Termination of translation in eukaryotes: new results and new hypotheses.

Important new results obtained in studies of prokaryotic and eukaryotic translation termination during 1994-1998 are reviewed. Properties of the newly discovered factors RF3, eRF1, and eRF3 are described. Similarity and difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems of translation termination and recent models of molecular mechanisms of protein synthesis at the termination stage are discussed. Hypotheses concerning the biological role of eRF3 are formulated and discussed.