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Skills Worksheet

Protein Synthesis
INTERPRETING TABLES
Use the table below to complete items 1–17.

Codons in mRNA
First Second base Third
base U C A G base
UUU UCU UAU UGU U
Phenylalanine Tyrosine Cysteine
UUC UCC Serine UAC UGC C
U
UUA UCA UAA UGA Stop A
Leucine Stop
UUG UCG UAG UGG Tryptophan G
CUU CCU CAU CGU U
Histidine
CUC Leucine CCC CAC CGC Arginine C
C Proline
CUA CCA CAA CGA A
Glutamine
CUG CCG CAG CGG G

AUU ACU AAU AGU U

Asparagine Serine
AUC Isoleucine ACC Threonine AAC AGC C
A AUA ACA AAA AGA A
Lysine Arginine
AUG Start ACG AAG AGG G

GUU GCU GAU Aspartic GGU U

GUC Valine GCC Alanine GAC acid GGC Glycine C
G
GUA GCA GAA Glutamic GGA A
GUG GCG GAG acid GGG G

Complete the table below showing sequences of DNA, mRNA codons, anticodons,
and corresponding amino acids. Use the list of mRNA codons in the table above to
assist you in completing this exercise. Remember that the genetic code is based on
mRNA codons.

Decoding DNA

DNA 1. 2. GAT 3.

mRNA codon 4. 5. 6. UAU

Anticodon 7. UUC 8. 9.

Amino acid Tryptophan 10. 11. 12.

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Holt Science: Biology 19 Science Skills Worksheets
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Protein Synthesis continued

Determine how the mutations below will affect each amino acid sequence. Use
the mRNA codons in the table on the previous page to complete items 13–16
below. In the space provided, write the names of the amino acids that correspond
to each mRNA sequence and mutation given. An example is provided for you.
Example:
mRNA sequence: UGU-CCG cysteine-proline
mutation sequence: UGC-CGC cysteine-arginine

13. mRNA sequence: GAA-CGU ___________________________

mutation sequence: GAU-CGU ___________________________

14. mRNA sequence: AUC-UGC ___________________________

mutation sequence: AUC-UGG ___________________________

15. mRNA sequence: UGU-CCU-CCU ___________________________

mutation sequence: UGU-UUC-CCU ___________________________

16. mRNA sequence: GGG-UUA-ACC ___________________________

mutation sequence: GGU-UAA ___________________________

17. What kind of mutation occurred to the mRNA sequence in item 16 above?
Explain.

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Holt Science: Biology 20 Science Skills Worksheets
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TEACHER RESOURCE PAGE

DNA Structure Gene Technology

INTERPRETING DIAGRAMS INTERPRETING DIAGRAMS
1. A. phosphate group 1. The structure labeled A is a plasmid.
B. pyrimidine (thymine) It is removed from the bacterial cell
C. hydrogen bond so that the plasmid can be used as a
D. purine (adenine) vector to carry the insulin gene into
E. deoxyribose a bacterial cell.
2. the hydrogen bonds between the 2. Restriction enzymes are used to cut
bases; cytosine and guanine form DNA. DNA molecules cut with restric-
three hydrogen bonds, whereas tion enzymes have sticky ends that
adenine and thymine form only allow different DNA fragments cut
two hydrogen bonds. with the same restriction enzyme to
3. TAA-GGC combine.
3. This is recombinant DNA. (The DNA
with the insulin gene and plasmid
Protein Synthesis DNA are combined).
4. This is a bacterial cell that contains
INTERPRETING TABLES recombined plasmids (plasmids con-
1. ACC taining the insulin gene).
2. TTC 5. CCGG and GGCC
3. ATA 6. pair on the left—GGCC/CCGG; pair on
4. UGG the right—CCGG/GGCC
5. AAG 7. Tetracycline, an antibiotic, destroys
6. CUA bacterial cells. Some bacterial cells,
7. ACC however, contain a gene for tetracy-
8. GAU cline resistance in their plasmid DNA,
9. AUA and they are not harmed by the antibi-
10. lysine otic. These cells are called tetracy-
11. leucine cline-resistant cells. In the diagram,
12. tyrosine the plasmid DNA used in the genetic
13. glutamic acid-arginine to aspartic acid- engineering experiment has the gene
arginine for tetracycline resistance. Only the
14. isoleucine-cysteine to isoleucine- cells that have taken up the plasmid
tryptophan DNA with the gene for tetracycline
15. cysteine-proline-proline to cysteine- resistance survive when tetracycline is
phenylalanine-proline added to the cultures. Only the resist-
16. glycine-leucine-threonine to glycine- ant cells, those that also carry the
stop gene of interest, survive.
17. A frameshift mutation occurred.
One of the G nucleotides and two C
nucleotides have been deleted. The
second codon is a stop codon, which
will cause translation to end prema-
turely. The protein for that gene will
be shortened and incomplete.

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