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Science 5 October 2001:
Vol. 294. no. 5540, p. 9
DOI: 10.1126/science.294.5540.9f
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This Week in Science
Elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) is responsible for supplying amino acid-transfer RNA (aa-tRNA) conjugates to the ribosome, where they are used in protein synthesis. Because there is only one EF-Tu and there are at least 20 different varieties of aa-tRNA, it had been thought that this would be a relatively nonspecific interaction. LaRiviere et al. (p. 165; see the Perspective by Ibba) took a closer look and found that the binding affinities of EF-Tu for different aa-tRNAs do indeed fall within a narrow range. However, this uniformity results from the compensatory adjustment of pairing a stronger binding amino acid with a weaker binding tRNA, and vice versa. The authors suggest that EF-Tu may be a site for kinetic proofreading; incorrectly matched aa-tRNA conjugates either dissociate from EF-Tu before reaching the ribosome or bind so tightly as to be undeliverable.
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)
