Chain termination triplets

There are actually three codons that function in this way. They are UAA, UGA, and UAG and are referred to as the chain termination triplets, or stop codons (see Table 9-1). 

Only 61 triplets code for amino acids. The remaining three (UAA, UAG, and UGA) are signals for chain termination they signal to the protein-synthesizing machinery of the cell that the primary sequence of the protein is complete. The three chain termination triplets are indicated in Table 20.4 by Stop. ... 

The specific ribonucleotide sequence in mRNA forms a message that determines the order in which amino acid residues are to be joined. Each "word," or codon, along the mRNA chain consists of a sequence of three ribonucleotides that is specific for a given amino add. For example, the series UUC on mRNA is a codon directing incorporation of the amino acid phenylalanine into the growing protein. Of the 43 = 64 possible triplets of the four bases in RNA, 61 code for specific amino acids and 3 code for chain termination, fable 28.1 shows the meaning of each codon. 

The terms first, second, and third nucleotide refer to the individual nucleotides of a triplet codon. U, uridine nucleotide C, cytosine nucleotide A, adenine nucleotide G, guanine nucleotide Term, chain terminator codon. AUG, which codes for Met, serves as the initiator codon in mammalian cells and encodes for internal methionines in a protein. (Abbreviations of amino acids are explained in Chapter 3.)... 

The decay of the biradical produces ketone molecule in the triplet state, which is an emitter of light [222], The CL intensity was proved to be propotional to the rate of chain initiation, which is equal to the rate of chain termination. The observed luminescence spectra were found to be identical with the spectra of the subsequent ketone in the triplet state. The intensity of CL (/chi) produced by oxidized hydrocarbon is the following ... 

Cyclic chain termination with aromatic amines also occurs in the oxidation of tertiary aliphatic amines (see Table 16.1). To explain this fact, a mechanism of the conversion of the aminyl radical into AmH involving the (3-C—H bonds was suggested [30]. However, its realization is hampered because this reaction due to high triplet repulsion should have high activation energy and low rate constant. Since tertiary amines have low ionization potentials and readily participate in electron transfer reactions, the cyclic mechanism in systems of this type is realized apparently as a sequence of such reactions, similar to that occurring in the systems containing transition metal complexes (see below). 

We see, at first, that the reaction enthalpy for quinone abstraction reactions with the C—H bond of alkylperoxyl radicals is higher than with the O—H bond of the hydroperoxyl radical. The second important factor is different triplet repulsions in these two types of abstraction reactions. Indeed, the reaction with R02 proceeds via TS of the C H O type. Such reaction is characterized by the high thermally neutral activation energies Eeo = 62.9 kJ mol-1. The value of Ee0 for the reaction involving the O H O TS reaction center is much lower (27.3 kJ mol-1). With the rate constants have a very low value, the reaction Q + R02 cannot influence the oxidative chain termination in comparison with the interaction of two R02 radicals. Indeed, the rate constant for the latter is 105—107 L mol-1 s-1 and, in these cases, the inequality (2k6v )1/2 2k[Q] always holds. The reason for such high Ee0 values and, hence,... 

Why are the activation energies of the reactions of nitroxyl radicals with O—H bonds lower than those in their reactions with C—H bonds As in the case of the reaction of R02 with quinones, the difference in E values occurs as a result of the different triplet repulsions in TS [23]. When a TS of the O H O type is formed (the AmO + H02 reaction), the triplet repulsion is close to zero because the O—O bond in the labile compound AmOOH is very weak. Conversely, the triplet repulsion in the reaction of AmO with the C—H bond is fairly great, due to the high dissociation energy of the AmO—R bond. This accounts for the difference between the activation energies and between the rate constants for the reactions considered above. Thus, the possibility of the realization of a cyclic chain termination mechanism in the reactions of nitroxyl radicals with peroxyl radicals, incorporating O—H groups, is caused by the weak triplet repulsion in the TS of such disproportionation reactions... 

In intestinal epithelial cells the same apoB gene that is used to synthesize apoB-100 in the liver is used to make the shorter apoB-48 (48%) protein. This is accomplished in an unusual way that involves "editing" of the mRNA that is formed. Codon 2153 in the mRNA for the protein is CAA, encoding glutamine. However, the cytosine of the triplet is acted on by a deaminase, an editing enzyme, to form UAA, a chain termination codon.14 15 A third form of apoB is found... 

Application of a moderate MF accelerates photopolymerization initiated by PI leading to triplet RPs. " The main effect is an increase in/and an increase in the rate of initiation. One should expect a second weak effect leading to deceleration of a chain termination by bimolecular radical reaction. A MFE on an F parr was observed for the first time in Refs 23,24. 

It is possible to exactly identify and characterize the radical species and chain structures of the reaction intermediates, which are determined by their different reactive or unreactive chain ends. The reactive intermediates are best described by diradical (DR), asymmetric carbene (AC) and dicarbene (DC) oligomer molecules of different lengths. The respective singlet (S = 0), triplet (S = I) or quintet (S = 1) states and their roles in the polymerization process are investigated in detail by solid state spectroscopy. A one-dimensional electron gas model is successfully applied to the optical absorption series of the DR and AC intermediates as well as on the different stable oligomer SO molecules obtained after final chain termination reactions. 

The triplet dimer diradical DR2(Ti) finally will relax into thermal equilibrium (kT) with its singlet ground state DR2(So). As we have seen from the ESR spectra (see Fig, 10) the energy separation between the singlet and triplet diradical states is very low and thermally activated transitions occur even at low temperatures. Furthermore the ESR spectra have revealed an admixture of about 10% carbene character with the diradical intermediates. This carbene character may be important in determining the probability x of the side reactions (see Eq. (19)) for the DR -+ AC chain termination reaction. It surely is not, however, the only essential factor, otherwise there should be no difference in the optical and thermal termination reaction steps. Up to now a direct observation of the metastable triplet state Ti(M) has been possible only in two specific crystals where the polymerization reactions are very weak. 

The basic structure of collagen consists of the protofibril—a triple helix consisting of two identical a chains, as they are called, and one different chain. The a i chain of calf or rat hide consists of 1 052 a-amino acid residues, of which 1 001 are triplets of the general structure (gly-X-Y). Here, X may be proline, leucine, phenyl alanine, glutamic acid, and Y is mostly hydroxy-proline or arginine. Collagen is the only protein to contain hydroxyproline. This imino acid residue, however, is only formed after the protein biosynthesis. The triplets are, in turn, joined in sequences of polar and apolar regions. Telopeptides, peptide structures without triplet structure, occur at the N- and C-terminal triplet structures. The telopeptides are rich in lysine and they account for the intra- and intermolecular covalent cross-links. 

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