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Genetics & Biotechnology vocabulary · Gene Expression and Regulation

Codon

Meaning in genetics & biotechnology, with examples

/ˈkoʊdɑːn/nounCommon term

In genetics & biotechnology, codon means: A sequence of three bases in DNA or mRNA that codes for one amino acid or signals the start or end of protein building.

In Turkish: kodon

How it is used

Used in molecular biology, protein engineering and clinical genetics. There are 64 codons: AUG is the usual start codon, and UAA, UAG and UGA are stop codons. 'Codon optimization' means changing codons so that a gene is expressed better in another organism.

Example sentences

  1. The variant changes codon 12 from GGT to GTT.

  2. We ordered a codon-optimized version of the gene for expression in E. coli.

Common collocations

  • start codon
  • stop codon
  • codon optimization
  • premature stop codon
  • codon usage
  • translationThe process in which ribosomes read the codons of an mRNA molecule and join amino acids together in the right order to build a protein.
  • mRNAMessenger RNA: the RNA copy of a gene that carries its instructions from the DNA in the nucleus to the ribosomes, where the protein is made.
  • point mutationA change of a single base in the DNA sequence, for example a G replaced by an A.
  • frameshift mutationA mutation that adds or removes a number of bases that is not a multiple of three, which shifts the way codons are read and usually produces a faulty, shortened protein.
  • nucleotideThe basic building block of DNA and RNA, made of a sugar, a phosphate group and one of four bases. Long chains of nucleotides form a DNA or RNA strand.

More terms: Gene Expression and Regulation

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