Lecture 15: Translation Flashcards
Once an mRNA has been produced by transcription process, the information
present in its nucleotide sequence is used to
synthesize a protein.
Translation is a process of converting nucleic acid codes into
amino acid sequences
Coding sequences (open reading frame) is the
translated region, while the untranslated regions are used for controlling translation and mRNA stability
Translation of an mRNA molecule begins at the 5’ end of the
mRNA and proceeds in the 3’ direction.
Polypeptide synthesis begins at the
amino terminus (“NH2)
The sequence of nucleotides in the linear mRNA molecule is read consecutively in groups of
Three. It is read from a fixed starting point: AUGGGGCUCAGCGAC is read
as AUG-GGG-CUC-AGC-GAC–.
Codon
Each group of three consecutive nucleotides in RNA. Each
codon specifies either one amino acid or a ‘stop’ codon to the translation process.
genetic code
The nucleotide sequence of a gene is translated into the amino acid sequence of a protein by rules known as the genetic code. Genetic code is non-overlapping and continuous.
All proteins (ORFs) start with an
AUG codon, which codes for methionine. In prokaryotes, it is a modified methionine called “formyl-methionine.”
Translated is halted at
stop codons
3 nucleotides specificy
1 amino acid (codon)
How to read codons
Three stop codons
UAA, UGA, UAG (you are away, you go away, you are gone)
Specificity of genetic code
a particular codon always codes for the same amino acid
for example: UUA will always code for leucine
Universality of genetic code
its specificity has been conserved from very early stages of evolution
Degeneracy (redundancy) of genetic code
several codons can be used to code for the same AA. For example, leucine is specified by six different codons.
Nonsense mutation
base substitution results in the introduction of a stop (termination) codon (changing a single nucleotide base in the coding region of mRNA)
Silent mutation
base substitution does not change the identity of the incorporated AA (changing a single nucleotide base in the coding region of mRNA)
Missense mutation
base substitution results in an AA change (changing a single nucleotide base in the coding region of mRNA)
The sequence of nucleotides is read consecutively in groups of
three
insertion or deletion of “N” number of bases where “N” is not evenly divisible by 3 alters
the reading frame of the rest of the translated mRNA. This is called a frameshift mutation. This can induce missense and nonsense mutation.
Occasionally, a sequence of three bases that is repeated in tandem will become amplified in number so that
many copies of the triplet occur. If this happens within the coding region of a gene, the protein will contain many extra copies of one AA.
expansion of CAG codon (glutamine) in
exon 1 for huntington protein. Example of tri-nucleotide repeat extension.
The expansion in the coding region results in
abnormally long protein - when cleaved, it produces
toxic fragments that aggregates in neurons, causing
neurodegenerative Huntington disease
Expansion of CGG repeats (arginine)
fragile X syndrome
The abnormal expansion prevents
production of (Fragile X)
FMRP. This loss disrupts nervous system function, leading to signs of fragile X syndrome, the common cause of intellectual disability seen in males.
Expansion of CUG (serine) is seen in
myotonic dystrophy
3 stages of translation
initiation, elongation, termination
mRNAs
-made by RNA polyII
-template
tRNAs
-made by RNApolyIII
-decodes triple codonsAm