Co-temporal Force and Fluorescence Measurements Reveal a Ribosomal Gear Shift Mechanism of Translation Regulation by Structured mRNAs (Molecular Cell)

Desai et al. used optical tweezers with single-molecule fluorescence detection to show that mRNA hairpin opening and translocation by the ribosome occur concurrently. Moreover, they unravel an allosteric gear shift mechanism of translation regulation in which ribosomes switch into an alternative, slower kinetic pathway in response to strong mRNA hairpins.