Transcription I, II, III Flashcards
DNA strands
- Nontemplate = coding = positive 5’ → 3’
*RNA transcript matches coding strand
- Template = non-coding = negative 3’ → 5’
Prokaryotic Polymerase
&
Eukaryotic Polymerase II
subunits
- Core enzymes: ßß’ω
- 2α subunits
- σ subunit is variable. Brings polymerase to promoter and dissociates when txn starts
* MW dependent; σ70
Other Eukaryotic RNA polymerases
- Pol I: synthesizes the transcript that is the precursor for rRNAs 18S, 5.8S, 28S
* rRNA processing involves methylation - Pol III: synthesizes tRNAs and the 5S rRNA
Steps of prokaryotic transcription (4)
- Binding: RNA Pol holoenzyme-thru σ subunit binds to -35 promoter region → forms closed complex
- Initiation: Pol migrates to -10 promoter region → “melting” ds → open complex → 90o angle →txn starts w/ a purine→ σ subunit leaves
- Elongation: RNA-DNA hybrid forms as dNTP is added to 3’OH in active site releasing PPi
* Txn bubble: positive supercoils ahead and negative supercoils behind relieved by topoisomerase - Termination: complementary sequences
- ρ-dependent: hairpin structure forms and pol pauses. ρ protein causes dissociation
- ρ-independent: hairpin structure followed by stretch of Us. Hairpin destroys hybrid b/c A-U binding is unstable
Negative regulation
Bound repressor inhibits txn
- Associates to operator region in promoter
1. Binding of molcular signal causes repressor dissociation from DNA → allows txn
2. Binding of molecular signal causes binding of repressor on DNA → inhibit txn
Positive regulation
Bound activator facilitates txn
- Associates to operator
1. Binding of molecular signal causes activator dissociation from DNA → inhibit txn
2. Binding of molecular signal causes activator binding to DNA → allow txn
LAC OPERON
in
high glucose, low lactose levels
TURNED OFF
- Gene I encodes for the lac repressor under the control of the PI promoter
- Lac repressor binds to operator sites O1 and O2
- Causes dimerization → DNA loops
- Prevents txn of genes Z Y A
LAC OPERON
high lactose, low glucose
TURNED ON
- Low glucose → increase in cAMP
cAMP binds to CRP in CRP site upstream of promoter
- lactose → Allalactose binds to repressor to cause dissociation from promoter
Pol is recruited to promoter to stabilize interaction *consensus sequence is not ideal, requires help
- TXN of Z: ß-galactosidase / Y: ß-galactoside permease / Z: ß-galactosid transacetylase
ARA OPERON
high glucose, low arabinose
TURNED OFF
- AraC synthesized by auto regulation
- AraC binds to AraI and AraO2
- Causes AraC dimerization: forms loop
ARA OPERON
L-Arabinose present
TURNED ON
- Upon arabinose binding to AraC–> AraC dimer dissociates (conformational change) → activator
- Low glucose → increase cAMP → binds to CRP → brings RNA pol to bind to promoter Pc
- TXN: BAD genes → metabolize arabinose
TRP OPERON
high levels of Tryptophan-tRNA
ATTENUATED
- Ribosome quickly translates mRNA sequence before RNA polymerase transcribes sequence 3 (covers sequence 2)
- 3:4 complementary pair → termination signal due to hairpin & string of Us
- RNA polymerase dissociates and stops txn
TRP OPERON
Free tryptophan levels
HIGH TRP: TURNED OFF
- Trp binds to repressor
- Trp-Repressor complex binds to operator
LOW TRP: TURNED ON
- Repressor dissociated from operator
TRP OPERON
Low levels of Tryptophan-tRNA
TURNED ON
- Ribosome pauses at TRP codons in sequence 1
- RNA pol continues transcription → 2:3 complementary → txn continues
- Genes for Trp synthesis: E, D, C, B, A
Promoter elements for RNA polymerase
(general)
- 10 region & -35 region
1. Greater consenus → better RNA pol binding → higher transcriptional activity - Method in which houskeeping or constituitive genes maintain level of gene expression
2. Induction of activity due to stimuli - under different stress conditions, different σ factors will be expressed to activate different operons
- heat shock protein
Eukaryotic promoter elements
- Locations: far upstream, within introns, within exons, 3’ end of coding region
- “cis” regions are conserved regions = binding sites for transcription factors (trans factors) are often in **distal enhancer or repressor regions **
- time & stimuli dependent
- enhancers are position & orientation independent
- Proximal promoter: TATA box (-30) - TBP binds (TFIID) CAT box (-70 to -90) - contains GC box - Sp1 binds
*Genes that lack TATA and CAT are often rich in GC → multiple binding sites for Sp1; multiple start sites (common in housekeeping genes → alwasy on)
Pre-initiation complex
@ TATA box
- TFIID recognizes TATA box via TBP
- TFIIB binds to TBP & recognized by TFIIF
- TFIIA stabilizes binding
- TFIIF & RNA polymerase II TFIIF dissociates after 1st base added
- TFIIE recruits TFIIH & ATPase & helicase activities
- TFIIH- phosphorylate Pol II, proofreadng fxn by recruiting NER proteins, helicase activity
- TFIIJ
Repressor mechanisms (5)
Transcription factors of negative regulation
- Competition: interacts at same or overlapping site
- Activator sequestering: direct interaction with activator
- Activator masking: indirect - interact with DNA
- Silencing: chromatin condensation via methylation
- Locking: interact with initiation complex
Activator mechanisms (6)
- Protein synthsis: when needed
- Ligand binding: GR, ER, AR, PR
- Phosphorylation: AP2 txn factors (GF signaling pthway)
- Addition of 2nd subunit
- Unmaking: inhibitor leaves - retinoblastoma binds E2F
- Stimulation of nuclear entry - degradation of inhibitory protein - IF kappa B and NF kappa B
*Can directly disassemble nucleosomes and facilitate assembly of preinitiation complex and txn factors
Transcription factors structural properties
- Helix-turn-helix motif common in bacteria
- Zinc finger common in eukaryotic
* Steroid hormone - Nuclear receptors - Leucine zipper: bind as dimer
- amphipathic α helix with Leu residues every 7 AA forming a straight line on hydrophobic side; helices wrap: coiled coil
- Lys and Arg rich in DNA binding region
- Basic helix-loop-helix in eukaryotic
- short amphipathic α helices; basic AA
- txn factor MAX and NIC
- Structural domains important for protein-protein interactions with RNA pol: glutamine rich domains, proline rich domains, acidic activation domains
* GAL4 stabilizes TFIID and TFIIB in yeast
Inhibitors of transcription (4)
- actinomycin D: intercalates in DNA btwn CG bases and blocks RNA pol; inhibits elongation (*antibiotic)
- Rimfampicin: binds to ß subunit of prokaryotic pol
- α-amanitin (mushrooms): blocks eukaryotic pol II
- acridine: intercalates DNA
Chromatin regulation of eukaryotic txn (4)
- ACTIVE-beads on a string: increased sensitivity to nucleases & hypersensitive sites in promoter regions
- Locus control regions (LCR) contains hypersensitive sites, binds multiple regulatory proteins, and is involved in generating active chromatin structure
* Mutations abolish all txn from entire domain - Nucleosome remodelings: HATS and HDACS
* SWI/SNF hydrolyze ATP and move nucleosomes to allow txn - Methylation of promoter CpG regions
RNA processing: Capping
(6 steps)
- . Occurs during txn
- . Addition of: 7-methyl-guanosine residue
- . Linked by: 5’-5’ triphosphate bond
1. TFIIH phosphorylates C terminal end of RNA pol → binding site for Cap-synthesizing complex
2. phosphoydydrolase removes γ phopshate
3. GTP and guanyly transferase add GMP & release PPi
4. adoMet and guanine-7-methyltransferase
5. adoMet and 2’-O-methyltransferase (only in vertebrates) - in basic conditions, OH can cause 2’OH on sugar to act as nucleophiles and attack phosphodiester backbone
- +water → 2’ or 3’ nucleotide
- after Cap synthesizing complex leaves, CBC binds to pol II to keep 5’ anchored to polymerase

