This module can translate DNA sequences into proteins, find rare codons and help design protein mutants very conveniently.

DNA TO PROTEIN TRANSLATION

Pasting a DNA sequence will instantly produce 3 protein translation frames in the output.


RARE CODONS

Rare codons can be the reason for poor expression of some proteins in E.Coli. Codon-compensated bacterial strains are recommended for expression of these proteins. Rare codons can be highlighted in the DNA sequence by clicking the corresponding rare codon text fields, to the right of the protein sequences.


CLICK-MUTAGENESIS AND PCR PRIMER DESIGN

It is possible to find protein positions corresponding DNA positions (and vice versa) by double-clicking letters in DNA and protein sequences. Selected residues and codons are highlighted in red. The highlighted codons and amino acids can be easily mutated using the mutagenesis panel as follows:

Once a codon is selected, it can be changed to any other codon in the Mutate window using the annotated drop-down codon list. The 5' and 3' flanking ends of the primer are adjusted to a desired melting temperature. For successful PCR, it is advised to select flanking sequences such that all values in the panel and the DNA sequence are optimal, i.e. highlighted green.

It is possible to design primers with up to three mutations at once. Deletion or insertion mutagenesis can be performed very similarly.

In all cases, PCR mutagenesis is performed with just one primer! Complementary primers are not designed and need not be ordered and used for the PCR reaction.


MUTAGENESIS ASSISTANT

The module incorporates utility that quantitatively evaluates how similar or dissimilar are amino acids. This utility is valuable for designing most disruptive or most non-disruptive mutations, or for designing compensatory mutations.