7.3 Translation Flashcards
What are ribosomes made of?
Ribosomes are made of protein (for stability) and ribosomal RNA (for catalytic activity)
What two subunits do ribosomes consist of?
They consist of a large and small subunit
What does the small subunit consist of?
The small subunit contains an mRNA binding site
What does the large subunit consist of?
The large subunit contains three tRNA binding sites – an aminoacyl (A) site, a peptidyl (P) site and an exit (E) site
Where can ribosomes be found?
Ribosomes can be found either freely floating in the cytosol or bound to the rough ER (in eukaryotes)
What number of regions does tRNA have?
tRNA molecules fold into a cloverleaf structure with four key regions:
What are the 4 regions of tRNA?
The acceptor stem
The anticodon
The T arm
The D arm
What is the role of the acceptor stem? tRNA
The acceptor stem (3’-CCA) carries an amino acid
What is the role of the anticodon? tRNA?
The anticodon associates with the mRNA codon (via complementary base pairing)
What is the role of the T arm? trna
The T arm associates with the ribosome (via the E, P and A binding sites)
What is the role of D arm? trna
The D arm associates with the tRNA activating enzyme (responsible for adding the amino acid to the acceptor stem)
What is the role of the tRNA molecule in the cytoplasm/
Each tRNA molecule binds with a specific amino acid in the cytoplasm in a reaction catalysed by a tRNA-activating enzyme
What recognises the specific amino acid? trna
Each amino acid is recognised by a specific enzyme (the enzyme may recognise multiple tRNA molecules due to degeneracy)
Where does the amino acid bind?
The binding of an amino acid to the tRNA acceptor stem occurs as a result of a two-step process:
What are the 2 steps of activation?
The enzyme binds ATP to the amino acid to form an amino acid–AMP complex linked by a high energy bond (PP released)
The amino acid is then coupled to tRNA and the AMP is released – the tRNA molecule is now “charged” and ready for use
What is the function of ATP in activation?
The function of the ATP (phosphorylation) is to create a high energy bond that is transferred to the tRNA molecule
What bond does ATP help form?
This stored energy will provide the majority of the energy required for peptide bond formation during translation
What does the first step of translation involve?
The first stage of translation involves the assembly of the three components that carry out the process (mRNA, tRNA, ribosome)
Where does the small ribosomal subunit bind?
The small ribosomal subunit binds to the 5’-end of the mRNA and moves along it until it reaches the start codon (AUG)
What happens once the small subunit is in place?
Next, the appropriate tRNA molecule bind to the codon via its anticodon (according to complementary base pairing)
When does the large subunit bind?
Finally, the large ribosomal subunit aligns itself to the tRNA molecule at the P site and forms a complex with the small subunit
What is the first step of elongation?
A second tRNA molecule pairs with the next codon in the ribosomal A site
How do amino acids bond?
The amino acid in the P site is covalently attached via a peptide bond (condensation reaction) to the amino acid in the A site
What happens once the amino acids have binded?
The tRNA in the P site is now deacylated (no amino acid), while the tRNA in the A site carries the peptide chain
What is the first step of translocation?
The ribosome moves along the mRNA strand by one codon position (in a 5’ → 3’ direction)
What happens to the deacylated trna?
The deacylated tRNA moves into the E site and is released, while the tRNA carrying the peptide chain moves to the P site