TRANSLATION

The process in which the coded genetic information brought by mRNA from DNA is
changed into a polypeptide chain. (It is the process of polymerisation of amino acids to
form a polypeptide chain).

Translation machinery
1. Ribosomes – Ribosomes have 2 subunits, larger dome shaped and small ellipsoid.
When 2 sub units join together a channel is produced for the passage of mRNA. Each
ribosome has various sites-
P site (Peptidyl site), A site (Amino acyl site) and E (Exit site)
P site – the site for binding with the initiator tRNA carrying methionine
A site –the site for binding with all other tRNAs
E site –the site where the tRNAs leave
2. Amino acids –Twenty amino acids are involved in protein
synthesis. Specific tRNAs carry specific amino acids.
Amino acids are activated to bind with the specific tRNAs
with the help of ATP. Amino acids also bind with an
enzyme that usually recognizes the specific t RNAs.

3. tRNA –acts as an adaptor molecule that can bind with

amino acids, mRNA, ribosome and enzyme.

4. Amino acyl tRNA synthetase –is the

enzyme for combining a particular tRNA
to its specific amino acid. There are
specific enzymes for different tRNAs.

5. mRNA –the processed mRNA after capping tailing and splicing carrying only the exons
bind with ribosome for transcription.

STEPS IN THE PROCESS

Activation of amino acid
In the presence of ATP, an amino acid binds to a specific amino acyl tRNA synthetase
enzyme, forming a complex – amino acid AMP enzyme complex.

AA + ATP + AMINO ACYL tRNA SYNTHETASE (ENZYME) AA-AMP-ENZYME

COMPLEX + P P
The amino acid is now said to be activated.

Charging of t RNA
The activated AA binds with specific tRNA. The amino acyl tRNA synthetase enzyme of
the AA AMP ENZYME complex binds with enzyme binding site of tRNA. The amino acid
is transferred from complex to the 3’ end of tRNA producing amino acyl tRNA complex.
The tRNA is known as charged tRNA and it separates from the enzyme.
AA-AMP-ENZYME + tRNA AA-t RNA + AMP + ENZYME

AA-AMP-ENZYME + + AMP + ENZYME

 Initiation of the polypeptide chain
The small subunit of ribosome attaches to the 5’ end of mRNA. The ribosome-mRNA
complex now binds with tRNA (initiator tRNA carrying methionine). The tRNA binds to the
AUG codon of mRNA at the P site of the small sub unit of the ribosome. Now the larger
subunit joins and thus forms an initiator complex.
.

5’ 3’

Elongation
 A charged tRNA with specific amino acid binds to the A site. Methionine
forms a peptide bond with the newly arrived amino acid on the tRNA at A site with the
help of peptidyl transferase enzyme. Thus the second tRNA carries a dipeptide.

The ribosome moves from the 5’ end of the mRNA to its 3’ end
from codon to codon. This movement of ribosome exposing the
subsequent codons is known as translocation

As a result, the initiator tRNA is shifted to the E site and leaves

the complex. The second tRNA molecule is shifted to the P
site exposing the new codon in the A site for the third
charged tRNA.
As the ribosome moves over the mRNA, all the codons of
mRNA arrive at A site, one after the other and peptide chain
grows.

Termination
When terminator codons (UAA, UAG, UGA) reaches A site, no
tRNA molecule binds at A site and no further amino acids are
added. Release factors helps in releasing polypeptide chain
from ribosome. The ribosome dissociates into large and small
subunits.