Protein Synthesis - Transcription

• One gene – one

polypeptide
• Transcription
• DNA vs. RNA
• Three types of RNA –
mRNA, tRNA, and rRNA
• Initiation  Elongation 
Termination
• Post transcriptional
Modifications
How Does DNA Make Proteins?
One Gene – One Polypeptide
Hypothesis
The hypothesis that each gene is
unique and codes for the
synthesis of a single polypeptide.
 DNA  Proteins
It is a two-step process:
1) Transcription - is the mechanism by which the
information encoded in DNA is transcribed into a
complementary RNA copy.
- Transcription occurs in the nucleus of a
eukaryotic cell
2) Translation is the assembly of amino acids into a
polypeptide using the information encoded in the
RNA.
 Transcription
1) Transcription - DNA
is transcribed into a
complementary
RNA copy

2) Translation -
Assembly of amino
acids into a
polypeptide using
the information
encoded in the RNA.
 DNA vs. RNA
DNA
• Double helix structure
• Deoxyribose sugar
• Adenine pairs with Thymine
• Stays in the nucleus

RNA
• Single strand structure
• Ribose sugar
• Uracil replaces Thymine
• Leaves nucleus to make proteins
 Three Types of RNA:
1) mRNA
• “messenger” RNA
• Carries code for
proteins from DNA
• Carries the “codon”
 Three Types of RNA:
2) tRNA
• “transfer” RNA
• Attaches specific
Amino Acids to the
protein chain by
matching the mRNA
codon with the
anticodon
 Three Types of RNA:
3) rRNA
• Ribosomal RNA
• Where protein
synthesis occurs
 Types of RNA - Summary
Types of RNA Key Functions and Characteristics
Messenger RNA • Is the RNA version of the gene encoded by
(mRNA) DNA
• Translated into proteins by ribosomes
• Acts as the intermediary between DNA and
the ribosomes
• Varies in length depending on the gene being
copied

Transfer RNA (tRNA) • Acts as the delivery system of amino acids to

ribosomes as they create proteins
• Very short, only 70-90 base pairs long

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) • Binds with proteins to form the ribosomes and
helps convert the mRNA into new proteins
• Varies in length
 Transcription Step 1:
Initiation
• RNA polymerase binds to
the DNA molecule just
before the gene
• The binding occurs at a
promoter: a specialized
sequence on one strand
of DNA located just
upstream from the start
of the gene
 Transcription Step 1:
Initiation
• RNA polymerase, unlike DNA polymerase, can
begin making the complementary copy without
needing a primer to be already in place
• The strand being copied is known as the template
strand
• The strand that is not being copied is known as the
coding strand, since it contains the same base pair
sequence as the new RNA molecule, except for the
absence of uracil and the presence of thymine
 Step 2: Elongation
• DNA splits at the site of RNA
polymerase and starts to
unravel
• RNA polymerase attaches
matching bases to form a new
RNA strand from the DNA
template
• RNA is made in the 5’→3’
direction, using the 3’→5’ DNA
strand as a template strand
 Step 3: Termination
• When RNA polymerase
reaches the termination
site, copying stops
• RNA polymerase leaves the
DNA
• RNA strand is released
• DNA rewinds itself into
the double helix
 Post Transcriptional
Modifications
• At this point, the newly transcribed RNA is known as
pre-mRNA
• pre-mRNA is not ready to leave the nucleus until it
has been modified
• One modification is the addition of a chain of 50 to
250 adenine nucleotides to the 3’ end by an enzyme
called poly-A polymerase
• The chain of adenine nucleotides, called the poly(A)
tail, protects mRNA from attack by RNA-digesting
enzymes in the cytosol
Post Transcriptional
Modifications
• A 5’ cap of seven guanines is added to the
start of a pre-mRNA molecule
• Ribosomes recognize this site and use it
as the site of initial attachment
Introns (non-coding, intervening sequences of
DNA) are removed by the enzyme-protein
complex spliceosome and Exons (protein-
coding regions of DNA) are connected.
1) Exon, Introns and Splicing video
 Alternate Splicing
• Certain exons may left out of the final
mRNA strand
• This enables us to produce different
mRNAs from a single DNA gene sequence
• Alternative splicing helps us understand
why humans with only about 20 000
genes can produce approximately 100 000
proteins
Alternative Splicing
Exon Exon Exon Exon
1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

Alternative Splicing

1 2 3 2 3 4

Protein A Protein B
 Summary of
Transcription
• Transcription is the mechanism by
which the information encoded in
DNA is transcribed into a
complementary RNA copy
• The three types of RNA involved
include mRNA, tRNA, and ribosomal
RNA
• RNA polymerase makes a
complementary copy of one of the
DNA strands (template strand) in the
5’ to 3’ direction
• The pre-mRNA is modified into mRNA
through the addition of nucleotides to
the ends and the removal of non-
coding regions called introns
2) Transcription