PROTEIN SYNTHESIS

DNA-RNA-PROTEIN. The central dogma of molecular biology

It involves 4 major steps
Transcription
Post Transcriptional modification
Translation
Post Translational modification

TRANSCRIPTION
Its the formation of RNA from DNA
Its catalyzed by RNA Polymerase.
It involves initiation-binding of rna polymerase to the promoter site of dna template
elongation -formation of phosphodiester bonds. Rna polymerase uses nucleotides
triphosphates for the elongation
Termination- either by rho dependant- a protein facto called rho recognizes the
terminal signal and has an atp dependent helicase activity displacing rna from
template
or rho independent mechanism where hair pin loops are formed on the newly
synthesized mRNA removing RNA Polymerase from DNA template, resulting in the
release of the primary transcript.

POST TRANSCRIPTIONAL MODIFICATION

The primary transcript produced is processed to produce a secondary mRNA
The changes include:
a) addition of the poly a tail at the 3’ prime end
b) capping of the 5’ prime end by addition of 7 methyl-guanylate. This allows mRNA
to bind to the capping binding protein and also protects mRNA from enzymatic
degradation
c) Splicing by splicesomes to remove introns that are non-coding regions. It includes
self splicing , and alternative splicing

TRANSLATION
Is the process of synthesizing a protein from mRNA .
Definitive mRNA dictatest the formation of a polypeptide chain.
Amino acids in the cytoplasm are activated by combining with AMP from ATP and an
enzyme in the cytoplasm. Pyrophosphate is released This step us energy dependent
Activated amino acids combine with a specific tRNA forming a complex which is
attached next to a mRNA, in the ribosomes.
tRNA recognizes proper spot to attach on mRNA template. The ribosome has the 40s
subunit and 60s subunit.
mRNA attaches to the 40s of ribosome and the growing polypeptide attaches at the
60s unit of the ribosome and tRNA attaches to both.
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Initiation
Translation start at the start site indicated by the start codon AUG coding for
methionine. .
It begins by activation of the amino acids and ATP is needed, forming amino acyl
tRNA

Elongation
The ribosome move along the mRNA like a string of bead reading the codons which
detect the type of amino acid to be brought.
-binding of amino acyl tRNA to the A site forming phosphodiester bond. Subsequent
phosphodiester bonds are formed between amino acids
The tRNA brings amino acids according to the codes, one at a time. The rRNA
assembles the amino acids brought forming peptide bonds. Continued elongation
leads to formation of a polypeptide chain and finally a protein
Termination
End of translation is signalled by a stop codon UGA, UAA, or AUG.
They signal end of translation
These codon can also arise due to a nonsense mutation.
The tRNA is then reused for another cycle of protein synthesis

POST TRANSLATIONAL MODIFICATION

These are changes that are made to the synthesized polypeptide chain to enhance the
function of that protein or to protect it from damage and degradation. The changes include:
Folding into its biological form
Hydroxylation
Carboxylation
Glycosylation
Phosphorylation
Cleavage of peptide bonds
Further folding and packaging into its complex form
Addition of registration peptides to impart solubility