Final answer:
To recognize the stop codon and disassemble the translation machinery, protein release factors and GTP hydrolysis are required. These factors facilitate the release of the synthesized polypeptide and the dissociation of ribosomal subunits for reuse.
Step-by-step explanation:
The factors needed to recognize the stop codon and disassemble the translation machinery include release factors and the hydrolysis of GTP. When one of the three stop codons (UAA, UAG, or UGA) presents in the A site of the ribosome, a release factor binds to the site.
This event triggers several reactions: Firstly, peptidyl transferase is instructed by release factors to add a water molecule to the carboxyl end of the amino acid in the P site, leading to the release of the newly synthesized polypeptide.
Secondly, GTP is hydrolyzed to provide the energy necessary for the termination process. Finally, the ribosomal subunits dissociate from the mRNA and can be reused for another round of protein synthesis. Similarly, after their dissociation, the mRNA is eventually degraded, and its nucleotides are recycled for subsequent transcription reactions.