Studies on the mechanism of translocation in ribosomes. IV. The role of ribisomal proteins S12 in translocation.

It is shown that ribosomes, the 30S subparticles of which are reconstituted without protein S12, read out poly(U) and synthesize polyphenylalanine in the absence of protein elongation factors (EF-T and EF-G) and GTP, i.e. perform "non-enzymatic" translation. On the contrary, ribosomes, the 30S subparticles of which are reconstituted with protein S12, do not display "non-enzymatic" translation without its activation with parachloromercuribenzoate. This means that a complete removal of protein S12 from the ribosome, as well as its damage with para-chloromercuribenzoate, leads to the unblocking of the potential ability of ribosomes for spontaneous ("non-enzymatic") translocation. The presence of intact protein S12 in the ribosome prevents spontaneous (EF-G-GTP-independent) translocation. A suggestion is made that the intact protein S12 forms an additional contact between the ribosomal subparticles and thus participates in the ribosomal mechanism of translocation by affecting the locking-unlocking of the subparticles.