Transcription Flashcards
What are promoters and where are they located?
It is a region of DNA that initiates transcription of a particular gene and are located near the transcription start sites of genes, on the same strand, and upstream on the DNA (towards 3’ region of anti-sense strand). Can be 100-1000 base pairs long.
What are sigma factors?
Subunits of RNA polymerase required for gene transcription to occur.
What is promoter melting?
The denaturization or separation of the two strands of DNA of the promoter region on binding a 3’ -> 5’ DNA helicase subunit of transcription factor Tfiih.
Why do bacteria transcribe genes and where does it occur?
Bacterial transcription is required to generate RNAs. This transcription process occurs in the cytoplasm.
What enzyme mediates transcription and what are its parts?
RNA polymerase is a multi-subunit enzyme that catalyzes the process of transcription where an RNA polymer is synthesized from a DNA template. It is composed of: B - upper clamp B' - lower clamp a - hinge _n_ - unknown o- - sequence specificity
What are components to bacterial promoters?
- 35 TTGACA which is recognized by Omega 70
- 10 TATAAT which is recognized by Omega ___
What are sigma factors and how do they work?
Sigma factors recognize promoter elements. A sigma factor is a protein needed for initiation of transcription bacteria. IT is a bacterial transcription initiation factor that enables specific biding of RNA polymerase to gene promoters.
What sigma factor signifies normal growth?
Sigma 70
What sigma factor signifies nitrogen assimilation?
Sigma 54
What sigma factor signifies stationary and oxidative/osmotic information?
Sigma 38
What sigma factor signifies a heat shock response?
Sigma 32
What sigma factor signifies flagella synthesis?
Sigma 28
What sigma factor signifies misfolded proteins in periplasm?
Sigma 24
What sigma factor signifies iron transport?
Sigma 19
What part of promoters dictates sigma factor binding?
Different sigmas have different binding sites, or promoters, that have their own key characteristics such as low nitrogen conditions, low iron conditions, low nutrient conditions, and stress responses.
What are nanoRNAs and how do they play a role in transcription initiation?
NanoRNAs are a class of small RNAs that can prime transcription initiation in bacteria. NanoRNAs are often degraded by specific nanoRNases; this degradation is harmful for the cell via an unknown mechanism.
What happens during transcription elongation?
- dNTP comes in the pore at the top of polymerase.
- Phosphoryl bond transfer, diphosphate leaves.
- RNA polymerase ratchets over one nucleotide.
Process through which nucleotides are added to the growing RNA chain. Once RNA polymerase is in position at the promoter, the next step of transcription -elongation - can begin. RNA polymerase “walks” along one strand of DNA, known as the template strand in the 3’ -> 5’ direction. For each nucleotide in the template, RNA polymerase adds a matching (complementary) RNA nucleotide to the 3’ end of the RNA strand.
What is the fidelity and the processivity of the transcription machinery in bacteria? How is it different for replication machinery?
Fidelity is the accuracy of polymerase. It is the property of an amino-acid-activating enzyme or a polymerase to correctly charge a tRNA or to correctly place a residue in a growing polypeptide or polynucleotide. It is important because it preserves the genetic identity and prevents accumulation of deleterious mutations. Processivity is how many nucleotides are incorporated as a function of time.
Replication machinery is only semi-conservative
How is transcription terminated in bacteria?
Two methods:
- Formation of hairpins that slow RNA polymerase.
- Rho factor that binds to the transcription terminator pause site. It acts at an RNA substrate, binding to nascent RNA at specific Rho-binding sites. It releases RNA and RNA polymerase from DNA.
How is transcription different in archaea?
There are no sigma factors and there is only 1 RNA polymerase because promoter architecture is different.
What kinds of post-transcriptional regulation exist in bacteria?
- Some RNA need to be processed to active form.
- RNase III processes 16S rRNA; RNase G processes 23S
- mRNAs have short half-lives
What occurs during transcription initiation?
- Sigma binds to RNA polymerase
- RNA polymerase slides along DNA to find promoter
- -10 region melted
- RNA polymerase uses dNTPs or nanoRNAs to prime
What happens during transcription termination - the rho-independent model?
- Hairpin of GC rich region directly upstream of polyA tail
- NusA binds to hairpin
- RNA polymerase pauses as hairpin folds while sitting over the poly A tail
- Weak A-T bonds of polyA tail lower the energy of destabilization of the RNA-DNA duplex and unwind the hybrid strands
- RNA polymerase falls off
What happens during transcription termination - the rho-dependent model?
- Rho binds to binding site on nascent RNA and processes along it
- RNA polymerase stalls at transcription terminator site
- Rho binds to RNA polymerase and dissociates the RNA-DNA duplex
- RNA polymerase falls off
What is a gene?
Unit of heredity, encodes RNA molecule - codes for proteins and responsible for transcription via RNA polymerase.
How does Gene Expression regulation work?
Signals in DNA sequence tell RNA polymerase where to start and stop and how much RNA to make.
How does initiation of transcription work?
Via a promoter -> tells RNA polymerase where gene is and where to start transcription.
What direction does RNA polymerase work in?
5’ to 3’ direction
What does a promoter do?
Promotes transcription
What is mRNA?
Messenger RNA, codes for proteins
What is rRNA?
Ribosomal RNA, forms the basic structure of a ribosome and catalyzes protein synthesis.
What is tRNA?
Transfer RNA. Central to protein synthesis as adaptors between mRNA and Amino Acids
What is reverse transcriptase?
From RNA to DNA
How many RNA polymerase do prokaryotes have?
1
More transcription equals?
Less proteins via transcription
Prokaryotes can have how many templates and what do they code for?
Both the DNA strands act as templates which code for different genes
In prokaryotes, the expression of genes depend on?
The promoter
What is a promoter?
Sequences that dictate transcription rate and regulates genes
Each gene is regulated by?
A specific promoter