Exam II (lecture 14-16) Flashcards
Central dogma
DNA (replication)
Transcription (reversible)
RNA
Trnaslation
Protein
ncRNA
the gene segment of a nucleic acid that carries the code for a particular protein or for a functional non-coding RNA (ncRNA)
Prescence of of 2’-OH group
DNA vs RNA
DNA: no
RNA: yes
Both DNA and RNA nucleotides are joined by
phosphodiester bonds
DNA vs RNA secondary structure
DNA: double helix
RNA: many types
Stability RNA vs DNA
DNA: stable
RNA: easily degraded
RNA secondary structure
enables RNA molecules to fold into many different shapes that lend themseleves to many different biological functions.
Helical portions of RNA have the overall geometry of
an A-form duplex
Double helical characteristic of RNA
right handed helical conformation dominated by base-stacking interactions
non-watson-crick interactions contribute to
secondary RNA structure
unusual interactions contribute to the 3D RNA folding
U:A:U base triple
C:G:C base triple
what group contributes to stabilization of 3D RNA folding
2’-OH group
Base stacking
also contributes to stability of the 3D RNA structure
transcriptome
entire set of RNA transcripts produced in a cell
transcription
Enzymatic RNA synthesis directed by a DNA template
genes have different
rates of expression
RNA polymerases
Synthesize RNA
RNA synthesis direction
5’-3’ (the template DNA is copied in the 3’ to 5’ direction)
RNA polymerase use
ribonucleoside 5’-triphosphates (rNTPs) to syntehsize RNA complementary to the template
RNA polymerase adds nucleotides
to the 3-OH end ONLY
(same as DNA polymerases)
Does RNA polymerase require a primer?
NO
Does the product remain with the template (RNA polymerase)
NO
Is DNA or RNA synthesis more accurate
DNA is more accurate (1/10,000 bases)
Prokaryotes RNA polymerase
single RNA Pol
Eukaryotes RNA polymerase
atleast 3 RNA Pol’s
Where does the RNA polymerase attach
initiates transcription at the promoter “upstream” of the information contained in the gene
what signals the end of transcription?
terminator
Transcription unit
- sequence of nucleotides in DNA that encodes for a single RNA molecule
- promoter
- RNA coding sequence
- terminator
nontemplate =
coding = sense strand is NOT transcribed
template=
coding = antiesense strand is transcribed and complementary and antiparallel to the RNA product
promoter
RNA polymerase binding site on the DNA. Will determine which strand is going to be transcribed
template strand
may vary for different genes along the chromosome
General transcription steps
- RNA polymerase binds the ptomoter (forming first a closed complex)
- Promoter melting (open complex)
- Transcription initiated within complex
- Promoter clearance and elogation complex
- RNA pol dissociation from DNA and recycling
initation involves
binding of promoter and the formation of transcription bubble
chemical mechanism of RNA synthesis
the addition of an rNTP to a growing transcript is a Mg2+ dependent reaction that produces a 5’-3’ phosphodiester linkage.
Bacterial RNA polymerase core
5 subunits: 2alpha, 1beta, 1beta (prime), omega
- RNAPs look like “crab clows”
- Capable of RNA synthesis on a DNA template
- However
1. no specificity for promoter
2. no initation in vivo
No initation in vivo
Bacterial RNA polymerase core
sigma factor
directs the core enzyme to specific binding sites on the DNA