynamic motions of the ribosome at multiscale levels. To understand mechanistic details of how ribosomes regulate translation, single particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a powerful technique since it can obtain ribosome structures in functionally different states. In this article structure and function of ribosomes and how they could be revealed by cryo-EM are overviewed. In addition, one of our recent results about how Hepatitis C virus hijacks the host human translation machinery is reviewed.