Modelling Ribosome Traffic in mRNA translation: Balancing Supply and Demand
Modelling Ribosome Traffic in mRNA translation: Balancing Supply and Demand
- Event time: 1:00pm
- Event date: 23rd April 2012
- Speaker: Dr Chris Brackley (School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Edinburgh)
- Location: Room 2511, James Clerk Maxwell Building (JCMB) James Clerk Maxwell Building Peter Guthrie Tait Road Edinburgh EH9 3FD GB
Event details
I will discuss recent work on the translation step of cellular protein production. Here, proteins are built by molecular machines called ribosomes, as they move along messenger RNAs. This process can be studied using a model similar to the totally asymmetric simple exclusion process (TASEP) with a site dependant hopping rate, but also considering the fact that ribosomes "consume" amino acids (provided by transfer RNAs) as they move. We are interested in how the gene sequence of an mRNA effects the rate of protein production. I will present results of simulations of real mRNA sequences from the yeast genome, showing how the balance between the supply and demand of different tRNAs influences protein production.
About Condensed Matter lunchtime seminars
This is a weekly series of informal talks given primarily by members of the institute of condensed matter and complex systems, but is also open to members of other groups and external visitors. The aim of the series is to promote discussion and learning of various topics at a level suitable to the broad background of the group. Everyone is welcome to attend..