4. The Genetic Code, Mutations, and Translation Flashcards
How many codons exist?
64
Stop codons
UAA, UGA, UAG
Start codon + amino acid
AUG, methionine (met in prokaryotes)
Code is unambiguous
1 codon = 1 amino acid
Code is degenerate, 2 exceptions
1 amino acid > 1 codon
Exceptions: Met and tryptophan (Trp)
Point mutations: transition and transversion
Transition: purine-pyrimidine bp -> purine-pyrimidine bp (AT->GC)
Transversion: purine-pyrimidine bp -> pyrimidine-purine bp (AT->TA or CG)
Missense mutation
New codon specifies different amino acid, variable effects
Nonsense mutation
Stop codon
Large segment deletions
Often during unequal crossover in meiosis
Recombination crossover when?
Examples of unequal crossover (2)
Normal in Meiosis I
Examples:
1. alfa-thalassemia (deletion of one or more alfa-globin genes from chromosome 16)
2. Cri-du-chat (mental retardation, microcephaly, wide-set eyes, kitten like cry), terminal deletion short arm chromosome 5
Examples (3) of splice site mutations
Beta-thalassemia, Gaucher disease, Tay-Sachs
Beta-thalassemia
- Disease
- Characteristics
- Treatment
Many different types of mutations, deficiency of beta-globin compared to alfa-globin.
Mediterranean areas, splenomegaly, bone deformities (excessive activity bone marrow). Treatment: blood transfusions every 2-3 weeks, cave iron overload
Huntington disease
- Type of disorder, age of onset
- Symptoms
- Normal vs diseased repeats
- Amino acid involved
- Juvenile
- Autosomal dominant, 43-48
- Mood disturbance, impaired memory, hyperreflexia, abnormal gait, chorea, dystonia, dementia, dysphagia
- 5 vs >30
- Glutamine (CAG)
- Juvenile often paternal allele inherited
Trinucleotide repeat expansion diseases
- 2 in coding region
- 2 in untranslated region
- Huntington (CAG), Spinobulbar muscular atrophy (CAG)
- Fragile X (CGG), Myotonic dystrophy (CTG), Friedreich’s ataxia (GAA)
Amino acid activation by..
Energy required from..
Aminoacyl tRNA synthetase (self-checking function)
Two high-energy bonds from ATP
Amino acid location on tRNA
3’ end
Amino acid linked to tRNA is a..
High energy bond, energy for peptide bond linking later
Formation of peptide bond between..
Carboxyl group (C) of growing peptide and amino group (NH3) of new amino acid
Where does translation occur?
In cytoplasm
Three stages of protein synthesis
Initiation, elongation and termination
What binds to mRNA during translation?
Small ribosomal subunit
- Prokaryotes = 16S to Shine Dalgarno sequence in 5’ UTR
- Eukaryotes = binds to 5’ cap
What happens after small subunit binds to mRNA?
(f)Met tRNA binds to AUG and large subunit binds to small subunit
What is P-site?
Peptidyl site: binding site for growing peptide chain
What is A-site?
Aminoacyl site: new incoming tRNA molecule
What are the three steps of elongation?
Energy required?
- Charged tRNA binds to A-site
- Peptidyl transferase (large subunit) forms peptide bond + break of bond to P-site
- Translocation: ribosome moves 3 nucleotides
Energy: high energy bonds from tRNA-aminoacid (2) + GTP (2), in total 4