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Toward the experimental codon reassignment in vivo : protein building with an expanded amino acid repertoire
Author(s) -
BUDISA NEDILJKO,
MINKS CAROLINE,
ALEFELDER STEFAN,
WENGER WALTRAUD,
DONG FUMIN,
MORODER LUIS,
HUBER ROBERT
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.13.1.41
Subject(s) - proofreading , genetic code , amino acid , computational biology , stop codon , biology , translation (biology) , codon usage bias , silent mutation , fidelity , genetics , computer science , dna , messenger rna , genome , gene , mutation , polymerase , telecommunications , missense mutation
The high precision and fidelity of the genetic message transmission are ensured by numerous proofreading steps, from DNA replication and transcription to protein translation. The key event for translational fidelity is the proper codon assignment for 20 canonical amino acids. An experimental codon reassignment is possible for noncanonical amino acids in vivo using artificially constructed expression hosts under efficient selective pressure. However, such amino acids may interfere with the cellular metabolism and thus do not belong to the ‘first’ or ‘restricted’ part of the universal code, but rather to a second or ‘relaxed’ part, which is limited mainly by the downstream proofreading in the natural translational machinery. Correspondingly, not all possible α‐amino acids can be introduced into proteins. The aim of this study is to discuss biological and evolutionary constraints on possible candidates for this second coding level of the universal code. Engineering of such a ‘second’ code is expected to have great academic as well as practical impact, ranging from protein folding studies to biomedicine.—Budisa, N., Minks, C., Alefelder, S., Wenger, W., Dong, F., Moroder, L., Huber, R. Toward the experimental codon reassignment in vivo : protein building with an expanded amino acid repertoire. FASEB J. 13, 41–51 (1999)