ABSTRACT
The most important theoretical molecular biology studies on the RNA phages were connected with the translation mechanisms and the deciphering of the genetic code. The phage RNAs contributed markedly to the problem of the homologous and heterologous cell-free translation in vitro. This chapter demonstrates the elucidation of the phage RNAs as classical translation templates in vivo and in vitro and the global role of the phage RNAs in the clarification of the general mechanisms of ribosome recognition, chain initiation, and termination. The central role of the RNA phage messengers in the establishing the structure of the RNA initiation sites and Shine-Dalgarno sequences is highlighted. A special attention is devoted to the general regulation mechanism of the translation processes. The regulation by the higher RNA structures and the fine mechanism of the polarity effect are unveiled. The ribosomal frameshifting and reinitiation by the synthesis of the RNA phage proteins is characterized. The structure of the repressor complexes I and II is described. The critical role of the coat protein and of the corresponding RNA operator stem-loop within the repressor complex I of the phages f2, R17, MS2, fr, GA, Qβ, PP7, and PPR1 is presented.
