Transcription Flashcards
Summarise transcription
Synthesis of RNA from DNA
Role of the coding (sense) strand in transcription
Storage of genetic information
Role of the non-coding (antisense, template) strand in transcription
- Compliments the coding strand
- Template for transcription
The functional unit of DNA during transcription
Transcription unit (TU)
The regions of the transcription unit
- Promoter region
- RNA coding region
Promoter region
- Responsible for regulation of transcription
- Consensus sequences:
- TATA-box
- GC-box
- CAP-cAMP binding site
TATA-box
- Prokaryotes → Called Pribnow-box
- Right in Thymine and Adenosine
- RNA polymerase binds tightly to this box
GC-box
- Right in Guanine and Cytosine
- RNA polymerase binds loosely to this box
CAP-cAMP binding site
- Only found in prokaryotes
- Binding of CAP-cAMP complex
- (Required for transcription)
Location of the transcription start site
Between promotor and RNA coding region
‘Upstream’ direction
From the start site → Promoter region
‘Downstream’ direction
From start site → RNA coding region
Untranslated region
DNA sequence which is transcribed but doesn’t code for an amino acid
The composition of 1 transcription unit in prokaryotes
- Several genes
- TU is polycistronic
The composition of 1 transcription unit in eukaryotes
- One gene
- TU is monocistronic
Introns and exons are found in…
Eukaryotes
Intron
- Found in pre-mRNA only
- Cut out of the sequence
Exons are found only in…
Mature mRNA
At what point does transcription finish
At the termination signal
Genetic information is transferred from DNA to protein synthesis via…
mRNA
3 phases of mRNA transcription in eukaryote and prokaryotes
- Initiation
- Elongation
- Termination
Initiation of transcription of prokaryotes
- RNA polymerase → Transcription of RNA
- Binding of CAP-cAMP complex
RNA polymerase holoenzyme composition
- RNA polymerase
- Sigma (σ) factor
RNA polymerase holoenzyme binds tightly to…
TATA-box of the promotor region
RNA polymerase enzyme binds loosely to…
GC-box of the promotor region
Elongation of transcription of prokaryotes
- RNA polymerase builds nucleotides into mRNA chain
- (mRNA is synthesised)
RNA polymerase use…to build the mRNA chain
- Nucleoside triphosphates
- Converted to nucleoside monophosphates
- (e.g ATP → AMP)
Termination of transcription of prokaryotes
- Starts at the termination signal
- Rho-factor independent termination
- Rho-factor dependent termination
Rho-factor independent termination
- Guanine and Cytosine bases on mRNA termination signal
- H-bonds form between Guanine and Cytosine bases
- Destabilise DNA-RNA complex
- Dissociation
Rho-factor dependent termination
- Guanine and Cytosine rich regions slow mRNA synthesis
- Rho-factor allows RNA-polymerase enzyme activity
- Catalyses dissociation
Termination involves dissociation of…
- DNA chain
- mRNA polymerase
- RNA polymerase
Structure of prokaryote mRNA
- Polycistronic (Several genes)
- Triplets of mRNA: Codons
- Shine-Dalgarno-sequences
- Untranslated regions (UTR)
Site of ribosome binding on mRNA
Shine-Dalgarno-sequence
Which model regulates prokaryote transcription
Operon model
Operator region
The binding site for repressor protein inhibition of transcription
(Found on the DNA sequence)
Two requirements for prokaryotic transcription
- No repressor bound to the operator region
- CAP-cAMP complex must be bound to its binding site
CAP
Catabolite Activator Protein