Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 31, 2026

Analysis of DNA Double-strand Break (DSB) Repair in Mammalian Cells
Published on: September 8, 2010
Decoding apparatus for eukaryotic selenocysteine insertion
R M Tujebajeva1, P R Copeland, X M Xu
1Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Abstract:
Decoding UGA as selenocysteine requires a unique tRNA, a specialized elongation factor, and specific secondary structures in the mRNA, termed SECIS elements. Eukaryotic SECIS elements are found in the 3' untranslated region of selenoprotein mRNAs while those in prokaryotes occur immediately downstream of UGA. Consequently, a single eukaryotic SECIS element can serve multiple UGA codons, whereas prokaryotic SECIS elements only function for the adjacent UGA, suggesting distinct mechanisms for recoding in the two kingdoms. We have identified and characterized the first eukaryotic selenocysteyl-tRNA-specific elongation factor. This factor forms a complex with mammalian SECIS binding protein 2, and these two components function together in selenocysteine incorporation in mammalian cells. Expression of the two functional domains of the bacterial elongation factor-SECIS binding protein as two separate proteins in eukaryotes suggests a mechanism for rapid exchange of charged for uncharged selenocysteyl-tRNA-elongation factor complex, allowing a single SECIS element to serve multiple UGA codons.
More Related Videos
11:55Examining the Conformational Dynamics of Membrane Proteins in situ with Site-directed Fluorescence Labeling
Published on: May 29, 2011
11:47Residue-specific Incorporation of Noncanonical Amino Acids into Model Proteins Using an Escherichia coli Cell-free Transcription-translation System
Published on: August 1, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Leaky Scanning
Signal Sequences and Sorting Receptors
Directing Proteins to the Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
Insertion of Single-pass Transmembrane Proteins in the RER
Integral transmembrane proteins possess transmembrane and extra membrane domains. The transmembrane domains are primarily made of 20-25 hydrophobic amino acids arranged in a helical secondary confirmation. These...
Tail-anchoring of Proteins in the ER Membrane
Protein Translocation Machinery on the ER Membrane
Sec61 protein conducting channel
In eukaryotes, the translocon complex comprises a core heterotrimeric translocator channel called the Sec61 complex. This channel includes three transmembrane proteins, Sec61α, Sec61β, and Sec61γ, and is the largest subunit of the translocon complex.