ranscription (genetics)

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Transcription is the process of creating a complementary RNA copy of a sequence
of DNA.[1] Both RNA and DNA are nucleic acids, which use base pairs of nucleotid
es as a complementary language that can be converted back and forth from DNA to
RNA by the action of the correct enzymes. During transcription, a DNA sequence i
s read by RNA polymerase, which produces a complementary, antiparallel RNA stran
d. As opposed to DNA replication, transcription results in an RNA complement tha
t includes uracil (U) in all instances where thymine (T) would have occurred in
a DNA complement.
Transcription can be explained easily in 4 or 5 steps, each moving like a wave a
long the DNA.
RNA polymerase unwinds/"unzips" the DNA by breaking the hydrogen bonds between c
omplementary nucleotides.
RNA nucleotides are paired with complementary DNA bases.
RNA sugar-phosphate backbone forms with assistance from RNA polymerase.
Hydrogen bonds of the untwisted RNA+DNA helix break, freeing the newly synthesiz
ed RNA strand.
If the cell has a nucleus, the RNA is further processed (addition of a 3' poly-A
tail and a 5' cap) and exits through to the cytoplasm through the nuclear pore
complex.
Transcription is the first step leading to gene expression. The stretch of DNA t
ranscribed into an RNA molecule is called a transcription unit and encodes at le
ast one gene. If the gene transcribed encodes a protein, the result of transcrip
tion is messenger RNA (mRNA), which will then be used to create that protein via
the process of translation. Alternatively, the transcribed gene may encode for
either ribosomal RNA (rRNA) or transfer RNA (tRNA), other components of the prot
ein-assembly process, or other ribozymes.[citation needed]
A DNA transcription unit encoding for a protein contains not only the sequence t
hat will eventually be directly translated into the protein (the coding sequence
) but also regulatory sequences that direct and regulate the synthesis of that p
rotein. The regulatory sequence before (upstream from) the coding sequence is ca
lled the five prime untranslated region (5'UTR), and the sequence following (dow
nstream from) the coding sequence is called the three prime untranslated region
(3'UTR).[citation needed]
Transcription has some proofreading mechanisms, but they are fewer and less effe
ctive than the controls for copying DNA; therefore, transcription has a lower co
pying fidelity than DNA replication.[2]
As in DNA replication, DNA is read from 3' ? 5' during transcription. Meanwhile,
the complementary RNA is created from the 5' ? 3' direction. This means its 5'
end is created first in base pairing. Although DNA is arranged as two antiparall
el strands in a double helix, only one of the two DNA strands, called the templa
te strand, is used for transcription. This is because RNA is only single-strande
d, as opposed to double-stranded DNA. The other DNA strand is called the coding
strand, because its sequence is the same as the newly created RNA transcript (ex
cept for the substitution of uracil for thymine). The use of only the 3' ? 5' st
rand eliminates the need for the Okazaki fragments seen in DNA replication.[cita
tion needed]
Transcription is divided into 5 stages: pre-initiation, initiation, promoter cle
arance, elongation and termination.[citation needed