Translation (I) Flashcards
What are the three stages of translation?
Initiation, elongation, and termination
What direction do ribosomes read mRNA in?
5’ to 3’
What direction does protein synthesis occur relative to the protein?
N-term to C-term
Where does translation begin?
With the AUG start codon
~10 nt downstream from a shine dalgarno sequence
What are polysomes?
-Ribosomes that are arranged on mRNAs like beads on a string to form assemblies (called polysomes)
-Active translation occurs on polysomes
How are ribosomes organized on mRNA?
Adjacent ribosomes are densely packed, with peptide exit channel facing the cytosol and staggered
After a ribosome clears the initiation site on an mRNA, what happens?
Another ribosome initiates at that site
What are the three sites of a ribosome?
aminoacyl (A), peptidyl (P), and exit (E)
How does the nascent peptide grow in a ribosome?
The nascent peptide grows by being transferred from the peptidyl-tRNA to the incoming aminoacyl-tRNA to form a peptidyl-tRNA with one more amino acids
Basic idea of polymerization in a ribosome
-In the P site is the growing chain of amino acids attached to a tRNA
-There is a new amino acid in the A site that has only one amino acid
-The N-terminal part of the amino acid in the A site attacks the c-terminal of the newest amino acid in the P site, which causes a peptide bond to form, the tRNA in the A site to be without any amino acids, and the peptide chain to be added to the top of the amino acid in the A-site
-After the formation of a peptide bond, the uncharged/deacylated tRNA in the P site moves to the E site to be released
-The outgoing tRNA is replaced by the newly formed peptidyl-tRNA from site A, effectively moving from the A site to the P site, permitting another round of peptide bond formation
What are the 5 stages of protein synthesis
-Activation of amino acids
-Initiation
-Elongation
-Termination
-Protein folding
What start codon is required for initiation in prokaryotes?
-AUG
-Typically codes for methionine (Met)
-The initial methionine is formylated (fMET)
What tRNAs (concerning Met) are used in translated?
-tRNA that recognizes the initial AUG: tRNA^fMet
-tRNA for internal Met: tRNA^Met
Formation of tRNA fMet and Met
-tRNA^fMet is aminoacylated by the same MetRS that charges tRNA^Met
-Both are charged with Met
-Met-tRNA^fMet is N-formylated after charging
What happens to fMet part way through translation?
-A deformylase hydrolytically deformylates the fMet residue
-This means that the N-terminus is removed from fMet
-In many proteins, the entire initiator Met is removed
-Mature E. coli proteins all lack fMet
How is the start site selected in prokaryotes (as mRNAs contain many AUGs?
-Non-start AUGs are often masked by mRNA secondary structure
-Interactions between mRNA and 16s rRNA (dominant mechanism) (includes Shine-Dalgarno sequence)
How does the Shine-Dalgarno sequence work?
-Ribosome binding site (a.k.a. Shine-Dalgarno sequence) on mRNA is centered ~10 nt upstream of start codon; consensus: AGGAGG
-Sine-Dalgarno sequence is complementary to the 16S rRNA
-Base pairing occurs between Shine-Dalgarno sequence and anti-Shine Dalgarno sequence in 16S rRNA permits ribosome to select proper AUG
Are sequence or distance important to Shine-Dalgarno sequence in prokaryotes?
Both sequence and distance from AUG are important