Reading frame

Reading Frame is a group of three nucleotide bases that encode for a protein. A mRNA molecule can be read in three ways, but only one of which will give the required protein .

Every DNA strand has six possible reading frames, three on the sense strand going in the forward direction and three on the anti-sense strand that go in the reverse direction. The start codon for the open reading frame is ATG, which codes for Methionine, whereas the stop codons are TAA, TAG and TGA.