New insights into mRNA decoding — implications for heterologous protein synthesis

The primary structure of a polypeptide can be predicted by translating its mRNA sequence according to the ‘universal’ genetic code. Yet, recent evidence has shown that a number of nonstandard translational events may occur in cells, generating microheterogeneity in the translation product at the amino acid level. Such events can be programmed by sequences within the mRNA, or may just represent nonprogrammed errors that occur during translation as a result of depletion of specific aminoacyl-tRNAs. The potential occurrence of such errors must be considered and steps taken both to identify and eliminate them when expression strategies are being developed for producing recombinant proteins for human therapeutic use.