Protein Synthesis

• Proteins make up all living materials

• Proteins are composed of amino acids – there are 20
different amino acids
• Different proteins are made by combining these 20
amino acids in different combinations
• Proteins are manufactured (made) by the ribosomes
•Function of proteins:
1. Help fight disease
2. Build new body tissue
3. Enzymes used for digestion and other chemical
reactions are proteins
(Enzymes speed up the rate of a reaction)
4. Component of all cell membranes
MAKING PROTEINS
Step 1: Transcription
Making a Protein—Transcription
• First Step: Copying of genetic information from DNA to RNA
called Transcription
Why? DNA has the genetic code for the protein that needs to be
made, but proteins are made by the ribosomes—ribosomes are
outside the nucleus in the cytoplasm.
DNA is too large to leave the nucleus (double stranded), but RNA
can leave the nucleus (single stranded).
• Part of DNA temporarily unzips and is used as a
template to assemble complementary nucleotides
into messenger RNA (mRNA).
• mRNA then goes through the pores of the nucleus with
the DNA code and attaches to the ribosome.
MAKING PROTEINS
Step 2: Translation
Making a Protein—Translation
• Second Step: Decoding of mRNA into a protein is called
Translation.
• Transfer RNA (tRNA) carries amino acids from the
cytoplasm to the ribosome.
These amino acids come from the food we eat. Proteins
we eat are broken down into individual amino acids and
then simply rearranged into new proteins according to the
needs and directions of our DNA.
•A series of three adjacent bases
in an mRNA molecule codes for
a specific amino acid—called a
codon.

•Each tRNA has 3 nucleotides Amino acid

that are complementary to the
codon in mRNA.

•Each tRNA codes for a different

amino acid.
Anticodon
• mRNA carrying the DNA instructions and tRNA carrying
amino acids meet in the ribosomes.
• Amino acids are joined together to make a protein.

Polypeptide = Protein
 2nd Base

1st Base

3rd Base
CAC/CCA/UGG/UGA
___________/___________/___________/____________
Use one of the codon charts on the next page to find the amino acid
sequence coded for by the following mRNA strands.
 AUG/AAC/GAC/UAA

___________/___________/___________/____________
Protein Synthesis

DNA gets all the glory,

Proteins do all the work
 First part of protein synthesis:
_______________________________
 ________________ = ____________  ______________
 Takes place in the _____________.
 Two enzymes help:
1. __________ - separates DNA helix
2. __________________– brings RNA nucleotides over to be
synthesized into mRNA
 _________________: the side of DNA that will be used to create
an mRNA strand
 The genetic code is read _________________________ called
___________on the mRNA strand
 The genetic code (language) from DNA is transcribed into mRNA
during ______________________.
 Second part of protein synthesis:
________________________
 __________________ = ______________  ____________
 Takes place at the _____________________.
 mRNA that was transcribed ___________________________ and
attaches to a ____________________.
 One codon at a time is matched to a ___________________.
 When tRNA sits down at it’s matching codon, the
____________________it carries is ___________________ and
bonded to the protein chain by _________________.
NOW YOU HAVE A _________________________!
Protein Targeting
or Protein Sorting
Some sorting sequences
 Protein traffic

Protein can move

between compartments
in different ways
 Cytoplasm
Co-Translational Post-Translational
Pathway Pathway
Endoplasmic reticulum
Chloroplasts

Golgi Apparatus Mitochondria

Peroxisomes
Endosome Secretory
vesicles
Nuclei
Lysosome

Plasma Membrane
Sorting sequences
Post-translational
protein targeting
Key features
1) imported after
synthesis
 Post-translational
protein targeting
Key features
1) imported after
synthesis
2) targeting
information is
motifs in protein
a) which organelle
b) site in organelle
3) Receptors guide
it to correct site
4) no vesicles!
Protein Turnover and Amino Acid
Catabolism
 Overview of amino acid metabolism

Proteins constantly
undergo turnover.
 Overview of amino acid metabolism

Proteins constantly
undergo turnover.

Amino acids are also

used to synthesize
some non-protein
metabolites.

No protein stores, so

essential amino acids
must come from diet.
• Amino acids used for synthesizing proteins
are obtained by degrading other proteins

– Proteins destined for degradation are labeled

with ubiquitin.

– Polyubiquinated proteins are degraded by

proteosomes.

• Amino acids are also a source of nitrogen

for other biomolecules.
Excess amino acids cannot be stored.
Surplus amino acids are used for fuel.
– Carbon skeleton is converted to
Acetyl–CoA
Acetoacetyl–CoA
Pyruvate
Citric acid cycle intermediate
– The amino group nitrogen is converted to urea
and excreted.
Glucose, fatty acids and ketone bodies can
be formed from amino acids.
 Protein Degradation
Dietary proteins are a vital source of amino
acids.
Discarded cellular proteins are another
source of amino acids.
 Dietary Protein Degradation
• Dietary proteins are hydrolyzed to amino
acids and absorbed into the bloodstream.

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 Cellular Protein Degradation
• Cellular proteins are degraded at different
rates.

– Ornithine decarboxylase has a half-life of 11

minutes.

– Hemoglobin lasts as long as a red blood cell.

– Υ-Crystallin (eye lens protein) lasts as long as

the organism does.
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