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Index >> Ribosomes >> Polyribosomes

Polyribosomes

Polyribosomes - Protein synthesis does not take place on individual ribosomes, but on groups or clusters of ribosomes.

These groups of ribosomes are called polyribosomes, polysomes or ergosomes. The ribosomes of a polyribosome may be arranged in a linear manner or may form a rosette shaped cluster.

Two 70S or 80S ribosomes form dimers of 100S and 120S, respectively. The 200S polyribosomes responsible for haemoglobin synthesis have five to six ribosomes. The 600S polyribosomes of poliovirus have 16 to 18 ribosomes per cluster.

The number of ribosomes in a polyribosome depends on the length of the mRNA molecule that takes part in synthesis.

Polyribosomes are formed with increase in magnesium ion concentration. Thus 70S ribosomes form a dimer of 100S when the magnesium ion concentration is increased ten times.

The fact ribosomes function in clusters was established by Warner et al (1962, 1963) and Rich et al (1963). In rabbit reticulocytes, which synthesize only haemoglobin, 170S polyribosomes are present. These polyribosomes usually have five ribosomes each, connected to one mRNA strand 10 to 15A thick.

Each ribosome has a diameter of 230A, with 50 to l00A spacing between the ribosomes. Haemo­globin is a polypeptide chain of 150 amino acids. Using a triplet code, this implies that a mRNA molecule of 450 nucleotide (I50 X 3) is required.

As there is one nucleotide every 3.4A the total length of the mRNA molecule would be 1,500A

A single ribosome 230A in diameter is insufficient. However five ribosomes (230 x 5= 1,150A) with a spacing of 100A (l00 X 4=400A) would give a total length of 1,550A, sufficient for a 1,500A mRNA molecule.

 

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