How do bacterial Ribosome Binding Sites work?
The bacterial ribosome binds to particular sequences on an mRNA, primarily the Ribosome Binding Site (RBS) and the start codon (AUG). The RBS base-pairs with an RNA molecule that forms part of the bacterial ribosome (the 16s rRNA), while the start codon base-pairs with the initiator tRNA which is bound to the ribosome. In addition to the sequences of the RBS and the start codon being important, these two sequences need to be positioned approximately 6-7 nucleotides apart so they can both make contact with the appropriate parts of the ribosome complex. In the next section, we talk more about the specific interaction between the RBS and the ribosome.
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