Biology subjects

Zimmer, M. H.

Publications and source records attributed to Zimmer, M. H..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2021

Coordination of -1 Programmed Ribosomal Frameshifting by Transcript and Nascent Chain Features Revealed by Deep Mutational Scanning

Programmed ribosomal frameshifting (PRF) is a translational recoding mechanism that enables the synthesis of multiple polypeptides from a single transcript. In the alphavirus structural polyprotein, -1PRF is coordinated by a "slippery" sequence in the transcript, an RNA stem-loop, and a conformational transition in the nascent polypeptide chain. To characterize each of these effectors, we measured the effects of 4,530 mutations on -1PRF by deep mutational scanning. While most mutations within the slip-site and stem-loop disrupt -1PRF, mutagenic effects upstream of the slip-site are far more variable. Molecular dynamics simulations of polyprotein biogenesis suggest many of these mutations alter stimulatory forces on the nascent chain through their effects on translocon-mediated cotranslational folding. Finally, we provide evidence suggesting the coupling between cotranslational folding and -1PRF depends on the translation kinetics upstream of the slip-site. These findings demonstrate how -1PRF is coordinated by features within both the transcript and nascent chain.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2020

Force transduction creates long-ranged coupling in ribosomes stalled by arrest peptides

Force-sensitive arrest peptides regulate protein biosynthesis by stalling the ribosome as they are translated. Synthesis can be resumed when the nascent arrest peptide experiences a pulling force of sufficient magnitude to break the stall. Efficient stalling is dependent on the specific identity of a large number of amino acids, including amino acids which are tens of angstroms away from the peptidyl transferase center (PTC). The mechanism of force-induced restart and the role of these essential amino acids far from the PTC is currently unknown. We use hundreds of independent molecular dynamics trajectories spanning over 120 s in combination with kinetic analysis to characterize the barriers along the force-induced restarting pathway for the arrest peptide SecM. We find that the essential amino acids far from the PTC play a major role in controlling the transduction of applied force. In successive states along the stall-breaking pathway, the applied force propagates up the nascent chain until it reaches the C-terminus of SecM and the PTC, inducing conformational changes that allow for restart of translation. A similar mechanism of force propagation through multiple states is observed in the VemP stall-breaking pathway, but secondary structure in VemP allows for heterogeneity in the order of transitions through intermediate states. Results from both arrest peptides explain how residues that are tens of angstroms away from the catalytic center of the ribosome impact stalling efficiency by mediating the response to an applied force and shielding the amino acids responsible for maintaining the stalled state of the PTC. Significance StatementAs nascent proteins are synthesized by the ribosome, their interactions with the environment can create pulling forces on the nascent protein that can be transmitted to the ribosomes catalytic center. These forces can affect the rate and even the outcome of translation. We use simulations to characterize the pathway of force transduction along arrest peptides and discover how secondary structure in the nascent protein and its interactions with the ribosome exit tunnel impede force propagation. This explains how amino acids in arrest peptides that are tens of angstroms away from the ribosomes catalytic center contribute to stalling, and, more broadly, suggests how structural features in the nascent protein dictate the ribosomes ability to functionally respond to its environment.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2019

Cotranslational Folding Stimulates Programmed Ribosomal Frameshifting in the Alphavirus Structural Polyprotein

Viruses maximize their genetic coding capacity through a variety of biochemical mechanisms including programmed ribosomal frameshifting (PRF), which facilitates the production of multiple proteins from a single transcript. PRF is typically stimulated by structural elements within the mRNA that generate mechanical tension between the transcript and ribosome. However, in this work we show that the forces generated by the cotranslational folding of the nascent polypeptide chain can also enhance PRF. Using an array of biochemical, cellular, and computational techniques, we first demonstrate that the Sindbis virus structural polyprotein forms two competing topological isomers during biosynthesis at the ribosome-translocon complex. We then show that the formation of one of these topological isomers is linked to PRF. Coarse-grained molecular dynamic simulations reveal that the translocon-mediated membrane integration of a transmembrane domain upstream from the ribosomal slip-site generates a force on the nascent polypeptide chain that scales with observed frameshifting. Together, our results demonstrate that cotranslational folding of this protein generates a tension that stimulates PRF. To our knowledge, this constitutes the first example in which the conformational state of the nascent chain has been linked to PRF. These findings raise the possibility that, in addition to RNA-mediated translational recoding, a variety of cotranslational folding and/ or binding events may also stimulate PRF.

biochemistry↗