Protein Synthesis Transcription

One gene one

polypeptide
Step 1 Transcription
DNA vs. RNA
Three types of RNA
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
From DNA to RNA

DNA vs. RNA

DNA

RNA

Double Helix
Single strand
Deoxyribose sugar
Ribose sugar
Adenine pairs with Thymine
Uracil replaces
(A-T)
Thymine!
Stays in nucleus
Leaves nucleus to
make the proteins

Three types of RNA:

1) mRNA

messenger RNA 2) tRNA

transfer RNA
Carries code for
proteins from DNA Attaches specific
Amino Acids to the
Carries the
protein chain by
codon
matching the mRNA
codon with the
anticodon.

3) Ribosomal RNA
rRNA
Where Protein
synthesis occurs

Types of RNA

Transcription Step 1:
Initiation
_________

The binding occurs at a promoter: a

specialized sequence on one strand of
DNA located just upstream from the
start of the gene.

 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

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 53 direction, using
the 35 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.

 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 (proteincoding regions of DNA) are
connected

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

Summary of
Transcription

RNA polymerase is the

enzyme responsible!!

Transcription Video