lecture 16 - transcription & gene expression Flashcards
What does the central dogma of molecular biology state?
Information ‘flows’ from DNA to RNA to a protein, in process called gene expression.
What is gene expression?
A process in which info from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product (protein or non-coding RNA).
How many protein coding genes are there?
~20,000
What is a gene, in terms of DNA sequence?
A defined region/sequence of DNA that produces a type of RNA molecule that has a particular function.
What are the functions of genes?
Regulate RNA synthesis, produce RNA, process RNA
What is transcription?
DNA-dependent RNA synthesis that forms RNA based on the base sequence of the DNA.
What catalyses transcription?
Enzyme - RNA polymerase
What does RNA polymerase synthesise?
mRNA (messenger RNA)
How does RNA polymerase form mRNA?
By catalysing the formation of phsophodiester bonds between ribonucleotides.
What are the two complementary strands of DNA, in terms of transcription?
Coding and template strands
What strand is used as the template for mRNA synthesis?
the template strand
What is the direction (in terms of 3’ and 5’ groups) of the coding strand of DNA?
5’ to 3’
What is the direction (in terms of 3’ and 5’ groups) of the template strand of DNA?
3’ to 5’
What are the 3 stages of transcription?
Initiation, elongation, termination.
In transcription, what is initiation regulated by?
Specific DNA sequences, that code for the beginning of a gene.