The ribosomal stalk binds to translation factors IF2, EF-Tu, EF-G and RF3 via a conserved region of the L12 C-terminal domain
Efficient protein synthesis in bacteria requires initiation factor 2 (IF2), elongation factors Tu (EF-Tu) and G (EF-G), and release factor 3 (RF3), each of which catalyzes a major step of translation in a GTP-dependent fashion. Previous reports have suggested that recruitment of factors to the ribosome and subsequent GTP hydrolysis involve the dimeric protein L12, which forms a flexible "stalk" on
