Protein Synthesis

AAA+ proteases are ATP-powered molecular motors that thread protein chains through a hole

Aconitase performs a reaction in the citric acid cycle, and moonlights as a regulatory protein

XFEL serial crystallography reveals what happens when adenine binds to a riboswitch

Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases ensure that the proper amino acids are used to build proteins

Cascade and CRISPR help bacteria remember how to fight viral infection

CAP senses the level of sugar and mobilizes the proteins needed to utilize it

Chaperones help new proteins fold into their proper shape

Atomic structures reveal how the iconic double helix encodes genomic information

DNA helicase pries apart the two strands in a DNA double helix, powered by ATP

DNA ligase reconnects broken DNA strands, and is used to engineer recombinant DNA

Cells add methyl groups to their DNA to encode additional epigenetic information

DNA polymerase makes an accurate copy of the cell's genome

Protein synthesis requires the assistance of several elongation factors that guide each step

Enhanceosomes help decide the appropriate time to transcribe a gene

Estrogen binds to receptors in the nucleus and affects key genes in development

Exosomes destroy messenger RNA molecules after they have finished their jobs

In bacteria, ribosomes start building proteins as messenger RNA is being transcribed

Hemoglobin uses a change in shape to increase the efficiency of oxygen transport

HIV builds a DNA copy of its RNA genome, providing a unique target for drug therapy

Heat shock proteins ensure that proteins remain folded and active under harsh conditions

Initiation factors for protein synthesis interact through disordered chains.

Inteins splice themselves out of larger protein chains

A genetic circuit controls the production of lactose-utilizing enzymes in bacteria

Lysozyme attacks the cell walls of bacteria

Mediator integrates regulatory information to decide when genes need to be transcribed.

Messenger RNA molecules are capped with an inverted nucleotide

The cell's genome is stored and protected by nucleosomes

Some protein functions are regulated when sugars are attached

Transcription factors decide when particular genes will be transcribed

Oligosaccharyltransferase adds a protective coat of carbohydrates to proteins.

p53 tumor suppressor protects the body from DNA damage and cancer

Poly(A) polymerase adds a long tail of adenine nucleotides at the end of messenger RNA

Proteasomes destroy damaged or obsolete proteins inside cells

Broken DNA strands may be repaired by matching sequences in a duplicate copy of the DNA

Bacterial enzymes that cut DNA are useful tools for genetic engineering

Some proteases cut proteins embedded in cell membranes

The ribozyme ribonuclease P cleaves pre-tRNA to form functional tRNA.

Atomic structures of the ribosomal subunits reveal a central role for RNA in protein synthesis

Ribosomes are complex molecular machines that build proteins

By comparing the structures of ribosomes from different organisms, we can explore the evolution of life.

Special sequences of messenger RNA can bind to regulatory molecules and affect synthesis of proteins

RNA polymerase transcribes genetic information from DNA into RNA

Selenium is used in place of sulfur to build proteins for special tasks

Special sequences of RNA are able to splice themselves

Sirtuin activation is being explored as a way to slow aging.

Sliding clamps slide along DNA strands and keep DNA polymerase on track during replication

Our cells continually look for pieces of double-stranded RNA, a possible sign of viral infection

TATA protein tells RNA polymerase where to get started on a gene

Ultraviolet light damages our DNA, but our cells have ways to correct the damage

Topoisomerases untangle and reduce the tension of DNA strands in the cell

Transfer RNA translates the language of the genome into the language of proteins

tmRNA rescues ribosomes that are stalled by damaged messenger RNA

Transposases shift genes around in the genome

Ubiquitin is used to tag obsolete proteins for destruction

Zinc ions are used to strengthen small protein modules that recognize DNA