Molecular Biology & Genetics 4- Transcription & Translation Flashcards
What does the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology show?
How information flows in the cell
What is the flow of information in the original model of the central dogma of molecular biology?
DNA (information) >transcription> RNA (messenger) >translation> Protein (worker)
What is the flow of information in the more recent and complex model of the central dogma of molecular biology?
DNA (information) +replication >transcription and reverse transcription> RNA (messenger) + replication >translation> Protein (worker)
What is gene expression?
The process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product
What are functional gene products?
Proteins and non-coding RNA
What is non-coding RNA?
An RNA molecule which won’t give rise to a protein, it instead has some other function
What is a gene?
A defined region (sequence) of DNA that produces a type of RNA molecule that has some function
What are the 3 possible functions of gene sequences?
Responsible for the regulation of synthesis of RNA, producing RNA and being responsible for the further processing of RNA
What is transcription?
DNA-dependent RNA synthesis where a double stranded DNA molecule is used as instructions to make a single stranded RNA molecule
What catalyses transcription?
RNA Polymerase
What does RNA Polymerase do?
Synthesises mRNA by catalysing the formation of phosphodiester bonds between ribonucleotides. It also selects the correct nucleotides to incorporate into mRNA based on the sequence of DNA which is being transcribed
What are the two DNA strands called in relation to transcription?
Coding strand (5’>3’) and template/non-coding strand (3’>5’)
What is the coding strand?
It contains the information which the cell needs
What is the non-coding strand?
The DNA strand which is complementary to the coding strand and contains information which isn’t needed by the cell
What strand of DNA is used as the template?
The non-coding strand
Why is the non-coding strand used as the template?
So that the RNA strand produced (RNA transcript) is complementary and contains the information found on the coding strand
What are the three steps of transcription?
Initiation, Elongation and Termination
In basic terms what is initiation?
The starting of transcription
In basic terms what is elongation?
The addition of nucleotides
In basic terms what is termination?
When transcription stops
What is found before the coding region of a gene?
The promotor region
What is within the promoter region?
An AT rich region called the TATA box
What do transcription factors do?
Binds to the TATA box and other regions of the promoter region
What happens once the transcription factors are bound?
The RNA Polymerase II binds to the area so that together RNA Polymerase II and the transcription factors can form the transcriptional initiation complex
What happens after the transcriptional initiation complex is formed?
The two DNA strands separate (10-20 nucleotides at a time) and RNA Polymerase II starts mRNA synthesis without the need of a primer - the RNA transcription has a 3’ OH group
What happens during elongation?
RNA Polymerase II uses the template strand, which runs in the 3’ > 5’ direction, as a template and inserts complementary RNA nucleotides in the 5’ > 3’ direction
What is the coding sequence in eukaryotic genes?
Portion of a genes DNA that is translated into a protein
What is the promoter in eukaryotic genes?
A DNA segment recognised by RNA polymerase to initiate transcription
What are UTR’s?
Untranslated regions of a eukaryotic gene which are transcribed but not translated
What do UTR’s contain?
Regulatory elements (sequences) that influence on gene expression at the transcriptional/translational level
What does the 5’ UTR do?
Facilitate the addition of the 5’ G cap (G=guanine)
What does the 3’ UTR do?
Facilitate the addition go the 3’ Poly-A tail
What is the function of the 5’ G cap?
Preventing mRNA degradation, promoting intron excision and providing a binding site for small ribosomal subunits
What is the Poly-A tail?
A long stretch of Adenine nucleotides
What is the function the Poly-A tail?
Preventing RNA degradation and facilitating the export of the mRNA from the nucleus into the cytoplasm through nuclear pores
What is the sequence of a gene in DNA?
Promoter which contains a TATA box, 5’ UTR, Coding sequence, 3’ UTR
What is the sequence of a gene in mRNA?
5’ G cap, 5’ UTR, coding sequence, 3’ UTR, Poly-A tail
What is the sequence of a gene in a protein?
Coding sequence only
The coding sequence in eukaryotes isn’t continuous, …
it is broken into regions with introns between
What are introns?
Non-coding begins which will be transcribed to form pre-mRNA (precursor mRNA) before being removed to form mRNA (mature RNA)
How are introns removed?
By splicing
In mRNA the coding region is…
continuous and therefore a protein can now be made