Architecture of the E.coli 70S ribosome

The 70S ribosome from E.coli was analysed by neutron scattering focusing on the shape and the internal protein-RNA-distribution of the complex. Measurements on selectively deuterated 70S particles and free 30S and 50S subunits applying conventional contrast variation and proton-spin contrast-variation resulted in a total of 42 scattering curves.

Processing the data on the basis of the spherical harmonic technique, a four-phase model for the 70S ribosome could be generated, which describes the shape of the particle as well as the protein- and the RNA-moieties of each subunit at about 35 Angstrom resolution.