CBG Lecture 4: Transcription Flashcards
how much more RNA than DNA do cells contain
20 times more RNA than DNA in cells
how much of cell is made up of RNA
5%
what is most common type of RNA
ribosomal RNA
what is transcription?
DNA -> RNA
what is error rate of transcription?
10-4 per nucleotide
what cofactors do both DNAPs and RNAPs contain
mg2+ cofactor, positive, so react with -ve phosphate charge on DNA
how much of RNA is mRNA?
mRNA is 5% of RNA
how large are RNAPs (kDa?)
500kDa
what is the machine used for transcription
RNA polymerase
which has a higher error rate - RNAP or DNAP?
why
RNAP has higher error rate due to it lacking a proof reading exonuclease
outline vague structure of RNAP + in bacteria
large multi subunit enzyme with a pincer like structure
have 5 core subunits
IN BACTERIA
composed of apoenzyme ( 5 core subunits) and sigma subunit, which makes up holoenzyme
how does bacterial RNAP differ from eukaryotic RNAP
bacterial RNAP has a sigma subunit
what is sigma subunit used for/by
used by bacterial RNAP to bind and melt promoter DNA - recognises the promoter
what do eukaryotic RNAPs require for initiation
basal transcription factores including the TATA binding protein
in depth structure of bacterial RNAPs
alpha 1&2 -> bind to DNA and stabilise
Beta&Beta’ -> form clamp, AS between them
w (omega) -> stabilise whole complex
beta flap -> traps mRNA
rudder -> destabilises DNA/RNA hybrid and allows sealing of transcription bubble
in what species is bacterial RNAP best characterised
Thermus aquaticus
what is an apoenzyme
part of bacterial RNAP structure, is the holoenzyme without the sigma unit
how many RNAPs do bacteria have? compare this to eukaryotic RNAPs
1
eukaryotes have 3 with the same 5 subunits
what are the different eukaryotic RNAPs, what do they each specialise in
RNAP1-ribosomal RNA
RNAP2 - mitochondrial RNA
RNAP 3 - transfer RNA
(1,2,3 = r,m,t)
in which organism is the speed of RNA transcription faster? E.coli or humans
E.Coli, by 30nt.s-1 (it is 50nt-1s-1)
what subunits are present in both bacterial and eukaryotic RNAPs
alpha1 &2
beta&beta’
omega
what is function of alpha 1&2 subunits in RNAP
bind and stabilise DNA
what is function of beta and beta’ subunits in RNAP
form a clamp with an active site between them
what is function of omega subunit in RNAP
stabilises the whole RNAP molecule