Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Initiation of Translation02:33

Initiation of Translation

40.8K
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...
40.8K
Initiation of Translation02:33

Initiation of Translation

8.8K
8.8K
Leaky Scanning02:28

Leaky Scanning

5.9K
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...
5.9K
Types of RNA01:20

Types of RNA

16.8K
Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse functions and can be broadly classified as protein-coding or non-coding RNA. Non-coding RNAs play important roles in regulating gene expression in response to developmental and environmental changes. Non-coding RNAs in prokaryotes can be manipulated to develop more effective antibacterial drugs for human or animal use.
RNA Performs Diverse...
16.8K
Types of RNA01:23

Types of RNA

74.3K
Overview
Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse functions and can be broadly classified as protein-coding or non-coding RNA. Non-coding RNAs play important roles in the regulation of gene expression in response to developmental and environmental changes. Non-coding RNAs in prokaryotes can be manipulated to develop more effective antibacterial drugs for human or animal use.
RNA...
74.3K
Types of RNA01:23

Types of RNA

31.0K
31.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

The nuclear cap-binding complex safeguards stress-resistant protein synthesis and proliferation of stem cells.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Heat tolerance classification criteria require population-specific thresholds for accurate assessment of acclimation state in adults.

Physiological reports·2026
Same author

Thermosensitivity of the Microvasculature: Molecular and physiological mechanisms in skeletal muscle - A narrative review.

Journal of thermal biology·2025
Same author

Effects of an astaxanthin-containing supplement on oxidative status in skeletal muscle and circulation during deconditioning and reconditioning periods in polo ponies.

Physiological reports·2025
Same author

Ultra-Sensitive Aptamer-Based Diagnostic Systems for Rapid Detection of All SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

International journal of molecular sciences·2025
Same author

Quadriceps muscle atrophy after non-invasive anterior cruciate ligament injury: evidence linking to autophagy and mitophagy.

Frontiers in physiology·2024
Same journal

Chemotactic self-organization captures the dynamics of mammalian hair follicle patterning.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Tomographic imaging of superconducting order using particle-hole interference.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Inhibitory potential of autologous neutralizing antibodies sets quantitative limits on the rebound-competent HIV-1 reservoir.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Inferring epidemiological parameters under an infectious phylogeography model with visitor dynamics.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Analytical modeling for suction cup designs for skin-interfaced wearable devices.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same journal

Improving cell-free metabolism through direct integration of artificial respiratory chains.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 18, 2026

Optical Tweezers to Study RNA-Protein Interactions in Translation Regulation
12:26

Optical Tweezers to Study RNA-Protein Interactions in Translation Regulation

Published on: February 12, 2022

6.2K

Translation initiation mediated by RNA looping.

Ki Young Paek1, Ka Young Hong1, Incheol Ryu1

  • 1POSTECH Biotechnology Center, Department of Life Sciences, and.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|January 14, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The study reveals that eIF4G protein, when tethered to mRNA, enhances translation initiation, even without a cap structure. This suggests RNA looping facilitates ribosome access to initiation codons, improving protein synthesis efficiency.

Keywords:
RNA loopingeukaryotic mRNAribosome scanningtranslation initiation

More Related Videos

Toeprinting Analysis of Translation Initiation Complex Formation on Mammalian mRNAs
10:37

Toeprinting Analysis of Translation Initiation Complex Formation on Mammalian mRNAs

Published on: May 10, 2018

13.4K
Artificial RNA Polymerase II Elongation Complexes for Dissecting Co-transcriptional RNA Processing Events
10:59

Artificial RNA Polymerase II Elongation Complexes for Dissecting Co-transcriptional RNA Processing Events

Published on: May 13, 2019

10.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 18, 2026

Optical Tweezers to Study RNA-Protein Interactions in Translation Regulation
12:26

Optical Tweezers to Study RNA-Protein Interactions in Translation Regulation

Published on: February 12, 2022

6.2K
Toeprinting Analysis of Translation Initiation Complex Formation on Mammalian mRNAs
10:37

Toeprinting Analysis of Translation Initiation Complex Formation on Mammalian mRNAs

Published on: May 10, 2018

13.4K
Artificial RNA Polymerase II Elongation Complexes for Dissecting Co-transcriptional RNA Processing Events
10:59

Artificial RNA Polymerase II Elongation Complexes for Dissecting Co-transcriptional RNA Processing Events

Published on: May 13, 2019

10.3K

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Eukaryotic translation initiation involves 40S ribosomal subunit recruitment to mRNA via factors interacting with the cap and poly(A) tail.
  • Translation initiation factors guide the 40S ribosome to the AUG initiation codon.
  • Understanding how ribosomes locate initiation codons is crucial for deciphering gene expression control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of eukaryotic initiation factor 4G (eIF4G) in identifying translational initiation codons.
  • To explore mechanisms of cap-independent translation enhancement.
  • To model the impact of distance between mRNA cap and initiation codon on translation efficiency.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized an artificial eIF4G-MS2 fusion protein tethered to mRNA via MS2-binding sites in the 3' UTR.
  • Assessed translation enhancement of a reporter gene and a dicistronic mRNA.
  • Employed the encephalomyocarditis virus internal ribosome entry site (IRES) as a natural translational enhancer.
  • Developed a mathematical model to analyze the effect of distance on translation efficiency.

Main Results:

  • eIF4G-MS2 fusion protein significantly enhanced reporter gene translation, independent of the mRNA cap structure.
  • Tethered eIF4G-MS2 boosted translation of the second cistron in dicistronic mRNAs.
  • EMCV IRES enhanced upstream gene translation in a cap-independent manner.
  • Mathematical modeling supported the RNA looping hypothesis.

Conclusions:

  • eIF4G plays a key role in facilitating ribosome access to initiation codons.
  • RNA looping is a plausible mechanism explaining translational enhancement by elements in mRNA's 3' UTR.
  • These findings highlight novel pathways for cap-independent translation regulation.