PROTEIN SYNTHESIS

All organisms, from the simplest bacteria to

ourselves, use the same basic mechanism of

reading and expressing genes.

Often referred to as the “Central Dogma”:

Information passes from the genes (DNA) to an

RNA copy of the gene, and the RNA copy

directs the sequential assembly of a chain to

amino acids.
DNA → RNA → PROTEIN

Protein synthesis involves three different sites

on the ribosome surface, called the P, A, and E

sites.
A ribosome is composed of two subunits.

The smaller subunit fits into a depression on

the surface of the larger one.

The A, P, and E sites on the ribosome play key

roles in protein synthesis.

RIBOSOMAL SUBUNITS
 Transcription

The first step of the Central Dogma is the

transfer of information from DNA to RNA, which

occurs when an mRNA copy of the gene is

produced.
mRNA is formed on a DNA template

Because the DNA sequence in the gene is

transcribed into an RNA sequence, this stage is

called transcription.
Transcription is initiated when the enzyme RNA

polymerase binds to a particular binding site

called a promoter located at the beginning of a

gene.
Then RNA polymerase moves along the strand

into the gene.

As it encounters each DNA nucleotide, it adds

the corresponding complementary RNA

nucleotide to a growing mRNA strand.

Thus, guanine (G), cytosine (C), thymine (T),

and adenine (A) in the DNA would signal the

addition of C, G, A, and uracil (U), respectively,

to the mRNA.
When the RNA polymerase arrives at a

transcriptional “stop” signal at the opposite end of

the gene, It then disengages from the DNA and

releases the newly assembled RNA chain.

This chain is a complementary transcript of the gene

SUMMERY OF TRASCRIPTION
 Translation: Protein Synthesis

The second step of the Central Dogma is the

transfer of information from RNA to proteins.

mRNA transcript is used to direct the sequence

of amino acids during the synthesis of

The synthesis of proteins occur in ribosomes,

which are outside the nucleus and within the

cytoplasm of cells.

 The mRNA connects with the ribosomes, and

the amino acids attached to transfer RNA (tRNA)

Translation begins when an rRNA molecule

within the ribosome recognizes and binds to a

“start” sequence on the mRNA.

The ribosome then moves along the mRNA

molecule, three nucleotides at a time.

Each group of three nucleotides is a code word
that specifies which amino acid will be added to
the growing polypeptide chain.
The ribosome continues in this fashion until it
encounters a translational “stop” signal; then it
disengages from the mRNA and releases the
completed polypeptide (proteins).
The information encoded in genes is expressed
in two phases:
Transcription, in which an RNA polymerase
enzyme assembles an mRNA molecule whose
nucleotide sequence is complementary to the
DNA nucleotide sequence of the gene;
(2)Translation, in which a ribosome assembles

a polypeptide, whose amino acid sequence is

specified by the nucleotide sequence in the

mRNA
 Transfer RNA

Each tRNA carries an anticodon, a series of

three bases that is complementary to a codon.

The base pair between the codon and the

anticodon ensures that the proper amino acid is

added to a growing protein chain.

Protein synthesis, or translation, takes place in

three steps:

(1)Initiation - a ribosome, mRNA, and tRNA come

together to form a complex.

 Elongation
Amino acids are joined to the growing
polypeptide chain.
 Termination
The protein has been synthesized and the
ribosome-mRNA-tRNA complex dissociates.
 GENETIC CODE

Genetic code consists of a series of blocks of

information called codons, each corresponding

to an amino acid in the encoded protein.

Each word, or codon has a sequence of three

nucleotides specifying a particular amino acid.

For example, the series uracil-uracil-

guanine (UUG) on an mRNA chain is a codon

amino acid leucine

• Of the 64 possible three-base combinations in

RNA, 60 code for specific amino acids, 1 code

for chain start and 3 code for chain termination.