Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Transition State Theory

Transition State Theory

Transition-state theory, also known as activated-complex theory, provides a molecular-level explanation of reaction rates in both gas-phase and solution-phase reactions. It extends earlier kinetic models by considering the formation of a short-lived, high-energy configuration during a reaction.The progress of a chemical reaction can be represented using a reaction profile, which plots potential energy against the reaction coordinate. As two reactant molecules approach one another, their...

Improving Translational Accuracy

Improving Translational Accuracy

Base complementarity between the three base pairs of mRNA codon and the tRNA anticodon is not a failsafe mechanism. Inaccuracies can range from a single mismatch to no correct base pairing at all. The free energy difference between the correct and nearly correct base pairs can be as small as 3 kcal/ mol. With complementarity being the only proofreading step, the estimated error frequency would be one wrong amino acid in every 100 amino acids incorporated. However, error frequencies observed in...

Improving Translational Accuracy

Improving Translational Accuracy

Base complementarity between the three base pairs of mRNA codon and the tRNA anticodon is not a failsafe mechanism. Inaccuracies can range from a single mismatch to no correct base pairing at all. The free energy difference between the correct and nearly correct base pairs can be as small as 3 kcal/ mol. With complementarity being the only proofreading step, the estimated error frequency would be one wrong amino acid in every 100 amino acids incorporated. However, error frequencies observed in...

Initiation of Translation

Initiation of Translation

Initiating translation is complex because it involves multiple molecules. Initiator tRNA, ribosomal subunits, and eukaryotic initiation factors (eIFs) are all required to assemble on the initiation codon of mRNA. This process consists of several steps that are mediated by different eIFs.
First, the initiator tRNA must be selected from the pool of elongator tRNAs by eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2). The initiator tRNA (Met-tRNAi) has conserved sequence elements including modified bases at...

Initiation of Translation

Initiation of Translation

Initiating translation is complex because it involves multiple molecules. Initiator tRNA, ribosomal subunits, and eukaryotic initiation factors (eIFs) are all required to assemble on the initiation codon of mRNA. This process consists of several steps that are mediated by different eIFs.
First, the initiator tRNA must be selected from the pool of elongator tRNAs by eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2). The initiator tRNA (Met-tRNAi) has conserved sequence elements including modified bases at...

Termination of Translation

Termination of Translation

The large ribosomal subunit has several important structures essential to translation. These include the peptidyl transferase center (PTC) - which is the site where the peptide bond is formed - and a large, internal, water-filled tube through which the nascent polypeptide moves. This latter structure is called the Peptide Exit Tunnel, and it begins at the PTC and spans the body of the large ribosomal subunit. During translation, as the nascent polypeptide chain is synthesized, it passes through...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Chaotic ghosts in systems with parameter drift: Delay and control critical transitions.

Physical review. E·2026

Same author

Multiscale spatiotemporal neural network with multi-attention mechanism using brain partitioning for motor imagery recognition.

Journal of neuroscience methods·2026

Same author

Complex bifurcation structures in a Hodgkin-Huxley model of thermally sensitive neurons under periodic perturbation.

Physical review. E·2025

Same author

Adaptive Whole-Brain Dynamics Predictive Method: Relevancy to Mental Disorders.

Research (Washington, D.C.)·2025

Same author

Diffusion properties of transfer RNAs in the yeast cytoplasm under normal and osmotic stress conditions.

Biochimica et biophysica acta. General subjects·2025

Same author

Unsupervised Domain Adaptation With Synchronized Self-Training for Cross- Domain Motor Imagery Recognition.

IEEE journal of biomedical and health informatics·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Analysis of Translation Initiation During Stress Conditions by Polysome Profiling

Analysis of Translation Initiation During Stress Conditions by Polysome Profiling

Published on: May 19, 2014

Queueing phase transition: theory of translation.

M Carmen Romano¹, Marco Thiel, Ian Stansfield

¹Institute for Complex Systems and Mathematical Biology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UE, United Kingdom.

Physical Review Letters

|June 13, 2009

Summary

Particle flow on a lattice can exhibit a phase transition due to slow sites. This phenomenon explains protein classification and biological functions during mRNA translation.

More Related Videos

Isolation of Ribosome Bound Nascent Polypeptides in vitro to Identify Translational Pause Sites Along mRNA

Isolation of Ribosome Bound Nascent Polypeptides in vitro to Identify Translational Pause Sites Along mRNA

Published on: July 6, 2012

Xenopus laevis as a Model to Identify Translation Impairment

Xenopus laevis as a Model to Identify Translation Impairment

Published on: September 27, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Analysis of Translation Initiation During Stress Conditions by Polysome Profiling

Analysis of Translation Initiation During Stress Conditions by Polysome Profiling

Published on: May 19, 2014

Isolation of Ribosome Bound Nascent Polypeptides in vitro to Identify Translational Pause Sites Along mRNA

Isolation of Ribosome Bound Nascent Polypeptides in vitro to Identify Translational Pause Sites Along mRNA

Published on: July 6, 2012

Xenopus laevis as a Model to Identify Translation Impairment

Xenopus laevis as a Model to Identify Translation Impairment

Published on: September 27, 2015

Area of Science:

Statistical Mechanics
Biophysics
Computational Biology

Background:

Understanding particle transport on lattices is crucial for modeling complex systems.
mRNA translation is a fundamental biological process involving particle movement.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of varying hopping probabilities on particle flow in a one-dimensional lattice.
To explore the emergence of phase transitions in such systems.
To apply the findings to understand mRNA translation and protein classification.

Main Methods:

Development of a stochastic model for unidirectional particle flow on a lattice with heterogeneous hopping probabilities.
Derivation of analytical expressions for conditions leading to a first-order phase transition.
Application of the model to simulate and analyze mRNA translation dynamics.

Main Results:

Demonstrated that particle queueing behind slow sites induces a first-order phase transition.
Derived analytical conditions for the occurrence of this phase transition.
Established a link between the phase transition and the biological classification of proteins based on their functions.

Conclusions:

The study reveals a novel first-order phase transition in a driven lattice gas model.
This phase transition is a key mechanism underlying protein classification during mRNA translation.
The findings provide a new perspective on the biophysics of translation and protein diversity.