Post -transcriptional Regulation Flashcards
What’s the first major control point of gene expression.
Transcription at initiation, elongation, termination
What is the 2nd control point of gene expression
Post transcription process at capping, polyadenylation and splicing.
What is the 3rd control point for gene expression
Functional mRNA transported to cytosol
What is the 4th control point of gene expression
Translation at initiation, elongation and termination.
What is mRNA capping ?
It is the adding of a methylated guanine added to 5’ end, and this capping occurs simultaneously with transcription.
Explain the unique covalent bond utilised in mRNA capping.
- Three phosphates separate the Me-G from the first mRNA residue.
- 5’-5’ bond is used (not a standard 3’-5’ phosphodiester bond) Example: 3’G5’PPP5’NNNNN3’
Two enzymes required for capping
- Guanylate transferase: add G to 5’ end.
2. Guanine methyl-transferase: Add Me to N7 of G
Define polycistronic
MRNA Containing the genetic information for the synthesis of more than one protein.
Initiation of translation of prokaryotes mRNA.
- Ribosome initiate translation internally, guided by shine-dalgarno sequence.
Initiation of translation of eukaryotic mRNA.
Translation initiated by 40s ribosomal subunit binding to Me-G cap.
Are prokaryotic mRNA polycistronic or monocistronic
Typically polycistronic
Are prokaryotic mRNA polycistronic or monocistronic
Typically monocistronic that lack guide sequences.
What is the shine-dalgarno sequence.
The shine-Dalgarno sequence is a ribosomal binding site in prokaryotic messenger RNA, generally located around 8 bases upstream of the start codon AUG.
What is the function of the shine-dalgarno sequence.
The RNA sequence helps recruit the ribosome to the messenger RNA (mRNA) to initiate protein synthesis by aligning the ribosome with the start codon.
The Shine-Dalgarno sequence exists in?
Found in bacteria and archaea, It is also present in some chloroplast and mitochondrial transcripts.
What is the six-base consensus sequence of the shine-dalgarno sequence.
AGGAGG
What are the Kodak’s rules?
- In eukaryotes, translation is not initiated at the first AUG triplet.
- The AUG triplet must be set within a consensus sequence
- The scanning hypothesis state that the ribosome moves along the mRNA looking for the consensus sequence to initiate translation.
Why aren’t rRNA recognised by the translational apparatus ?
Because the rRNA do not contain the 5’-Cap
What is the function of 5’cap
The 5’ end of all mRNA are recognised by the translational apparatus to allow for the initiation of translation.
In the cytosol the 5’-cap is recognised by:
- 40S ribosomal subunit
2. Translation initiation factor eIF4E that results in recruitment of additional translation initiators.
How does Capping protects the mRNA.
Uncapped mRNA have a free 5’-phosphate group that can be used by exonuclease to degrade the mRNA
What is the role of the cap-binding complex (CBC) in the initiation of translation.
MeG-cap is recognised by cap-binding complex and the CBC is replaced by eLF4E in the cytosol to allow initiation of translation.
Me-G binds to between which two amino acids?
Two aromatic (hydrophobic) amino acids
Capping regulates elongation of a RNA transcript.
- Following initiated of transcription, a few nucleotides of thee RNA is made and the pTEF-b kinase is recruited.
- The kinase phosphorylate RNA pol 2 causing the RNA polymerase to pause.
- During this pause, the cap is added
- The kinase then again phosphorylate RNA pol 2.
- Transcription elongation continues
Why is the RNA polymerase 2 is paused then capped.
This mechanism is a checkpoint to ensure that a full mRNA transcript is not made unless it is correctly capped.
The two steps of polyadenylation.
- Cleavage of transcript
2. Addition of (A)-tail
Cleavage site flanked by:
- Upstream AAUAAA
2. Downstream: G and U rich area.
The upstream AAUAAA is recognised by which protein ?
CPSF (cleavage and polyadenylation-specificity factor)
The downstream : G and U rich area
CstF (Cleavage stimulation factor)
Which enzyme adds The polyA -tail.
PolyA-polymerase Adds As
Steps of adding a poly A tail to mRNA.
- The CPSF bind to the AAUAAAA sequence and the CstF proteins binds to the G/U sequence of the mRNA.
- THE CPSF and CstF proteins bind to each other causing the mRNA to bend, at the bend of the mRNA endonucleolytic cleavage occurs.
- This splits the mRNA into two pieces of mRNA, the piece of mRNA containing the AAUAAA has a poly-A-tail added to it by poly-A-polymeras.
- The mRNA piece containing the G/U sequence is degraded.
Roles of the polly-A tail:
- Protects mRNA from exonuclease degradation (increased stability)
- Regulate efficiency of translation.
