RNA WORLD

- The genetic information was first carried by RNA.(RNA was the first genetic material).
- It is believed that both DNA and protein were absent at an early stage in the evolution of
life. Life at this stage is described as RNA world.
- RNA is present mostly in the cytoplasm and were able to self-replicate.
- All RNA chains begins with adenine and Guanine.
- RNA was involved in many important life processes such as metabolism, translation,slicing
etc.
- RNA functioned both as a catalyst(ribozyme) for some biochemical reactions
instead of protein enzymes as well as genetic material.
- A few reactions,such as cleavage and ligation of phosphodiester bonds required for RNA
splicing and the formation of peptide bonds during protein synthesis, are catalysed by
naturally occuring RNAs.
- During evolution,the functions of catalysis and information storage were taken over by
protein and DNA.
- RNA primarily functioned to transmit the genetic information.
- Protein gradually took over some function of RNA.
- The RNA world was slowly transformed into an RNA-protein world.
- RNA is unstable as it was reactive.
- Hence with evolution,DNA evolved from RNA by chemical modifications to make it more
stable.
- Eventually,the process of replicatin became more complex,requiring a large number of
components.
- DNA is double stranded and has a complementary strand. It shows the process of repair
that further adds to its stability.
- With evolution,RNA was probably replaced by DNA as the genetic material. The RNA-
protein world thus transformed into the present DNA-RNA-Protein world.
- The evolution of DNA may have required only two types of enzymes:
1) Ribonucleotide reductase to convert ribonucleotides into deoxyribonucleotides.
2)Reverse transcriptase to transcribe RNA into DNA.
- The backbone of RNA is made up of pentose sugar and phosphate.
- The 2’-OH group of ribose makes RNA labile and easily degradable.
- RNA has two types of nitrogenous bases:
i) Purines - Adenine and Guanine
ii) Pyrimidine- Cytosine and Uracil.
- Ribose sugar + Nitrogenous base ---- Ribonucleoside
- Ribonucleoside + Phosphate group ---- Ribonucleotide
- RNA is unstable and mutates faster. Consequently the viruses having RNA genome and
having shorter life span mutate and evolve faster.
- Types of RNA:
i) Genetic RNA and ii) Non-genetic RNA
- Genetic RNA:
-is seen most of the plant viruses and some animal viruses.
e.g., in TMV,polio virus,influenza virus,etc.
- Non-Genetic RNA: On the basis of molecular size and function, three main forms of
non-genetic RNA are:
i)mRNA, ii) tRNA and iii) rRNA.
- mRNA constitutes about 3.5% of cellular RNA
- tRNA is about 15%
- rRNA about 80%
GENETICS/Molecular Basis of inheritance /BIBATSU SALAM / /Page No.29
ii) mRNA(messenger RNA): or informational RNA or template RNA is a molecule
of RNA that is transcribed from a gene and then translated by ribosomes in order to
manufacture protein.
# The name mRNA was given by Jacob and Monod(1961), because it is responsible
for carrying the genetic information present in DNA,i.e., acts as a messenger of
information contained in DNA.

- When a particular gene codes for a mRNA strand, it is said to be monocistronic or

monogenic. e.g., eukaryotes.

- When several genes(cistrons) are transcribed into a single mRNA molecule,it is described
as polycistronic or polygenic. e.g.,prokarytoes.

- Monocistronic mRNA codes for one complete protein molecule while polycistronic
mRNA codes for a number of protein molecules.
- it makes 3% to 5% of total cellular RNA.
- The sedimentation coefficient of mRNA is 8S.
- Structural components of mRNA include:
a) CAP(at 5’end)
b)Non-coding region-1
c)Initiation codon (AUG)
d) Termination codon
e) Non-coding region-2
f)Poly A sequence (at 3’end)

iii) tRNA(transfer RNA):

- Transfer RNA is also known as soluble(s)RNA,/acceptor RNA/adaptor RNA.
- tRNAs are smallest,bearing 70-80 nucleotides.
- Holley(1965) reported the sequence of an alanine tRNA from yeast and proposed two-
dimensional structure of tRNA(clover lead model).
- Three dimensional(L-shaped) structure of tRNA was proposed by Klug(1974).
- In tRNA five regions that are single stranded are:
AA(Amino acid) binding site,
TC loop,
DHU loop,
extra arm and
anticodon loop.
- AA binding site lies opposite to the anticodon site.
tRNA molecules have unpaired(single stranded)CCA-OH sequence at the 3’end. This
is called amino acid attachment site.

- TC loop contains pseudouridine.

The loop is the site for attaching to ribosomes.

- DHU loop contains dihydrouridine.

It is the binding site for aminoacyl synthetase enzyme.

- Extra arm is a variable site or loop which lies between TC loop and anticodon.
The anticodon loop is made up of three nitrogen bases for recognition and
attaching to the codon of mRNA.
- tRNA helps to transport amino acids from the surrounding cytoplasm to the site of
protein synthesis.
- tRNA are smallest amongst all the RNA and is made up of 70-80 nucleotides only.

- rRNA(Ribosomal RNA) is a component of the ribosomes, the protein synthetic factories

in the cell.
It is formed in nucleolus.
rRNA is the most stable type of RNA.
- Depending upon sedimentation coefficient eukaryotic ribosomes contain 4(four)
different rRNA molecules:
18S, 5.8S, 28S, 5S rRNA.

Prokaryotic ribosomes have three types of rRNAs: 23S, 16S and 5S

Among these
- 28S, 5.8S and 5S in eukaryotes and
- 23S and 5S in prokaryotes occur in larger subunit of ribosomes while
-18S in eukaryotes and 16S in prokaryotes is found in smaller subunit of ribosomes.

- Antisense RNA also called micro RNA(miRNA),i.e., an RNA inhibiting complementary

RNA is synthesized sometimes on the strand complementary to the one used for mRNA
synthesis. This is used for regulation of DNA synthesis and gene expression both in vitro
and in vivo.

-Smaller nuclear RNA(snRNA) is the name used to refer to a number of small RNA
molecules found in the nucleus.
They are always found associated with specific proteins and the complexes are
refreered to as small nuclear ribonucleoproteins(snRNPs) or sometime as snurps.

Central DOGMA
- proposed by Francis Crick (1958).
- It states that the genetic information flows unidirectionally from
DNA-->RNA-->Protein

Teminism:
- H.Temin and Baltimore in 1978 gave the concept of reverse flow of genetic
information,i.e., the formation of DNA from RNA.
This is called as Reverse Central Dogma or Teminism or reverse transcription.

- This takes place in some of the viruses in the presence of an enzyme called
reverse transcriptase.