Structure, Function and Evolution of the Ribosome

Dear Colleagues,

The ribosome is one of only four structures known to occur in the cells of all organisms (the others being membranes, chromosomes, and acidocalcisomes). While a great deal of research has been devoted to the origins and evolution of the genetic basis of life, much less has been focused on the origins and evolution of ribosomal structure and function.  Without more such studies, we cannot understand the intricate ways in which transcription and translation emerged in the first living organisms and then shaped, and were shaped by, their subsequent evolution. Recent advances in ribosome studies suggest that the time is ripe for investigators to pool their efforts, ideas and data on the ways that ribosome structure and function originated and evolved.

Papers are requested on the subject of the structure, function and evolution of the ribosome. The editors are particularly interested in the following topics:

• What was the form and function of the first ribosomes?
• How did the peptidyl transferase center evolve?
• How did aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase class I and class II enzymes evolve?
• How did the genetic code evolve?
• How important is dehydration to the function of the peptidyl transferase center?
• How central was tRNA evolution to evolution of the ribosome?
• How essential was tRNA, ribosome and genetic code evolution for the evolution of cellular life?
• What are the ribosome functions associated with tRNA wobble base recognition?
• What are the essential features of the decoding center of the ribosome? Did this evolve separately from the peptidyl transferase center or in tandem?
• What are mechanisms of ribosome proofreading of tRNA-mRNA interactions?
• How is the transition from a polymer, minihelix and/or RNA-dominated world to a cloverleaf tRNA world accomplished?
• What roles did ribozymes play in ribosome evolution?
• How can artificial intelligence and novel proteonomic methods be applied to studies of the ribosome, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase enzymes, tRNA and the genetic code?
• How did viruses evolve to co-opt ribosome functions?
• Did viruses shape ribosome evolution?

Other relevant topics are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Zachary F Burton
Prof. Dr. Robert Root-Bernstein
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.