Question

Write the mRNA codons for the following. (a) Valine (b) Histidine (c) Glycine

Short answer

Answer: (a) The mRNA codons for Valine are GUU, GUC, GUG, and GUA. (b) The mRNA codons for Hisitidine are CAU and CAC. (c) The mRNA codons for Glycine are GGU, GGC, GGA, and GGG.

Step-by-step solution

(a) Valine codons

To find out the mRNA codons for Valine, we can refer to a codon table. Valine has four mRNA codons, which are GUU, GUC, GUG, and GUA.

(b) Histidine codons

To find out the mRNA codons for Histidine, we will again refer to a codon table. Histidine has two mRNA codons, which are CAU and CAC.

(c) Glycine codons

Lastly, to find out the mRNA codons for Glycine, we will refer to the codon table one more time. Glycine has four mRNA codons, which are GGU, GGC, GGA, and GGG.

Key concepts

Valine Codons

When dealing with the translation of proteins, one of the key players is mRNA codons. Each amino acid in a protein is specified by one or more codons, which are sequences of three nucleotide bases. For Valine, a hydrophobic amino acid found in proteins, there are four specific mRNA codons. These codons are:

• GUU
• GUC
• GUG
• GUA

Each of these codons uniquely encodes Valine during the protein synthesis process in cells. It's fascinating how the redundancy in the codon table provides a safety buffer for genetic mutations!
Understanding these codons is essential for molecular biology studies, as well as for applications in genetic engineering and synthetic biology.

Histidine Codons

Histidine is another essential amino acid encoded by mRNA codons. Unlike Valine, Histidine has only two codons that specify it:

• CAU
• CAC

These two codons indicate Histidine's cytoplasmic inclusion during protein construction. The simplicity of having only two codons for Histidine, compared to Valine's four, reduces the complexity and potential variation during translation.
Histidine's ability to act as a proton donor or acceptor also makes it critical in enzyme catalysis, where precise codon recognition becomes crucial. When working on proteins with enzymatic properties, knowing these mRNA codons helps in predicting the folding and functional sites of proteins.

Glycine Codons

Glycine is the smallest amino acid and plays significant roles in proteins, offering flexibility due to its minimal side chain. It is encoded by four different mRNA codons:

• GGU
• GGC
• GGA
• GGG

These codons translate into Glycine's incorporation into polypeptides, contributing to structural stability in collagen and flexibility in protein active sites.
The versatility of Glycine in protein structure can be attributed to this range of codons, providing ample opportunities for genetic variation to occur without losing function. With its role in stabilizing protein quaternary structure, knowing these codons is particularly useful in genetic research and biotechnology projects focused on structural proteins.