Biochemical and structural study on the mechanism of mammalian mitochondrial translation system(Fostering Joint International Research)

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15KK0250
• Research Category: Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Molecular biology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Tomita Nono (竹内野乃) 東京大学, 大学院新領域創成科学研究科, 准教授 (80323450)
• Research Collaborator: Spahn Christian MT. Charité, Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, 教授
• Project Period (FY): 2015 – 2017
• Keywords: タンパク質合成 / ミトコンドリア / クライオ電子顕微鏡観察

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the present work, we perform the biochemical and CryoEM structural study of various mammalian mitochondrial ribosomal complexes. During the stay in the accepting institute in Germany, the structures of PRE-recycling complex (mtRRFmt / 55S) and POST-recycling complex (mtRRF / mtEF-G2-GDPNP / 39S) were determined at high resolution. The insight for the molecular mechanism of ribosome recycling in mammalian mitochondria, and for the mechanism of action of EF-G in ribosome recycling and translocation, were obtained. It is the first report on the structure of the mitochondrial ribosomes, which are complexed with the translation factors. It is expected that the obtained knowledge is immediately linked to medical applications such as drug design.

Free Research Field

分子生物学