In an experiment to decipher the genetic code, a poly-AC mRNA (ACACACAC...) is synthesized. What pattern of amino acids would appear if this sequence were to be translated by a mechanism that reads the genetic code as

a doublet with overlaps?

Key Concepts

Genetic Code

The genetic code is a set of rules that defines how the sequence of nucleotides in mRNA is translated into amino acids. It consists of codons, which are triplets of nucleotides, each corresponding to a specific amino acid or a stop signal during protein synthesis. Understanding the genetic code is essential for predicting the amino acid sequence from an mRNA strand.

Doublet Codons

Doublet codons refer to a hypothetical reading frame where the genetic code is interpreted in pairs of nucleotides instead of the standard triplet codons. This means that each amino acid would be determined by two adjacent nucleotides, leading to a different pattern of amino acid sequences than what is typically expected from standard translation.

Overlapping Reading Frames

Overlapping reading frames occur when the same nucleotide sequence can be read in multiple ways, allowing for different sets of codons to be formed from the same sequence. This can lead to the production of different proteins from a single mRNA strand, depending on how the reading frame is shifted or interpreted, which is crucial for understanding the potential outcomes of translating the poly-AC mRNA.