6 Terms
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Molecular biology
Industry: Biology
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Molecular biology
Initiator tRNA
Biology; Biochemistry
The tRNA that recognises the AUG start codon. In prokaryotes it can be charged to bear a formylmethionine residue (methionine in eukaryotes) which will become the N-terminus of the new protein.
Proteolipid
Biology; Biochemistry
A protein that is soluble in organic solvents, usually due to the presence of a significant number of fatty acids esterified to secondary hydroxy groups and/or fatty acylation of its N-terminus.
Enantioselective
Biology; Biochemistry
Descriptive of a technique that results in one enantiomer in preference to the other. Enzymic reactions are typically enantiospecific, i.e. produce only one of the possible enantiomer products.
Green beard
Biology; Biochemistry
A conspicuous phenotype that allows behavioural differentiation among individuals of the species. When the consequent behaviour is beneficial, the encoding gene can be considered a selfish gene.
Toxin
Biology; Biochemistry
A natural poison, especially one of a class of proteins that act intracellularly to interrupt vital functions. see also endotoxin; see also exotoxin; see also ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP)
Orphon
Biology; Biochemistry
A displaced genetic element; a coding or non-coding sequence that usually occurs in a series of tandem repeats in a eukaryotic genome but appears in a location atypical of the species or strain.
Tyrosinase
Biology; Biochemistry
This enzyme oxidises phenols such as tyrosine using oxygen. Its activity is important in the formation of pigments such as melanin in mammals and is responsible for the browning of cut fruit.
