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Related Concept Videos

Improving Translational Accuracy02:07

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 Accuracy02:07

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...
Leaky Scanning02:28

Leaky Scanning

During most eukaryotic translation processes, the small 40S ribosome subunit scans an mRNA from its 5' end until it encounters the first start AUG codon. The large 60S ribosomal subunit then joins the smaller one to initiate protein synthesis. The location of the translation initiation is largely determined by the nucleotides near the start codon as there may be multiple translation initiation sites present on the mRNA.  Marilyn Kozak discovered that the sequence RCCAUGG (where R stands for...
Termination of Translation01:44

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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...
Termination of Translation01:44

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...
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The flow of genetic information in cells from DNA to mRNA to protein is described by the central dogma, which states that genes specify the sequence of mRNAs, which in turn specify the sequence of amino acids making up all proteins. The decoding of one molecule to another is performed by specific proteins and RNAs. Because the information stored in DNA is so central to cellular function, it makes intuitive sense that the cell would make mRNA copies of this information for protein synthesis...

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Measurement of Specific Mycobacterial Mistranslation Rates with Gain-of-function Reporter Systems
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Stops making sense: translational trade-offs and stop codon reassignment.

Louise J Johnson1, James A Cotton, Conrad P Lichtenstein

  • 1School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK.

BMC Evolutionary Biology
|August 2, 2011
PubMed
Summary

The number of stop codons in a genetic code influences gene expression efficiency. More stop codons reduce readthrough but increase premature termination, impacting genome structure and coding sequence length.

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Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Bioinformatics

Background:

  • Gene expression balances premature termination and readthrough.
  • Sense codons near stop codons risk mutations and errors.
  • Stop codon number is a variable feature of genetic codes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of stop codon number on the trade-off between premature termination and readthrough.
  • To model the impact of genetic code variations on genome structure.

Main Methods:

  • Mathematical modeling of premature termination and readthrough probabilities.
  • Comparative genomic analysis across taxa with varying stop codon numbers.
  • Analysis of codon usage in the human genome concerning stop codon mutability.

Main Results:

  • Codons mutable to stops are underrepresented in human coding sequences.
  • A higher number of stop codons favors premature termination, especially in longer genes.
  • Fewer stop codons lead to longer, more detrimental readthrough tails.
  • Genomes with more stop codons tend to have shorter coding sequences.

Conclusions:

  • Alternative genetic codes with different stop codon numbers create distinct trade-offs affecting genome structure.
  • Multiple stop codons may mitigate readthrough, balancing the risk of nonsense mutations.
  • This trade-off could explain the overrepresentation of stop codons in known genetic codes.