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

Nonsense-mediated mRNA Decay02:27

Nonsense-mediated mRNA Decay

10.4K
The Upf proteins that carry out nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) are found in all eukaryotic organisms, including humans. Each protein has an individual role, but they need to work in collaboration. Upf1 is an ATP-dependent RNA helicase that unwinds the RNA helix. Because Upf1 can unwind any RNA, Upf2 and Upf3 are required to help Upf1 discriminate between nonsense and normal mRNAs.
Usually, Upf3 binds to an Exon Junction Complex (EJC) at mRNA splice sites. If a ribosome fully translates the mRNA,...
10.4K
Leaky Scanning02:28

Leaky Scanning

5.0K
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...
5.0K
Nuclear Export of mRNA02:31

Nuclear Export of mRNA

7.5K
Before mRNAs are exported to the cytoplasm, it is crucial to check each mRNA for structural and functional integrity. Eukaryotic cells use several different mechanisms, collectively known as mRNA surveillance, to look for irregularities in mRNAs. Irregular or aberrant mRNA are rapidly degraded by various enzymes. If a defective mRNA escapes the surveillance, it would be translated into a protein which would either be non-functional or not function properly. One of the primary irregularities in...
7.5K
RNA Stability01:53

RNA Stability

33.1K
Intact DNA strands can be found in fossils, while scientists sometimes struggle to keep RNA intact under laboratory conditions. The structural variations between RNA and DNA underlie the differences in their stability and longevity. Because DNA is double-stranded, it is inherently more stable. The single-stranded structure of RNA is less stable but also more flexible and can form weak internal bonds. Additionally, most RNAs in the cell are relatively short, while DNA can be up to 250 million...
33.1K
Experimental RNAi02:15

Experimental RNAi

6.0K
RNA interference (RNAi) is a cellular mechanism that inhibits gene expression by suppressing its transcription or activating the RNA degradation process. The mechanism was discovered by Andrew Fire and Craig Mello in 1998 in plants. Today, it is observed in almost all eukaryotes, including protozoa, flies, nematodes, insects, parasites, and mammals. This precise cellular mechanism of gene silencing has been developed into a technique that provides an efficient way to identify and determine the...
6.0K
RNA Interference01:23

RNA Interference

25.9K
RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its messenger RNA (mRNA) and preventing the protein from being translated.
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
25.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Conserved and Lineage-Specific Roles of KEA-Mediated Ion Homeostasis in Chlamydomonas.

Plant physiology·2026
Same author

Mechanics and thermodynamics of the living cell, dedicated to Erich Sackmann.

Biophysical journal·2026
Same author

Combining SAXS analysis and MD simulation to determine structure and hydration of ionizable lipid hexagonal phases.

Soft matter·2025
Same author

Cell-mechanical parameter estimation from 1D cell trajectories using simulation-based inference.

PloS one·2025
Same author

Buffer Specificity of Ionizable Lipid Nanoparticle Transfection Efficiency and Bulk Phase Transition.

ACS nano·2025
Same author

Point spread function estimation with computed wavefronts for deconvolution of hyperspectral imaging data.

Scientific reports·2025
Same journal

RNA-ligand complexes and the attenuation of neutral confinement in the evolution of RNA secondary structures.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same journal

Individual detachment-reintegration events in homing pigeon flocks and the dominance of directional adjustment in their kinematic features.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same journal

Thermal stress disrupts symbiotic fluid dynamics in bobtail squid.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same journal

Distinct geometrical landscapes distinguish between modes of tristability in gene regulatory networks.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same journal

Slow modulation of the contraction patterns in Physarum polycephalum.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
Same journal

Moo-ving mountains: grazing agents drive terracette formation on steep hillslopes.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 21, 2025

Real-time Imaging of Single Engineered RNA Transcripts in Living Cells Using Ratiometric Bimolecular Beacons
12:20

Real-time Imaging of Single Engineered RNA Transcripts in Living Cells Using Ratiometric Bimolecular Beacons

Published on: August 6, 2014

11.8K

Less is more: slow-codon windows enhance eGFP mRNA resilience against RNA interference.

Judith A Müller1, Gerlinde Schwake1, Anita Reiser1

  • 1Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Faculty of Physics, Munich 80539, Germany.

Journal of the Royal Society, Interface
|March 18, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Slowly translated codons shorten mRNA lifetime in human cells. This effect is context-dependent, influenced by cell type, codon position, and RNA interference mechanisms.

Keywords:
RNA interferencemRNAmRNA stabilitysingle-cellslow-codon windows

More Related Videos

Xenopus laevis as a Model to Identify Translation Impairment
10:24

Xenopus laevis as a Model to Identify Translation Impairment

Published on: September 27, 2015

10.7K
Assessment of de novo Protein Synthesis Rates in Caenorhabditis elegans
06:27

Assessment of de novo Protein Synthesis Rates in Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: September 12, 2020

5.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 21, 2025

Real-time Imaging of Single Engineered RNA Transcripts in Living Cells Using Ratiometric Bimolecular Beacons
12:20

Real-time Imaging of Single Engineered RNA Transcripts in Living Cells Using Ratiometric Bimolecular Beacons

Published on: August 6, 2014

11.8K
Xenopus laevis as a Model to Identify Translation Impairment
10:24

Xenopus laevis as a Model to Identify Translation Impairment

Published on: September 27, 2015

10.7K
Assessment of de novo Protein Synthesis Rates in Caenorhabditis elegans
06:27

Assessment of de novo Protein Synthesis Rates in Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: September 12, 2020

5.2K

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Codon optimization enhances messenger RNA (mRNA) translation efficiency in mammalian cells.
  • The impact of codon choice on mRNA stability is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how codon usage affects mRNA degradation kinetics in human cell lines.
  • To determine the relationship between codon translation speed and mRNA lifetime.

Main Methods:

  • Live-cell imaging on single-cell arrays to measure mRNA lifetimes.
  • Analysis of synthetic mRNA constructs with varying codon windows.
  • Stochastic simulations to predict ribosome density along the open reading frame.

Main Results:

  • mRNAs with slowly translated codon windows exhibited shorter lifetimes.
  • Stability of these mRNAs was not significantly reduced by small interfering RNA (siRNA).
  • Ribosome densities correlated with mRNA stability in a cell-type- and codon-position-specific manner.

Conclusions:

  • Codon choice influences mRNA lifetime, with slower translation leading to shorter stability.
  • mRNA degradation is influenced by multiple concurrent mechanisms, including RNA interference.
  • The effect of codon usage on mRNA stability is context-dependent, varying with cell type and codon position.