NEUTRON-SCATTERING IN THE RIBOSOME STRUCTURE

Thermal neutron scattering has become a powerful instrument for studyi ng the ribosome and its components. The application of neutron scatter ing allowed to establish some principal features of the ribosome struc ture: non-homogeneous distribution of the RNA and protein within ribos omal particles, the RNA role as a framework in the arrangement and mai ntenance of the structure of ribosomal particles, and the globular cha racter of ribosomal proteins. The use of selective deuteration of sepa rate ribosomal proteins in combination with the triangulation method r evealed mutual spatial arrangement (the 3D-map) of all the ribosomal p roteins within the small particle and in the most part of the large ri bosomal particle, An essential impact has been made in the structural studies of ribosomes with the development of novel experimental approa ches: triple isotopic substitution and spin contrast variation. These approaches with direct interpretation of spherical harmonics provide n ew possibilities for constructing models of ribosomal particles, openi ng principally new perspectives for joint use of X-ray synchrotron dif fraction in crystals and small-angle neutron scattering in solution.