Translation

“A step in protein biosynthesis where a genetic code from a strand of mRNA is

decoded to produce a particular sequence of amino acids”
Translation is a step in protein biosynthesis wherein the genetic code carried by mRNA is
decoded to produce the specific sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain. The
process follows transcription in which the DNA sequence is copied (or transcribed) into
an mRNA. Translation occurs in the cytoplasm where the ribosomes are located.
Translation proceeds in three phases:

1. Initiation: The ribosome assembles around the target mRNA. The first tRNA
is attached at the start codon.
2. Elongation: The tRNA transfers an amino acid to the tRNA corresponding to
the next codon. The ribosome then moves (translocates) to the next mRNA codon
to continue the process, creating an amino acid chain.
3. Termination: When a stop codon is reached, the ribosome releases the
polypeptide.
In prokaryotes (bacteria), translation occurs in the cytosol, where the medium
and small subunits of the ribosome bind to the tRNA. In eukaryotes, translation
occurs in the cytosol or across the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum in a
process called co-translational translocation.

o Initiation:
In order for translation to start, we need a few key ingredients. These include:

 A ribosome (which comes in two pieces, large and small)

 An mRNA with instructions for the protein we'll build
 An "initiator" tRNA carrying the first amino acid in the protein, which is
almost always methionine (Met)
During initiation, these pieces must come together in just the right way. Together,
they form the initiation complex, the molecular setup needed to start making a
new protein, translation initiation goes like this: first, the tRNA carrying
methionine attaches to the small ribosomal subunit. Together, they bind to the 5'
end of the mRNA by recognizing the 5' GTP cap (added during processing in the
nucleus). Then, they "walk" along the mRNA in the 3' direction, stopping when
they reach the start codon (often, but not always, the first AUG).
o Elongation:
Elongation is when the polypeptide chain gets longer. After the initiation complex
has formed, but before any amino acids have been linked to make a chain. Our
first, methionine-carrying tRNA starts out in the middle slot of the ribosome,
called the P site. Next to it, a fresh codon is exposed in another slot, called the A
site. The A site will be the "landing site" for the next tRNA, one whose anticodon
is a perfect (complementary) match for the exposed codon.
Once the matching tRNA has landed in the A site, it's time for the action: that is,
the formation of the peptide bond that connects one amino acid to another. This
step transfers the methionine from the first tRNA onto the amino acid of the
second tRNA in the A site.we now have two amino acids, a (very tiny)
polypeptide! The methionine forms the N-terminus of the polypeptide, and the
other amino acid is the C-terminus.Once the peptide bond is formed, the mRNA is
pulled onward through the ribosome by exactly one codon. This shift allows the
first, empty tRNA to drift out via the E ("exit") site. It also exposes a new codon in
the A site, so the whole cycle can repeat .And repeat it does...from a few times up
to a mind-boggling 33,33,000000 times! The protein titin, which is found in your
muscles and is the longest known polypeptide, can have up
to 33,33,000000 amino acids.
o Termination:
 Translation ends in a process called termination. Termination happens when a
stop codon in the mRNA (UAA, UAG, or UGA) enters the A site.Stop codons are
recognized by proteins called release factors, which fit neatly into the P site
(though they aren't tRNAs). Release factors mess with the enzyme that normally
forms peptide bonds: they make it add a water molecule to the last amino acid of
the chain. This reaction separates the chain from the tRNA, and the newly made
protein is released.
Luckily, translation "equipment" is very reusable. After the small and large
ribosomal subunits separate from the mRNA and from each other, each element
can (and usually quickly does) take part in another round of translation.

The genetic code:

In an mRNA, the instructions for building a polypeptide come in groups of three
nucleotides called codons. Here are some key features of codons,
 There are 61 different codons for amino acids
 Three “stop” codons mark the polypeptide as finished
 One codon, AUG, is a “start” signal to kick off translation (it also specifies the
amino acid methionine)
These relationships between mRNA codons and amino acids are known as
the genetic code.

Diagram of an amino acid, showing the amino and carboxyl groups. Both the
amino group and the carboxyl group are attached to a central carbon (the alpha
carbon), as is the R group, a chemical group that varies among the different amino
acids.