Shine-Dalgarno sequence

Shine-Dalgarno sequence is a ribosomal binding site in bacterial and archaeal messenger RNA, generally located around 8 bases upstream of the start codon AUG. The sequence helps recruit the ribosome to the mRNA to initiate protein synthesis by aligning the ribosome with the start codon.

Function

The Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence is essential for the initiation of protein synthesis. It is recognized and bound by the 16S rRNA component of the 30S ribosomal subunit, thereby aligning the ribosome with the start codon and preparing it for the first round of amino acid addition.

Discovery

The Shine-Dalgarno sequence was discovered by Australian scientists John Shine and Lynn Dalgarno in 1974. Their work revealed the importance of this sequence in the initiation of protein synthesis in prokaryotes.

Sequence

The consensus sequence for the Shine-Dalgarno sequence is 5'-AGGAGGU-3'. However, there is considerable variation in the exact sequence between different organisms and even between different mRNAs within the same organism.

Role in Translation

The Shine-Dalgarno sequence plays a crucial role in the initiation of translation. It is recognized and bound by the 16S rRNA component of the 30S ribosomal subunit, thereby aligning the ribosome with the start codon and preparing it for the first round of amino acid addition.

See also

• Ribosome
• Translation (biology)
• Protein synthesis
• Messenger RNA

References

Shine-Dalgarno sequence Resources
Latest articles Most recent articles Ongoing trials	Wikipedia