Biochemistry question

Question

Biochemists usually discuss the incorporation of unnatural amino acids into proteins produced by heterologous protein expression. What 3 things, (besides the unnatural amino acid) would you need in order to incorporate an unnatural amino acid into a protein during heterologous protein expression?

Answer 1

Well based on your question you would still need the tRNA of the amino acid to bind to the unnatural amino acid and to be placed in the ribosome. You would also need the ribosome itself as that is "enzyme" that binds the amino acid into the polypeptide chain and you will need the mRNA containing the codon of interest. There are other components as well as the process of incorporating the unnatural amino acid is the same process of encoding a natural amino acid.