From: Julie Yu (jhcyu@hotmail.com)
Date: Sun Dec 02 2001 - 13:09:16 PST
From: "Julie Yu" <jhcyu@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: "protein Synthesis" Pinhole Digest #781 - 11/29/01 Date: Sun, 02 Dec 2001 13:09:16 -0800 Message-ID: <F38pqhNPPzQT456UnHA00020c87@hotmail.com>
Hi Melissa,
You are correct. Without an available amino acid, the ribosome would stall
and likely fall off leaving an incomplete peptide. When this happens in
vivo, it is much more probable that a cell does not have available the
proper tRNA than the amino acid. That is why when genetic engineers are
using a gene from another species they must make sure the genes they are
using are "codon optimized" for expression in their species of interest.
For example, the ubiquitous Green Flourescent Protein could hardly be seen
in mammalian cells until it was codon optimized for them (it comes from a
jellyfish). However, were you to deprive a cell of a specific amino acid in
vitro, proteins could not be completely synthesized regardless of the
codon/tRNA ratios.
Cheers,
Julie Yu
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