Translation (biology)

Translation is the cellular process in which ribosomes read messenger RNA and join amino acids into a polypeptide. Transfer RNAs match amino acids to codons in the genetic code.

Ribosome: A ribonucleoprotein complex that synthesizes proteins by decoding messenger RNA and catalyzing peptide-bond formation. Its small and large subunits coordinate decoding and peptide-bond formation.
Messenger RNA: An RNA molecule that carries coding information copied from DNA or produced by RNA genomes. Its nucleotide sequence provides the template that ribosomes decode.
Ribosome profiling: A sequencing method that maps ribosome-protected messenger RNA fragments to measure translation across transcripts. It reveals which transcripts are being translated and where ribosomes pause.
Transcription: The synthesis of RNA from a DNA or RNA template by an RNA polymerase. It produces RNA templates, whereas translation decodes messenger RNA into polypeptides.
Nonsense-mediated decay: A quality-control pathway that degrades messenger RNAs containing premature termination codons. It uses translation-associated signals to identify and remove faulty messages.
Transfer RNA: An adaptor RNA that carries a specific amino acid and pairs its anticodon with a messenger RNA codon. Its anticodon matches each codon while delivering the corresponding amino acid.
Codon: A three-nucleotide sequence in messenger RNA that specifies an amino acid or a stop signal. Ribosomes interpret the message in successive three-nucleotide units.
Antibiotic: A natural or synthetic substance that kills bacteria or inhibits their growth. Many antibiotics selectively disrupt bacterial ribosomes or translation factors.
DNA replication: The copying of DNA to produce DNA molecules before cell division or genome maintenance. It copies nucleic acid rather than converting a nucleotide sequence into a polypeptide.
Protein folding: The process by which a polypeptide adopts a functional three-dimensional structure. Newly translated chains must fold, often while synthesis is still underway.

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