The Central Dogma (11-21) Flashcards
What are the base pairing rules for RNA synthesis?
C - G
A - U
How can cytosine produce uracil?
Cytosine can undergo spontaneous deamination to produce uracil
Why is the spontaneous deamination of cytosine an issue?
It can introduce mutations - DNA replication after deamination could replace a C-G base pair with U-A base pair (as C has become U)
Why is uracil not found in DNA?
In DNA any uracil is removed by uracil-DNA-glycosylase generating an abasic site, which is removed and repaired by DNA polymerases.
What are the 3 major classes of bacterial RNA?
- messenger RNA
- ribosomal RNA
- transfer RNA
What is the function of the 5’ promoter in bacterial transcription?
To attract and bind the RNA polymerase
Why does bacterial transcription and translation occur simultaneously?
Bacteria don’t have nuclei
What is the bacterial core RNA polymerase composed of?
α, β, β’ and ω subunits
What is the function of the sigma factor?
To bind to the core polymerase and direct it to a promoter - the addition of a sigma subunit converts it to a holoenzyme (complete functional enzyme)
E.coli has multiple sigma subunits which recognise different promoters - provide specificity
During bacterial transcription initiation why does the polymerase pull downstream DNA towards itself?
To scrunch the DNA until by chance the -10 region is open converting the closed promoter complex into an open promoter complex. Unlike the action of DNA helices it doesn’t require energy.
How does scrunching DNA during bacterial transcription affect the coiling of DNA?
downstream DNA becomes loser - negative supercoiling
upstream DNA becomes tighter - positive supercoiling
Does RNA polymerase require a primer?
No
When does the sigma factor disengage?
After 10 nucleotides of RNA synthesis - sigma factor is exposed and disengages ready for elongation
During bacterial elongation what are the characteristics of RNA polymerase?
highly processive
low fidelity - many errors
What happens if RNA polymerase mis-incorporates a ribonucleotide?
It hesitates, back-tracks, removes the nucleotide and then continues
Why is a high error rate of bacterial transcription tolerated?
If the transcript encodes a protein then most of the protein will be fine but a small subpopulation might be mutant - can probably be tolerated
What is Rho (p)-independent termination?
a terminator sequence in RNA recognised - as the RNA is being formed secondary structures start building (e.g. G-C base pairing forms a hairpin loop) here RNA pauses and dissociates due to weak base pairs
What is p-dependent termination?
requires p protein to break the RNA:DNA duplex in the transcription bubble - p protein is a hexameric helicase that binds C-rich G-poor sequence in the RNA and uses helicase activity to chase RNA pol, catches and disrupts the DNA:RNA hybrid releasing the RNA.
What is refampicin?
an inhibitor of prokaryotic transcription
inhibits RNA pol by binding tightly to the RNA exit channel - affecting initiation, preventing translation
Why doesn’t RNA polymerase require energy to open the helix?
When RNA pol binds to DNA it bends the DNA duplex so it can be opened more easily.
How are eukaryotic transcripts processed before being transported to the cytosol?
The primary transcript is:
1. capped at the 5’ end
2. spliced to remove introns
3. polyadenylated at the 3’end
How many RNA polymerases are there in eukaryotes?
3 - RNA polymerase I, II, III
RNA polymerases are complex compared to bacterial, what does this suggest about their mechanism of transcription?
The RNA polymerases differ greatly so have a different mechanism transcription.
What are general transcription factors in eukaryotic transcription?
Additional proteins required by eukaryotic RNA pols for initiation.
What are promoters in eukaryotic transcription?
A region of DNA upstream from a gene where relevant proteins bind to initiate transcription.
What are TATA box promoters?
Have an upstream sequence TATAAAA between -30 and -100 from the transcriptional start.
What are the shared homology of archaeal - eukaryotic transcription components?
Overall a similar process:
1. archaea have one RNA pol similar to eukaryotic pols
2. both have internal membranes
3. both have TATA box promoters
4. both transcribe tRNAs as individuals RNAs
suggests phylogenic relationship
What is the function of the TFIID complex in eukaryotic initiation?
