Structure, Function, and Regulation of Free and Membrane-bound Ribosomes: The View from Their Substrates and Products

A myriad of experimental approaches and techniqueshas been used during the past 45 years to examine the ribosome, and this research has yielded a tremendousamount of information. Yet despite the enormous effortand ingenuity that have been devoted to achieving an understanding of the ribosome, many aspects of its structure, function, assembly, and regulation still remainlargely or completely obscure. During the past 25 years,we have chosen to focus on the substrates and products ofthe ribosome, specifically the aminoacyl tRNAs (aatRNAs) that bind to the ribosome in response to specificmRNA codons and the nascent protein chains that aresynthesized by the ribosome. This approach has providedus with an unusual perspective of the ribosome and hasyielded some unique insights into ribosome structure,function, and regulation. Furthermore, based on past success in identifying and characterizing important aspectsof the ribosome, this experimental approach promises tocontinue to yield information that is essential for a fullunderstanding of the ribosome...