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Protein Synthesis

Protein Synthesis: a High Fidelity Molecular Event: Green provides a detailed look at protein synthesis, or translation. Translation is the process by which nucleotides, the "language" of DNA and RNA, are translated into amino acids, the "language" of proteins. Green begins by describing the components needed for translation; mRNA, tRNA, ribosomes, and the initiation, elongation, and termination factors. She then explains the roles of these players in ensuring accuracy during the initiation, elongation, termination and recycling steps of the translation process. By comparing translation in bacteria and eukaryotes, Green explains that it is possible to determine which components and steps are highly conserved and predate the divergence of different kingdoms on the tree of life, and which are more recent adaptations.

mRNA Surveillance by the Ribosome: Green's second talk focuses on work from her lab investigating how ribosomes detect defective mRNAs and trigger events leading to the degradation of the bad RNA and the incompletely translated protein product and to the recycling of the ribosome components. Working in yeast and using a number of biochemical and genetic techniques, Green's lab showed that the protein Dom34 is critical for facilitating ribosome release from the short mRNAs that result from mRNA cleavage. Experiments showed that Dom34-mediated rescue of ribosomes from short mRNAs is an essential process for cell survival in higher eukaryotes.

Rachel Green is a Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. (from ibiology.org)

1. Protein Synthesis: a High Fidelity Molecular Event
Green provides a detailed look at protein synthesis, or translation. Translation is the process by which nucleotides, the "language" of DNA and RNA, are translated into amino acids, the "language" of proteins.

2. mRNA Surveillance by the Ribosome
Green's second talk focuses on work from her lab investigating how ribosomes detect defective mRNAs and trigger events leading to the degradation of the bad RNA and the incompletely translated protein product and to the recycling of the ribosome components.