The molecular chaperone DnaK is not recruited to translating ribosomes that lack trigger factor.

The molecular chaperone DnaK and trigger factor (TF), a ribosome-associated protein with folding activity, have been implicated in assisting nascent polypeptides to acquire a three-dimensional structure on Escherichia coli ribosomes. We asked whether ribosomes that lack trigger factor would recruit DnaK for synthesis and folding of nascent peptides. For these analyses, translating ribosomes with a homogeneous population of nascent peptides were isolated. Truncated forms of rhodanese and E. coli translation initiation factor 3 (IF3) were generated with tandem rare arginine codons in the coding sequence. These codons cause strong translational pausing during coupled transcription/translation in E. coli extracts, generating nascent polypeptides on ribosomes. Protein synthesis in the TF(-) extract was initiated with biotin-Met-tRNA(f). Ribosomes with nascent polypeptides were isolated by interaction of the N-terminal biotin with streptavidin on magnetobeads. These translating ribosomes that lack TF contain the molecular chaperone DnaK in considerably less than stoichiometric amounts.