A chemical toolkit for proteins--an expanded genetic code

Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2006 Oct;7(10):775-82. doi: 10.1038/nrm2005. Epub 2006 Aug 23.

Abstract

Recently, a method to encode unnatural amino acids with diverse physicochemical and biological properties genetically in bacteria, yeast and mammalian cells was developed. Over 30 unnatural amino acids have been co-translationally incorporated into proteins with high fidelity and efficiency using a unique codon and corresponding transfer-RNA:aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetase pair. This provides a powerful tool for exploring protein structure and function in vitro and in vivo, and for generating proteins with new or enhanced properties.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids / chemistry*
  • Amino Acids / genetics
  • Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases / chemistry
  • Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases / genetics
  • Base Sequence
  • Codon
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Genetic Code*
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
  • Mutation
  • Protein Biosynthesis / genetics*
  • Protein Engineering / methods*
  • Proteins / chemistry
  • RNA, Transfer / chemistry*
  • RNA, Transfer / genetics

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Codon
  • Proteins
  • RNA, Transfer
  • Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases