Comparison between Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes
Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes
Eukaryotes
Transcription
In Eukaryotes three different type of RNA
polymerase exist in which RNA pol II take
part in mRNA transcription.
In eukaryotes different transcription factors
bind with the RNA pol II to start initiation.
Eukaryotes contain mRNAs that are
monocistronic.
In eukaryotes transcription is terminated by
two elements: a poly(A) signal and a
downstream terminator sequence.
In eukaryotes the RNA is first transcribed in
the nucleus and then translated in the
cytoplasm.
RNAs from eukaryotes undergo post-
transcriptional modifications including:
capping, polyadenylation, and splicing
In general, eukaryote mRNAs have longer
half lives than bacterial mRANAs. In other
words eukaryote mRNAs are metabolically
stable.
DNA
In eukaryotes, DNA is found mostly in the cell
nucleus, but some are in mitochondria and
chloroplast.
DNA usually occurs as linear chromosomes in
eukaryotes.
Eukaryote DNA has the histone protein
Eukaryote DNA is found on tightly bound and
BIO4803Molecular Biology
Prokaryotes
In a bacterial cell, only one kind of RNA
polymerase exists which synthesis all classes
of RNA: mRNA, tRNA and rRNA
When sigma factor binds to the DNA
promoter sequence resulting in the
unwinding of DNA double helix, initiation
takes place.
mRNAs in prokaryotes tend to contain many
different genes on a single mRNA meaning
they are polycistronic
Termination in prokaryotes is done by either
rho-dependent or rho-independent
mechanisms.
Transcription and translation occurs
simultaneously in cytoplasm.
These events do not occur in prokaryotes.
Prokaryote mRNA is very short lived. It is
constantly under going breakdown to its
constituent ribonucleotides by ribonucleases.
In E. coli the average half life of some mRNAs
is about two minutes
In prokaryotes, it is found in the cytoplasm.
DNA usually occurs as circular chromosomes
in Prokaryotes.
Prokaryote doesn’t have that.
Prokaryotes contain only a single loop of
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 Comparison between Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes
organized chromosomes.
The coding sequence in eukaryotic genome is
often around 3%.
Introns are DNA fragments between sections
of a real gene. These introns are more
common in eukaryotic genome.
Organisms
Defined nucleus with a nuclear envelope.
Organelles are membrane-bound
Genome is a tightly-packed and organized
complex of chromosomes
Translation and Ribosome
Eukaryotic ribosomes are larger (80S).
Eukaryotic ribosomes have smaller subunit
and larger subunit as 40S and 60S
respectively.
In eukaryotic cells, ribosomes are in free and
bound form
The initiating amino acid is methionine(Met-
tRNAi)
In eukaryotes the mRNA transcribed on the
chromosomes passes through the nuclear
pores into the cytoplasm
BIO4803Molecular Biology
chromosomal DNA
Prokaryotic genome has up to 90% coding
sequences
Introns are very rare in prokaryotic genome.
No defined nucleus, but a nucleoid without
an envelope.
Membrane-bound organelles are absent
Genome is an irregular complex of DNA with
only one loop of stable chromosomes
Prokaryotic ribosomes are smaller (70S)
Prokaryotic ribosomes consist of 30S and 50S,
the smaller unit and the larger unit
respectively.
Prokaryotic cells have only free form.
The initiating amino acid is N-
formylmethionine(Met-tRNAf)
In most bacterial mRNAs translation begins
while the mRNA is still being transcribed on
DNA
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