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Related Concept Videos

Transfer RNA Synthesis02:36

Transfer RNA Synthesis

11.9K
One of the unique features of tRNA is the presence of modified bases. In some tRNAs, modified bases account for nearly 20% of the total bases in the molecule. Altogether, these unusual bases protect the tRNA from enzymatic degradation by RNases.
Each of these chemical modifications is carried by a specific enzyme, post-transcription. All of these enzymes have unique base and site-specificity. Methylation, the most common chemical modification, is carried by at least nine different enzymes, with...
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Improving Translational Accuracy02:07

Improving Translational Accuracy

9.9K
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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tRNA Activation02:26

tRNA Activation

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Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are present in both eukaryotes and bacteria. Though eukaryotes have 20 different aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases to couple to 20 amino acids, many bacteria do not have genes for all of these aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Despite this, they still use all 20 amino acids to synthesize their proteins. For instance, some bacteria do not have the gene encoding the enzyme that couples glutamine with its partner tRNA. In these organisms, one enzyme adds glutamic acid to all of the...
19.2K
Initiation of Translation02:33

Initiation of Translation

32.4K
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...
32.4K
Translation01:31

Translation

14.7K
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...
14.7K
Termination of Translation01:44

Termination of Translation

25.3K
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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Isolation of Translating Ribosomes Containing Peptidyl-tRNAs for Functional and Structural Analyses
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Isolation of Translating Ribosomes Containing Peptidyl-tRNAs for Functional and Structural Analyses

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Tuning tRNAs for improved translation.

Joshua L Weiss1, J C Decker1, Ariadna Bolano1

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States.

Frontiers in Genetics
|July 10, 2024
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) translate genetic code. tRNA engineering principles are emerging to guide translation fidelity, enabling new research, genetic code expansion, and tRNA therapeutics.

Keywords:
directed evolutiongenetic code expansionnoncanonical amino acidrational designsynthetic biologytRNA engineeringtRNA therapeuticstranslation

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are crucial molecules that translate the genetic code into proteins.
  • tRNAs interact with numerous binding partners, influencing the efficiency of translation.
  • Challenges in linking tRNA sequences to specific translational outcomes stem from sequence variability and post-transcriptional modifications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the collective efforts in uncovering tRNA engineering principles.
  • To provide a guide for tuning translation fidelity using these principles.
  • To highlight the applications of tRNA engineering in basic research, genetic code expansion, and therapeutics.

Main Methods:

  • Review of substantial research efforts in tRNA biology and engineering.
  • Analysis of tRNA sequence variability and post-transcriptional modifications.
  • Synthesis of established tRNA engineering principles.

Main Results:

  • Identification of key tRNA engineering principles.
  • Demonstration of tRNA engineering's utility in guiding translation fidelity.
  • Establishment of tRNA engineering for basic research and therapeutic development.

Conclusions:

  • tRNA engineering principles offer a roadmap for controlling translation.
  • These principles facilitate advancements in synthetic biology and genetic code expansion.
  • tRNA-based therapeutics represent a promising future direction.