Republic of the Philippines

Region I
SDO 1 Pangasinan I
LYCEUM NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
Dagupan City, Pangasinan
Graduate Studies in Education

DNA Translation

In partial requirement
for
Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

Submitted to:

DR. ESMIE T. AGAPALO

Submitted by:

GABRIELA N. FERNANDEZ

July 03, 2020

Gene Expression – the process by which information stored in your DNA in the
form of genes is used in the synthesis of functional gene products. These genes
are mainly proteins which have numerous functions in the cells like repair and
maintenance of cells energy synthesis and enzymatic actions on biochemical
reactions.

Two Steps in Gene Expression:

1. Transcription – the information on the DNA is copied into RNA. This RNA
is known as the messenger RNA or the mRNA since the main job of this
RNA is to carry this information or message outside the nucleus and use it
to perform the second step of gene expression.

2. Translation – the message stored on the mRNA is decoded in a ribosome

to produce a specific Amino Acid chain or polypeptide chain. Translation
requires another type of RNA known as the transfer RNA or the tRNA

Ribosomes are dedicated cellular machineries that make this whole process
possible. The ribosomes that read the message on the mRNA and the tRNA
transfers individual amino acids to the ribosomes according to the sequence
of base pairs on the mRNA. These amino acids are then joined together by
bonds to form a protein.

Three Basic Steps during the Process of Translation:

1. INITIATION – the ribosome assembles around the target mRNA.

2. ELONGATION – the tRNA transfers amino acids to the ribosome which

are joined together to form a polypeptide chain.

3. TERMINATION – the ribosomes release the polypeptide when it reads a

STOP signal on the mRNA.

Where does Translation takes place in the cell? And the difference between
Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic cells.
1. Prokaryotes – the translation takes place in the Cytoplasm

2. Eukaryotes – the translation occurs in the Cytoplasm or across the

membrane of the Endoplasmic Reticulum. The ribosome bonds to the
mRNA and attaches to the Endoplasmic Reticulum. The new protein is
synthesized and released into the Endoplasmic Reticulum. This protein
can be stored inside the Endoplasmic Reticulum or are released in the
future or can be secreted immediately.
Ribosomes – the main machine which plays a central role in translation. Complex
molecular structures found inside all living cells and they act as a site for protein
synthesis.

Two Major Components of Ribosomes:

1. Small subunit – reads the mRNA
2. Large subunit – joins the amino acids to form a polypeptide chain.

Base pairs – where the information of the genetic code is stored.

Four Main Bases:

1. Adenine
2. Guanine
3. Cytosine
4. Thymine (Uracil for RNA)

What is a codon?
A codon is a sequence of three DNA/RNA bases. When mRNA goes inside a
ribosome, the ribosomes does not read individual bases but rather sequences of
three bases. Each sequence of three base pairs corresponds to a specific amino
acid.

Example:
UUU - Phenylalanine

UCC - Serene

AUG - Methionine (Start codon)

UAG - Stop codon

Detailed Steps in Translation:

1. Initiation of Translation
Protein synthesis begins with the formation of an initiation complex.
This complex involves the small subunit of the ribosome, the mRNA
template, initiation factors and a special initiator tRNA. The initiator tRNA
interacts with the start codon AUG. Guanosine triphosphate (GTP), which
is a purine nucleotide triphosphate, acts as an energy source during
translation—both at the start of elongation and during the ribosome’s
translocation.

Once the appropriate AUG is identified, the large subunit binds to the
complex of Met-tRNA, mRNA, and the small subunit. This step completes
the initiation of translation.
2. Elongation of Translation
The large ribosomal subunit consists of three compartments: the A
site binds incoming charged aminoacyl tRNAs. The P site binds charged
tRNAs carrying amino acids that have formed peptide bonds with the
growing polypeptide chain but have not yet dissociated from their
corresponding tRNA. The E site releases dissociated tRNAs so that they
can be recharged with free amino acids. this creates an initiation complex
with a free A site ready to accept the tRNA corresponding to the first
codon after the AUG.

During translation elongation, the mRNA template provides

specificity. As the ribosome moves along the mRNA, each mRNA codon
comes into register, and specific binding with the corresponding charged
tRNA anticodon is ensured. If mRNA were not present in the elongation
complex, the ribosome would bind tRNAs nonspecifically.

Elongation proceeds with charged tRNAs entering the A site and

then shifting to the P site followed by the E site with each single-codon
“step” of the ribosome. Ribosomal steps are induced by conformational
changes that advance the ribosome by three bases in the 3′ direction. The
energy for each step of the ribosome is donated by an elongation factor
that hydrolyzes GTP. Peptide bonds form between the amino group of the
amino acid attached to the A-site tRNA and the carboxyl group of the
amino acid attached to the P-site tRNA. The formation of each peptide
bond is catalyzed by peptidyl transferase, an RNA-based enzyme that is
integrated into the large ribosomal subunit. The energy for each peptide
bond formation is derived from GTP hydrolysis, which is catalyzed by a
separate elongation factor. The amino acid bound to the P-site tRNA is
also linked to the growing polypeptide chain. As the ribosome steps
across the mRNA, the former P-site tRNA enters the E site, detaches from
the amino acid, and is expelled.

3. Termination of Translation
Termination of translation occurs when a nonsense codon (UAA,
UAG, or UGA) is encountered. Upon aligning with the A site, these
nonsense codons are recognized by release factors in prokaryotes and
eukaryotes that instruct peptidyl transferase to add a water molecule to
the carboxyl end of the P-site amino acid. This reaction forces the P-site
amino acid to detach from its tRNA, and the newly made protein is
released. The small and large ribosomal subunits dissociate from the
mRNA and from each other; they are recruited almost immediately into
another translation initiation complex. After many ribosomes have
completed translation, the mRNA is degraded so the nucleotides can be
reused in another transcription reaction.