Review 3 Flashcards
What is a gene?
A sequence of DNA the codes for a functional product such as a protein.
What is the central Dogma of Biology?
DNA to RNA to protein to function.
What is the process that is used to go from DNA to RNA?
Transcription.
What is the process to go from RNA to proteins?
Translation.
Name 3 types of RNA?
- Messenger RNA (mRNA)
- Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)
- Transfer RNA (tRNA)
- Small nuclear RNA (snRNA)
- Signal recognition particle RNA (SRP RNA)
- Small RNAs (miRNA and siRNA)
What is required for Transcription?
- Transcription unit within the template DNA (including a promoter, start site, and termination site)
- RNA polymerase creates RNA
- RNA nucleotides, which are the building blocks of RNA
Describe the function of the promoter.
Region just upstream of the start site, used to recruit the RNA polymerase.
What happens in the initiation stage of Transcription?
- The holoenzyme binds the promoter at the -10 and -35 positions
- The Sigma factor loads the RNA polymerase onto the DNA
- The RNA polymerase uses its helicase activity and unwinds the DNA at the start site
- The sigma factor leaves the complex
What happens in the elongation stage of transcription?
The RNA polymerase progresses with the transcription bubble in a 5’ to 3’ direction and adds a RNA base to the growing RNA molecule based on the base pair rules and which base is next in the DNA. (C with G and T with U)
What causes termination of transcription?
A hairpin.
What are the 3 different types of Eukaryotic RNA polymerases and what type of RNA do they make?
- RNA polymerase I - transcribes RNA
- RNA polymerase II - transcribes mRNA
- RNA polymerase III - transcribes tRNA
What is the difference between Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic Transcription?
- The initiation stage in Eukaryotic transcription is more complex with more general transcription factors forming an initiation complex
- In prokaryotes transcription happens in the cytoplasm and can happen at the same time as translation
- In prokaryotes a single mRNA may have several genes on it
What are the 3 types of mRNA modifications?
- Addition of a 5’ cap, which protects from degradation and is involved in translation initiation
- Addition of a 3’ poly-A tail, which are created by poly-A polymerase and protects from degradation
- Removal of introns
What are introns and exons?
- Introns - non-coding sequences will not be translated
- Exons - coding sequences that will be translated into proteins
Describe splicing.
Small ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs) recognize the intron-exon boundaries, snRNPs cluster with other proteins to form spliceosome.
- The snRNPs bind to the end of the 1st exon and the branch point in the intron
- The intron at the boundary of the exon is cut and then attached to the branch point
- The 2nd exon is removed from the intron and attached to the 1st exon and the intron is now a lariat structure that will float away and recycled