|
|
|
Now Showing: Ribosomes - in 3-D!
|
Business New Haven
9/20/1999
By: BNH
|
NEW HAVEN - Yale scientists have made a breakthrough in their efforts to determine the positions of atoms in the ribosome. The Yale group has produced three-dimensional images of the largest component of the ribosome - the cellular structure responsible for synthesizing protein molecules in all organisms - at a resolution high enough so that its parts can be identified and positioned. Their research will not only lead to an improved understanding of protein synthesis, but could have medical implications as well.
"Many of the antibodies used to fight bacterial infections operate by interfering with the function of their ribosomes. Continued research in this area could eventually lead to improving the effectiveness of antibiotics," according to the study's principal investigator, Thomas A. Steitz, Eugene Higgins professor of molecular biophysics and biochemistry at Yale.
The research team used X-ray crystallography to obtain an image of the large ribosomal subunit from the bacterium halarcula marismotui. The image resolution is five angstroms, allowing many of the structure's proteins and RNA to be visualized.
|
Go FirstGo PreviousGo
NextGo LastGo
to Index
|
|
