UNSW Cell Biology

Medicine: Beginnings, Growth and Development- Protein Synthesis

Introduction

Protein synthesis is the path DNA -> mRNA -> protein, it is the conversion of genetic information into a protein product. Protein synthesis occurs in the cell cytoplasm. Some proteins made for local use (within the cell) while others are for export (outside the cell). Machinery (the ribosome) for synthesis of both local and exported proteins is the same, it is just located in different cytoplasmic regions. Exported proteins dock with the ribosome onto the endoplasmic reticulum. Cellular proteins are generally synthesised on free ribosomes in the cytoplasm.

A newly synthesised protein (polypeptide) may undergo many changes (folding, modification, glycosylation) before being a fully functional protein.

Student Guide

Brief Study (1-15 minutes)

Start by looking at the online textbooks. These links will give you an introduction to protein synthesis and some images of the process.

Detailed Study (15-30 minutes)

Next- more detailed online resources introduce key initiators, proteins and pathways of protein synthesis. Includes a link to a complete set of lecture slides on protein synthesis.

In Depth (+30 minutes)

Then- look at the signaling pathways that mediate protein synthesis.

Includes links to review articles and animations.

Links

Search NLM Online Textbooks- "protein synthesis"

Molecular Biology of the Cell

Molecular Cell Biology

The Cell- A molecular Approach

Related Topics

DNA, RNA, Protein, mRNA, tRNA, rRNA, ribosomes, translation, protein folding, protein export, rough endoplasmic reticulum, golgi apparatus