Block 2. Lecture 9. From gene to protein Flashcards
Three main steps of gene expression
Transcription of RNA from DNA
Processing of the pre-mRNA transcript
Translation of the mRNA transcript to a protein
RNA
RNA (ribonucleic acid) acts as a messenger to allow the information stored in the DNA to be used to make proteins
Multiple control points in gene expression
- Transcription. Controls whether it happens in the first place.
- capping, extent of polyadenylation, alternate splicing, producing an mRNA able to be translated
- specific proteins assist in nuclear export of mRNA
- regulatory proteins can block translation, variable mRNA life-spans. In the ribosome. ( short-lived or long-lived)
why is control of gene expression important?
To achieve the right thing at the right time in the right place!!
(this is temporal and spatial control)
Housekeeping (commonly used) proteins are continuously produced
• protein and mRNA are present in large quantities (e.g. Tubulin)
• typically, have longer “half life” in cells
Other proteins are produced in response to stimuli as required
• cell signaling (e.g. ligand binding a cell surface receptor, or activating an intracellular receptor)
• signal transduced and may enter nucleus to activate transcription
• results in the production of a short-lived protein to carry out the required function
Three steps of transcription
Three steps:
- Initiation. Polymerase binds to promoter.
- Elongation. moves downstream through the gene, transcribing RNA.
- Termination. Detaches after terminator reached
Pairs of bases DNA to mRNA
A-U
T-A
G-C
C-G
RNA vs DNA structure
RNA uses the nitrogenous base Uracil, in place of Thymine and it is single stranded, while DNA is double stranded.
Thiamine is more stable than uracil. It is more important for DNA to be stable and protect the heritable information
Initiation phase of transcription
Assembly of multiple proteins required before transcription can commence
- A eukaryotic promoter. A sequence of DNA to which proteins bind to initiate transcription of a single RNA transcript from the DNA downstream of the promoter. TATA box typically ~25nt upstream
- Several transcription factors bind to DNA. Assembly of several transcription factors including the TATA box binding protein (TBP)
- Transcription initiation complex forms. RNA Polymerase II can now bind along with more transcription factors to form the transcription initiation complex
transcription begins..…
Transcription- elongation & termination
10-20 nucleotides exposed at a time when DNA unwound
Elongation: Complementary RNA nucleotides added to 3’ end of growing transcript (3’OH of transcript binds with 5’ phosphate of
incoming nucleotide)
Double helix reforms as transcript leave the template strand. IT FORMS A PHOSPHODIESTER BOND BETWEEN RNA MOLECULES/NUCLEOTIDES
Termination: after transcription of the polyadenylation signal (AAUAAA) nuclear enzymes release the pre-mRNA and RNA polymerase then dissociates from the DNA
Fidelity (proofreading) is less than for DNA replication
The pre-mRNA transcript is now ready for further processing
BONDS in transcription( elongation and termination)
- When the DNA strands separate the Hydrogen bonds break
- Hydrogen bonds form between RNA nucleotides and the bases on the template strand of the DNA
- Phosphodiester bonds form between the RNA nucleotides. Stronger than H-bonds. Once they are formed the H-bonds dissociate.
mRNA processing- capping, tailing, and splicing
Capping: a modified guanine nucleotide is added to the 5’ end
Tailing: 50-250 adenine nucleotides (polyA) are added to the 3’ end
Why? Capping and tailing are thought to facilitate export, confer stability and facilitate ribosome binding in cytoplasm)
Splicing: introns are removed from the transcript
EXONS
coding regions( inc. UTRs) become parts of the protein APART FROM UTRs
the regions that get spliced together
INTRONS
non-coding regions intervening exons
get spliced out and removed from the RNA to create mRNA
UTR
untranslated regions at 5’ and 3’ ends. Do not become part of protein.
Where and how does splicing occur?
At the spliceosome within the nucleus. Within the spliceosome there are small RNAs
Spliceosome: a large complex of proteins and small RNAs
Introns are removed from the transcript and exons are rejoined to form mature mRNA
Alternative splicing
Alternative splicing is a process by which different combinations of exons are joined together. ( different introns removed). This results in the production of multiple forms of mRNA from a single pre-mRNA
Gene–> multiple different proteins produced
Alternative splicing allows for multiple gene products from the same gene
~20,000 genes, there could be many times that number of proteins!!
Translation
Codons are translated into amino acids
tRNA molecules within the cytosol with specific anticodons carry corresponding amino acids
Hydrogen bonds form between mRNA and anticodon of the appropriate tRNA
The amino acid is added via peptide bonds to the growing polypeptide chain
Three main steps of translation
initiation, elongation, termination
Binding sites within the ribosome
mRNA binding site on small subunit
A site( aminoacyl-tRNA binding site): holds “next-in-line” tRNA
P site(peptidyl-tRNA binding site): holds tRNA carrying the growing polypeptide
E site: tRNAs exit from here
Translation- elongation
Codon recognition:
tRNA base pairs with complementary anticodon
GTP invested to increase accuracy / efficiency
Peptide bond formation:
A large subunit rRNA catalyses peptide bond formation Removes it from tRNA in P site
Translocation:
moves tRNA from A to P site
tRNA in P site moves to E and is released Energy is required (GTP)
Translation-termination
Ribosome reaches a stop codon on mRNA
mRNA stop codon in the A site is bound by a release factor
Release factor promotes hydrolysis
Bond between p-site tRNA and last amino acid is hydrolysed, releasing polypeptide
Ribosomal subunits and other components dissociate
Hydrolysis of two GTP molecules required
Ribosome components can be recycled