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Related Concept Videos

Termination of Translation01:44

Termination of Translation

27.8K
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...
27.8K
Termination of Translation01:44

Termination of Translation

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6.8K
Translation01:31

Translation

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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...
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Translation01:31

Translation

17.9K
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
Proteins are...
17.9K
Initiation of Translation02:33

Initiation of Translation

39.1K
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...
39.1K
Improving Translational Accuracy02:07

Improving Translational Accuracy

15.0K
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...
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Related Experiment Video

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Single Molecule Fluorescence Microscopy on Planar Supported Bilayers
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Single-Molecule Fluorescence Applied to Translation.

Arjun Prabhakar1,2, Elisabetta Viani Puglisi1, Joseph D Puglisi1

  • 1Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305.

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
|June 13, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Single-molecule fluorescence studies reveal the dynamic movements of translation machinery. Observing single ribosomes clarifies complex pathways in protein synthesis initiation and elongation for prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Single-molecule fluorescence methods offer dynamic insights into the translational machinery.
  • Structural and bulk biochemical experiments provide atomic and global mechanistic views of translation.
  • Single-molecule studies bridge these by linking conformational states to mechanistic pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discuss the application of single-molecule fluorescence experiments in studying translation.
  • To present recent applications in prokaryotic and eukaryotic translation.
  • To highlight the power of observing single translating ribosomes.

Main Methods:

  • Single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy
  • Analysis of ribosome dynamics
  • Prokaryotic and eukaryotic translation systems

Main Results:

  • Single-molecule studies temporally connect conformational and compositional states.
  • Observation of single translating ribosomes delineates complex mechanistic pathways.
  • Initiation and elongation steps in translation are clarified.

Conclusions:

  • Single-molecule fluorescence is powerful for understanding translation dynamics.
  • It aids in sorting complex mechanistic pathways.
  • Future technological improvements will enhance these studies.