Regulating Protein Translation

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to protein translation regulation, initiation factors, and associated concepts discussed in the lecture.

Translation Regulation

The process of controlling the amount of protein produced from a given messenger RNA without affecting the RNA levels.

Aconitase

A protein that binds to messenger RNA to regulate the stability and translation of the RNA, depending on iron levels.

Riboswitches

RNA elements that can alter their structure in response to small molecule binding, regulating translation directly without protein involvement.

Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 2 (EIF2)

A protein that plays a critical role in the initiation of mRNA translation in eukaryotic cells.

Phosphorylation of EIF2

A modification that inactivates EIF2, blocking its ability to exchange GDP for GTP, thus inhibiting translation.

Upstream Open Reading Frames

Short coding sequences in an mRNA that can affect the translation of a downstream main open reading frame by occupying the ribosome.

Global Downregulation

A strategy employed by cells to reduce overall protein synthesis in response to stressors such as starvation or viral infection.

Epigenetic Inheritance

Heritable changes in gene expression not caused by changes in the DNA sequence, enabling differences in cell identity despite identical DNA.

Positive Feedback Loop

A regulatory mechanism where the expression of a gene enhances its own expression, helping to maintain gene regulatory patterns.

Proteolysis

The breakdown of proteins into smaller polypeptides or amino acids, often regulated for cellular processes.