reading frame
One of the three possible ways of reading a nucleotide sequence. As the genetic code is read in nonoverlapping triplets (codons) there are three possible ways of translating a sequence of nucleotides into a protein, each with a different starting point. For example: given the nucleotide sequence: AGCAGCAGC, the three reading frames are: AGC AGC AGC, GCA GCA, CAG CAG.
Dictionary > Reading frame