protein structure, transcription, and translation Flashcards
protein structure
made up of amino acids, linked by peptide bonds
different levels of protein structure
what is the general structure of amino acids?
central carbon atom, amino group, carboxyl group, variable R group (side chain that determines the properties of the amino acid)
proteins function
- catalyzing biochemical reactions
- providing structural support
- facilitating movement within cells
- movement, such as muscle contraction and cellular mobility
- antibodies in the immune system
- signaling molecules. facilitating communication between cells
what are the levels of protein structure
primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary
what is primary structure
the sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain, determined by genetic information encoded in DNA
what is secondary structure
local folding of the polypeptide chain into structures such as a-helices and b-pleated sheets, stabilized by h-bonds
what is tertiary structure
the overall 3d shape of a protein, resulting from interaction among r-groups, including hydrophobic interactions, ionic bonds, and disulfide bridges
what is quaternary structure
the assembly of multiple polypeptide chains into a single functional protein, with interactions between the chains
what is denaturation of proteins
the process where proteins lose their native structure due to external stressors (heat or pH changes) which can make them nonfunctional
structure of nucleic acids
they’re polymers made up of nucleotide monomers,
what do nucleotide monomers consist of
phophate group, pentose sugar, and nitrogenous base
what kind of sugar does DNA contain
deoxyribose
what kind of sugar does rna contain
ribose
what are the nitrogenous bases
a, t, c, g, u
what are the purine nitrogenous bases
adenine and guanine
what are the pyrimidine nitrogenous bases
cytosine, thymine, and uracil
what links nucleotides?
phosphodiester bonds, which from the backbone of the nucleic acid strand
functions of nucleic acids
- storage and expression of genetic information
- dna is the genetic blueprint, rna plays a part in translating that information into proteins
- rna can leave the nucleus, dna stays in the nucleus
what is transcription?
- the first step in gene expression, where dna sequence is transcribed into an RNA molecule
- the process consists of 3 main stages: initiation, elongation, and termination
- rna polymerase 2 is the enzyme responsible for synthesizing rna and dna template
steps of transcription and their descriptions
initiation - rna polymerase 2 binds to the promoter region of the gene, aided by activator proteins and transcription factors
elongation - rna polymerase 2 reads the template strand of DNA and synthesizes a complementary RNA strand in the 5’ to 3’ directions
termination - the transcription process ends when RNA polymerase 2 reaches a terminator sequence, releasing the newly formed RNA transcript
what is the importance of post-transcriptional mRNA processing?
-eukaryotic mRNA undergoes post-transcriptional modifications, including the addition of a 5’ cap and a poly-A-tail, which protect the mRNA from degradation
- pre-mRNA splicing removes introns (non-coding regions) and joins exons (coding regions) to produce a mature mRNA transcript ready for translation
overview of translation and ribosome structure - tRNA and Amino acids
- tRNA molecules are responsible for bringing specific amino acids to the ribosome based on their anticodon sequences, which are complimentary to the mRNA codons
- each tRNA molecule has a unique anticodon that pairs with a corresponding codon on the mRNA strand, ensuring the correct amino acid is added to the growing polypeptide chain
- the process of translation occurs in three main sites of the ribosome: A, P, and E