TFIID guides RNA Pol II to its promoters
its large, has 11 TAF (TBP associated factors) and the TATA-box binding protein (TBP)
What does the TBP subunit of TFIID do?
Binds to the TATA box - causes DNA to bend and minor groove to widen
What does bound TBP do?
Recruits other transcription factors:
TFIIA binds TBP
TFIIB binds TBP
TFIIB recruits TFIIF, RNA Pol II, TFIIE and TFIIH - assemble around the promoter forming the basal transcription apparatus
What is the function of TFIIH in eukaryotic transcription?
- is a helicase - uses energy from ATP hydrolysis to locally unwind the DNA double helix
- is a kinase - phosphorylates the c’-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA Pol II, -ve charge changes its shape, releasing from TFs to start elongation
What happens during elongation in eukaryotic transcription?
- TFIIB, E and H dissociate from basal transcription apparatus
- RNA is synthesised
- RNA Pol II progresses, freeing the promoter and TFIIDA complex for further recruitment
What is α-amantin?
A potent inhibitor of RNA Pol II - binds tightly to the active site constraining the flexibility required to translocate DNA reducing rate of RNA production
What are enhancers?
Regulatory DNA sequences that increase the transcription levels of genes - promote high level expression
work over long distances
active in a tissue-specific manner
What is the DNA looping model?
Proteins bound to a distance enhancer interact with components of the transcription initiation complex, thus looping out the intervening DNA
How do enhancers react with RNA Pol II?
Mediator proteins act as a bridge between activator proteins that bind the enhancer control elements and the non-phosphorylated CTD of RNA Pol II (initiator state).
What provides the means of turning genes ‘on’ or ‘off’?
Enhancer/silencer elements
How do enhancers allow for cell-specific control of gene expression?
Activator proteins are required to bind enhancer control elements, transcription can only be enhanced if the appropriate activators are present .
How is eukaryotic transcription regulated by histones?
Histone acetylation
Acetylation of pertruding histone tails on nucleosomes neutralises the +ve charge on lysine - loosening its reaction with -ve DNA causing the nucleosome to unwind slightly. Loose chromatin structure permits transcription.
How are RNA Pol II transcripts modified?
- 5’ end is capped by a nucleotide triphosphate + methylation
- 3’ end is trimmed and a poly-A tail is added
- introns are removed by splicing
How is the 5’ cap added during RNA processing?
The 5’ mRNA triphosphate is modified:
one phosphate group removed, diphosphate left attacks the α-phosphate of GTP forming an unusual 5’-5’ triphosphate linkage
The N-7 of the terminal guanine is methylated to form cap 0, further methylations produce caps 1 and 2.
What is the function of the 5’ cap?
The 5’ cap looks like the 3’ end of RNA - resistant to 5’ exonucleases
Prolong half life of mRNAs
Enhance translation
How is the poly-A tail added during RNA processing?
The 3’ end of the primary transcript is cleaved by a specific exonuclease downstream of the motif AAUAAA
150-250 adenylate residues derived from ATP are added by polyA polymerase
Why is the poly-A tail important?
For the stability of mRNA - the tail is shortened overtime and when its short enough the mRNA is enzymatically degraded
What are the main differences between bacterial and eukaryotic transcription/translation?
Bacterial - mRNA molecules are translated while being transcribed and are generally not modified
Eukaryotic - mRNA precursors are processed and spliced in the nucleus then transported t the cytosol for translation
What are exons?
Nucleotide sequences that remain present in mature DNA
Covalently bonded during RNA splicing
Most less than ~1000 nucleotides long, many are ~100-200 long
What are introns?
Nucleotide sequences that are removed by RNA splicing
Possession is variable: histones have no introns (assume everything else does)
More DNA is devoted to introns than exons
What is R-loop analysis?
A laboratory technique used to analyse gene organisation - distinguish introns from exons
RNA-DNA hybridisation monitored by electron microscopy
Loops show displaced DNA
What are the 4 classes of introns?
- Group I: self-splicing, found in organelles (mitochondria, chloroplasts
- Group II: self-splicing, found in fungi/plants organelles
- Spliceosome-dependent
- Nuclear tRNA