frames definition

<molecular biology> A shift in the reading frame used to translate the base sequence of DNA or mRNA. It is caused by the addition or deletion of one or more of the bases, resulting in an alternative peptide being formed.

(17 Dec 1997)

A directed change in translational reading frame that allows the production of a single protein from two or more overlapping genes. The process is programmed by the nucleotide sequence of the mRNA and is sometimes also affected by the secondary or tertiary mRNA structure. It has been described mainly in viruses (especially retroviruses), retrotransposons, and bacterial insertion elements but also in some cellular genes.

(12 Dec 1998)

<molecular biology> A mutagen, such as an acridine derivative, that causes a frameshift mutation; codons (base triplets) are read out of phase and different amino acids are made.

(05 Mar 2000)

<molecular biology> A type of mutation that results from insertion or deletion of a single nucleotide into, or from, an open reading frame in the normal DNA sequence.

Normally, the genetic code is read in the wrong frame, three nucleotides at a time, and the entire sequence downstream of the mutation, is translated into a polypeptide with a garbled amino acid sequence from the mutated codon onwards. These mutations may be induced by certain types of mutagens or may occur spontaneously and usually result in the generation, downstream, of nonsense, chain termination codons.

Synonyms: addition mutation, addition-deletion mutation, deletion mutation, reading-frameshift mutation.

(21 Jun 2000)

<unit>

(fps) The unit of measurement of the frame rate of a moving image.

Acronym: fps

(01 May 2000)