Fer Evrim, Yao Tony, McGrath Kaitlyn M, Goldman Aaron D, Kaçar Betül
Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Trends Genet. 2025 Jul;41(7):590-600. doi: 10.1016/j.tig.2025.02.004. Epub 2025 Mar 24.
Translation is an ancient molecular information processing system found in all living organisms. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in uncovering the origins of early translation. Yet, the evolution of translation factors - key regulators of protein synthesis - remains poorly understood. This review synthesizes recent findings on translation factors, highlighting their structural diversity, evolutionary history, and organism-specific adaptations across the tree of life. We examine conserved translation factors, their coevolution, and their roles in different steps in translation: initiation, elongation, and termination. The early evolution of translation factors serves as a natural link between modern genetics and the origins of life. Traditionally rooted in chemistry and geology, incorporating evolutionary molecular biology into the studies of life's emergence provides a complementary perspective on this complex question.
翻译是一种存在于所有生物体中的古老分子信息处理系统。在过去十年里，在揭示早期翻译的起源方面取得了重大进展。然而，翻译因子（蛋白质合成的关键调节因子）的进化仍知之甚少。这篇综述综合了关于翻译因子的最新研究结果，突出了它们在整个生命之树中的结构多样性、进化历史和特定生物体的适应性。我们研究了保守的翻译因子、它们的共同进化以及它们在翻译的不同步骤（起始、延伸和终止）中的作用。翻译因子的早期进化是现代遗传学与生命起源之间的自然联系。传统上基于化学和地质学，将进化分子生物学纳入生命起源的研究为这个复杂问题提供了一个补充视角。
