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Aging--RNA in development and disease
1Cell Biology and Gene Expression Unit, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, MD, USA. cookson@mail.nih.gov
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Given that RNA is involved in virtually all biological processes, it is perhaps not surprising that several RNA-binding proteins are associated with aging and with different age-related disorders. Other articles in this volume will discuss some specific examples of diseases where RNA plays a role that are also associated with aging, such as cancer and inflammation, so here I will discuss some general aspects of how RNA changes with the aging process. I will also discuss some specific examples of RNA-binding proteins that are associated with age-dependent neurological diseases as these provide an interesting framework to examine how lifetime mutations might lead to a late onset disease, although the answers to these questions are still not well understood.
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Translation is the process of synthesizing proteins from the genetic information carried by messenger RNA (mRNA). Following transcription, it constitutes the final step in the expression of genes. This process is carried out by ribosomes, complexes of protein and specialized RNA molecules. Ribosomes, transfer RNA (tRNA), and other proteins produce a chain of amino acids—the polypeptide—as the end product of translation.
Translation Produces the Building Blocks of Life
Translation
Translation is the process of synthesizing proteins from the genetic information carried by messenger RNA (mRNA). Following transcription, it constitutes the final step in the expression of genes. This process is carried out by ribosomes, complexes of protein and specialized RNA molecules. Ribosomes, transfer RNA (tRNA), and other proteins produce a chain of amino acids—the polypeptide—as the end product of translation.
Translation Produces the Building Blocks of Life
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