Capping & poly A tail purposes
- Allows mRNA exit from nucleus
- Aids in efficient transcription
- Maintains half-life
- Protection from exonucleases
RNA processing: Splicing
Self-splicing method 1
Occurs in protazoans, yeast, fungi
Intron region bounded by 5’-UA and 3’-GU
- 3’OH of guanosine (GTP, GDP, GMP) acts as a nucleophile, attacking 5’ phosphate of A
- Exposed 3’OH of U acts as nucleophile, attacking 5’ phosphate of U → recreate phosphodiester bond
*Intron: pGpA ——- pG-OH

RNA processing: Splicing
Self-splicing method 2
*intron: G —-pCpApA——
- 2’OH of Adenosine acts as a nucleophile, attacking 5’ phosphate on G
- Lariat structure: 2’-5’-phosphodiester bond tethered to 3’ end
- 3’OH of exposed U acts as a nucleophile, attacking 5’ phosphate on U → recreates phosphodiester bond

RNA processing: Splicing
Eukaryotic splicing (method 3)
4 steps
snRNP (small nuclear ribonucleoproteins) - made of snRNA and proteins
Intron: 5’ GU ——–A—AG 3’
- U1 → U2 *ATP → U4/U6 + U5 *ATP → inactive spliceosome
- U1 and U4 dissociate * ATP → active spliceosome
- donor jxn broken & 2’OH of A binds 5’ phosphate on G → lariat structure
* Binding of U2 - bp causes A to bulge out - acceptor jxn broken & exons ligated together
intron released with snRNPs
*spliceosome binding site created at phosphorylated regions on CTD polymerase; occurs while RNA is transcribed
ß thalosemia
- Normally, α and ß globin proteins are synthesized 1:1
- Mutation in branch point causes U2 to sometimes recognize ß globin
- ß globin synthesized at a slower rate than α
RNA processing: Polyadenylation
(4)
- Termination: after AAUAAA sequence is recognized by enzyme complex, pol II continues txn for only about 30-40 nucleotides longer
- Endonuclease in enzyme complex cleaves sequence
- polyadenylate polymerase uses ATP to add ~200 A nucleotides
- Poly A binding protein associates to tail and mRNA tail wraps around
* Protects from exonucleases
RNA processing variation
- Mutations can lead to different splicing patterns (ß-thalosemia)
- PolyA sites recognized by enzyme complex can be dependent on cell type
- Alternate splicing; various splice sites
* one primary transcript can make calcitonin in thyroid and CGRP in brain
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
- Initial hyperplasia: virus not yet integrated into genome
* mRNA has a short half-life - Tumors: virus integrated into genome
* increases txn; longer half-life
tRNA processing
- Removal of 5’ and 3’ ends of mRNA by RNase P and RNase D
- tRNA nucleotidyl transferase adds CCA to 3’ end
- base modification
- splicing of internal portion
tRNA structure
cloverleaf → t and D arm interact → folds to L shape
