Peptidyl-tRNA dissociation from ribosomes is an energetically costly but apparently inevitable process that accompanies normal protein synthesis. The drop-off products of these events are hydrolysed by peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase. Mutant selections have been made to identify genes involved in the drop-off of peptidyl-tRNA, using a thermosensitive peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase mutant in Escherichia coli. ...

A set of 43 strains corresponding to 20 classified and unclassified genomic Acinetobacter species was analyzed for the production of typical N-acyl homoserine lactone quorum sensing molecules in culture broths. A large percentage of the strains (74%) displayed quorum sensing signals that could be separated into three statistically significantly different chromatographic groups (p < 0.001) based...

Despite cultivation and seed import bans of genetically modified (GM) oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.), feral GM plants were found growing along railway lines and in port areas at four sites in Switzerland in 2011 and 2012. All GM plants were identified as glyphosate-resistant GM event GT73 (Roundup Ready, Monsanto). The most affected sites were the Rhine port of Basel and the St. Johann freigh...

Terminating protein translation accurately and efficiently is critical for both protein fidelity and ribosome recycling for continued translation. The three bacterial release factors (RFs) play key roles: RF1 and 2 recognize stop codons and terminate translation; and RF3 promotes disassociation of bound release factors. Probing release factors mutations with reporter constructs containing progr...

Small GTPases play central roles in catalyzing each stage of protein synthesis on the ribosome. In prokaryotes, the relevant GTPases are: initiation factor IF2, which delivers the initiator tRNA to the P (peptide) site of the 30S ribosomal subunit; elongation factor EF-Tu, which delivers the aminoacyl-tRNA to the 70S ribosome (composed of 50S and 30S subunits); elongation factor EF-G, which pro...