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Review
. 2012 Feb 15;13(3):168-82.
doi: 10.1038/nrm3286.

Designer proteins: applications of genetic code expansion in cell biology

Lloyd Davis  1 , Jason W Chin
Affiliations
Review

Designer proteins: applications of genetic code expansion in cell biology

Lloyd Davis et al. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. .

Abstract

Designer amino acids, beyond the canonical 20 that are normally used by cells, can now be site-specifically encoded into proteins in cells and organisms. This is achieved using 'orthogonal' aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase-tRNA pairs that direct amino acid incorporation in response to an amber stop codon (UAG) placed in a gene of interest. Using this approach, it is now possible to study biology in vitro and in vivo with an increased level of molecular precision. This has allowed new biological insights into protein conformational changes, protein interactions, elementary processes in signal transduction and the role of post-translational modifications.

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