SelB

Elongation factor SelB uses several methods to recognize the selenocysteine insertion sequence found in messenger RNA. The insertion sequence forms a hairpin loop with an unstacked guanine base in the loop. This guanine forms

The planar base is also sandwiched between in the protein, which form a tight hydrophobic pocket. This is best seen using a The overall shape of the hairpin is recognized by contacts with several In particular, notice the intimate contact formed by both the charged nitrogen and hydrophobic carbon chain of

This page complements the article on Selenocysteine Synthase in the Molecule of the Month Series. See also Teaching Scenes, Tutorials, and Educators' Pages.