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

From DNA to Protein

From DNA to Protein

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...

The Central Dogma

The Central Dogma

The central dogma explains the flow of genetic information from DNA nucleotides to the amino acid sequence of proteins.
RNA is the Missing Link Between DNA and Proteins
In the early 1900s, scientists discovered that DNA stores all the information needed for cellular functions and that proteins perform most of these functions. However, the mechanisms of converting genetic information into functional proteins remained unknown for many years. Initially, it was believed that a single gene is...

The Central Dogma

The Central Dogma

Translation

Translation

Lesson: 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

Translation

Translation

Lesson: 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

Leaky Scanning

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Conditional Cell Penetration of Masked CPPs by an ADEPT-like Approach.

ACS chemical biology·2024

Same author

A method to map the interaction network of the nuclear lamina with genetically encoded photo-crosslinkers <i>in vivo</i>.

Frontiers in chemistry·2022

Same author

Genetic Code Expansion Tools to Study Lysine Acylation.

Advanced biology·2021

Same author

Metabolically controlled histone H4K5 acylation/acetylation ratio drives BRD4 genomic distribution.

Cell reports·2021

Same author

Discovery of Dihydro-1,4-Benzoxazine Carboxamides as Potent and Highly Selective Inhibitors of Sirtuin-1.

Journal of medicinal chemistry·2021

Same author

Spanning the gap: unraveling RSC dynamics in vivo.

Current genetics·2021

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 21, 2026

A Facile Protocol to Generate Site-Specifically Acetylated Proteins in Escherichia Coli

A Facile Protocol to Generate Site-Specifically Acetylated Proteins in Escherichia Coli

Published on: December 9, 2017

Rewiring translation - Genetic code expansion and its applications.

Heinz Neumann¹

¹Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Justus-von-Liebig Weg 11, Georg-August University Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany. hneumann@gwdg.de

|June 20, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Synthetic biology enables the creation of organisms with novel genetic codes. Researchers are expanding the genetic code by incorporating unnatural amino acids into proteins, offering new functionalities for biological studies.

More Related Videos

Residue-specific Incorporation of Noncanonical Amino Acids into Model Proteins Using an Escherichia coli Cell-free Transcription-translation System

Residue-specific Incorporation of Noncanonical Amino Acids into Model Proteins Using an Escherichia coli Cell-free Transcription-translation System

Published on: August 1, 2016

Optimizing the Genetic Incorporation of Chemical Probes into GPCRs for Photo-crosslinking Mapping and Bioorthogonal Chemistry in Live Mammalian Cells

Optimizing the Genetic Incorporation of Chemical Probes into GPCRs for Photo-crosslinking Mapping and Bioorthogonal Chemistry in Live Mammalian Cells

Published on: April 9, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 21, 2026

A Facile Protocol to Generate Site-Specifically Acetylated Proteins in Escherichia Coli

A Facile Protocol to Generate Site-Specifically Acetylated Proteins in Escherichia Coli

Published on: December 9, 2017

Residue-specific Incorporation of Noncanonical Amino Acids into Model Proteins Using an Escherichia coli Cell-free Transcription-translation System

Residue-specific Incorporation of Noncanonical Amino Acids into Model Proteins Using an Escherichia coli Cell-free Transcription-translation System

Published on: August 1, 2016

Optimizing the Genetic Incorporation of Chemical Probes into GPCRs for Photo-crosslinking Mapping and Bioorthogonal Chemistry in Live Mammalian Cells

Optimizing the Genetic Incorporation of Chemical Probes into GPCRs for Photo-crosslinking Mapping and Bioorthogonal Chemistry in Live Mammalian Cells

Published on: April 9, 2018

Area of Science:

Synthetic Biology
Molecular Biology
Genetics

Background:

The genetic code is nearly universal across all life forms.
Synthetic biology offers tools to engineer alternative genetic codes.
Unnatural amino acids can be incorporated into proteins using expanded genetic codes.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent advancements in synthetic biology for expanding the genetic code.
To highlight the potential of engineered genetic codes in biological research.
To discuss the use of unnatural amino acids for novel protein functionalities.

Main Methods:

Heterologous expression of evolved aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA(CUA) pairs.
Incorporation of unnatural amino acids (UAAs) via amber codons.
Utilizing orthogonal ribosomes in Escherichia coli for enhanced translation of non-canonical codons.

Main Results:

Engineered aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA pairs successfully incorporate UAAs.
UAAs introduce novel features like spectroscopic probes and crosslinkers into proteins.
Orthogonal ribosomes demonstrate enhanced efficiency in translating expanded genetic codes.

Conclusions:

Synthetic biology has created pathways to engineer alternative genetic codes.
Expanded genetic codes facilitate the creation of proteins with novel functions.
These advancements hold significant potential for biochemical and cell biological studies.