- Function in regulation of controlled mRNA degradation
Polyadenylation is linked to:
- Transcription via phosphorylation of RNA pol 2 serine 2
2. Translation
The splicesome
- Specific structure within the nucleus
- 5 RNA molecules: 56-271 bases, rich in uridine
- Large and small subunit distinguishable.
Almost all eukaryotic intron transcribed by RNA pol 2 begin and end with what bases ?
Introns begin with GU and end with AG.
Initiation of splicing steps:
- U1 snRNP bind to 5’-splice site .
- U2 snRNP binds to branch point A in the polypyrimidine tract.
- U5 snRNP binds to upstream exon
- U6 replaces U1 in the complex
- U6 and U2 interacts bringing splice site close to the branch A-residue.
What enzyme activity splice out intron.
Endonuclease activity
What enzyme mediates release of joined exons from spliceosome.
RNA helicase (Prp22)
How does the U-RNA recognise the mRNA molecule.
- Normal complementary Watson-crick base pairing.
2. Example: U2 snRNP recognise branch point region of the mRNA.
Why does the upstream exon not float away after cleavage ?
Spliceosome component hSLu7 holds it in close proximity to the AG of the correct 3’-splice site.
Serine and arginine proteins (SR proteins)
- Associated with spliceosome (but not with the snRNA)
- Mediate the recruitment of snRNPs to the mRNA.
- Determine which splice sites will be joined.
- Bind to exon-splicing enhancer sequences ( ESEs) which ensures exon is included.
- One way in which exon-skipping/ alternative splicing is mediated.
What happens if the are mutations in ESE.
Mutations in ESE prevent SR protein binding results in exon being spliced out. This is called exon skipping.
Alternative splicing
Different combinations of exons joined
Majority of splicing via what pathway.
GU-AG pathway , exclusively nuclear.
Minority via what way.
- AU-AC pathway
- This pathway utilise different snRNPs
- Pathway may also occur in cytoplasm.
What snRNPs are used in the AU-AC splicing pathway.
U11, U12, U4atac, U5, U6atac
Phosphorylation of serine 5 of CTD.
- Initiation of transcription
- Recruitment of capping factors
- Capping stimulates serine 2 phosphorylation
Phosphorylation of serine 2 of CTD
- Stimulate transcriptional elongation
2. Recruit 3’ processing and polyadenylation factors.
Transcription initiation and elongation are coupled
- CBC interact with the spliceosome, This links capping and splicing.
- Spliceosome (U2 snRNAP) interact with the CPSF polyadenylation factor, this links splicing and polyadenylation.
Splicing can sometimes continue after capping and polyadenylation, what does this depend on ?
This depends on the rate of transcription.
Explain how the rate of transcription can cause splicing after capping and polyadenylation has taken place.
- Tightly packed chromatin structure means elongation is slow, leaving enough time for splicing to take place before polyadenylation.
- Open chromatin structure because of trimethylation means that elongation is enhanced, because of the enhanced elongation splicing may not have enough time for all introns to be removed thus splicing will continue after the RNA has been released.
Where does RNA transport occur ?
Transport occurs in nucleus regions located adjacent to nuclear pores.
RNA exporter complex ( REC)
- Two proteins comprise the REC complex
2. REC recruited via protein protein interaction with existing mRNA bound proteins, such as SR-proteins
How does phosphorylation control REC-SR protein association.
- Phosphorylate SR: involved in splicing, cannot recruit REC.
- De phosphorylation of SR occurs after splicing, allow binding of REC.
What is the function of coupling of splicing and RNA transport.
Coupling of splicing and RNA transport ensure that no intron-containing mRNAs are transported to the cytoplasm for translation.
Steps of coupling of capping, transport and translation.
- TREX proteins binds to CBC on 5’ end
- This allows for recruitment of REC
- 5’-end is the first pass into the cytoplasm
- Allow for rapid initiation of translation.
The REC complex can bind to:
- SR proteins (splicing )
- TREX (capping)
- Outer 5’-capping binding proteins
- Numerous splicing factors
- 3’ polyadenylation factors
How does ubiquitination regulate the interaction between REC complex and CPSF.
- ubiquitination of histone 2B promotes the ubiquitination of CPSF.
- This promotes binding of REC for rapid export of mRNA
- Link between chromatin structure, post-transcriptional process and transport.
What is FACT ( facilitates chromatin transcription)
A heterodimeric protein complex that affects eukaryotic RNA polymerase 2 transcription elongation.
What is the function of FACT (facilitates chromatin transcription)
It is responsible for the remodelling of nucleosomes in front of RNA polymerase and the re-establishment of nucleosomes integrity.
Purifies do human FACT binds specifically to?
mononucleosomes and the histone H2A/H2B dimer, but not to the H3/H4 tetramer.
RNA degradation can occur where ?
Nucleus and cytoplasm
When does degradation occur in the nucleus.
Incorrectly post -transcriptional processed mRNA and introns are degraded in the nucleus.