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Description
Ribosome is particularly famous as a key player in protein synthesis. This large biomolecular complex of ribosomal RNA and ribosomal proteins catalyses peptide bond formation in all known cells. Within a so-called accretion model it is believed that during evolution, ribosome grew in size and chemical complexity. Hence, the central parts of the ribosome are molecular fossils that suggest how the peptide bonds were formed billions years ago before the first life emerged. Recently, a catalytic activity of two ancient ribosomes - much smaller than the modern ribosome - was demonstrated. We have used all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to address the structural stability of the ancient ribosomes. The simulations show that the fragments of ribosomal proteins stabilize the catalytic center of the ancient ribosome, thus may be responsible for the increase of ribosome efficiency.
