Decoding the Ubiquitin Code: How the RQT Complex Clears Colliding RibosomesMon Aug 11 2025
Matsuo et al., recently published a landmark study in Nature Communications (vol. 14, article 79, Jan 10 2023). , looking at how cells recognize and resolve ribosome collisions—a critical event in obeying translational fidelity and avoiding protein quality control failure.
The researchers employed a combination of molecular genetics, biochemical assays, ubiquitin-binding studies, and advanced imaging. Key steps included mutational deletion of ubiquitin‐binding domains in RQT subunits, affinity assays for K63-linked ubiquitin chains, and highspeed atomic force microscopy (HSAFM) to visualize complex behavior at the molecular level. Notably, they used intrinsically disordered regions of Rqt4 mapped by realtime HSAFM.
