It takes two to tRNAgo.

In this issue of Structure, Sievers et al. gain important insights into the human tRNA guanine transglycosylase QTRT1/2. The study presents a cryo-EM reconstruction of the inhibited human heterodimer in complex with human tRNA, which represents the first snapshot of a eukaryotic TGT in complex with its full-length tRNA substrate.

Modulation of translational decoding by mA modification of mRNA.

N-methyladenosine (mA) is an abundant, dynamic mRNA modification that regulates key steps of cellular mRNA metabolism. mA in the mRNA coding regions inhibits translation elongation. Here, we show how mA modulates decoding in the bacterial translation system using a combination of rapid kinetics, smFRET and single-particle cryo-EM.

The diverse structural modes of tRNA binding and recognition.

tRNAs are short noncoding RNAs responsible for decoding mRNA codon triplets, delivering correct amino acids to the ribosome, and mediating polypeptide chain formation. Due to their key roles during translation, tRNAs have a highly conserved shape and large sets of tRNAs are present in all living organisms. Regardless of sequence variability, all tRNAs fold into a relatively rigid three-dimensional L-shaped structure.

Rhodopsin-bestrophin fusion proteins from unicellular algae form gigantic pentameric ion channels.

Many organisms sense light using rhodopsins, photoreceptive proteins containing a retinal chromophore. Here we report the discovery, structure and biophysical characterization of bestrhodopsins, a microbial rhodopsin subfamily from marine unicellular algae, in which one rhodopsin domain of eight transmembrane helices or, more often, two such domains in tandem, are C-terminally fused to a bestrophin channel. Cryo-EM analysis of a rhodopsin-rhodopsin-bestrophin fusion revealed that it forms a pentameric megacomplex (~700 kDa) with five rhodopsin pseudodimers surrounding the channel in the center.

Preconditioning Stimulus Intensity Alters Paired-Pulse TMS Evoked Potentials.

Motor cortex (M1) paired-pulse TMS (ppTMS) probes excitatory and inhibitory intracortical dynamics by measurement of motor-evoked potentials (MEPs). However, MEPs reflect cortical and spinal excitabilities and therefore cannot isolate cortical function. Concurrent TMS-EEG has the ability to measure cortical function, while limiting peripheral confounds; TMS stimulates M1, whilst EEG acts as the readout: the TMS-evoked potential (TEP).