What is "open reading frame"

n. (context genetics English) A sequence of DNA triplets, between the initiator and terminator codons, that can be transcribed into mRNA and later translated into protein.

In molecular genetics, an open reading frame (ORF) is the part of a reading frame that has the potential to code for a protein or peptide. An ORF is a continuous stretch of codons that do not contain a stop codon (usually UAA, UAG or UGA). An AUG codon within the ORF (not necessarily the first) may indicate where translation starts. The transcription termination site is located after the ORF, beyond the translation stop codon. If transcription were to cease before the stop codon, an incomplete protein would be made during translation. In eukaryotic genes with multiple exons, ORFs may span exons. These would be spliced into an ORF in the mRNA.