Week 8 (Transcription and RNA Processing) Flashcards
RNA features
-has uracil in place of thymine
-has a ribose sugar (it bears a hydroxyl (–OH) group on its 2’ carbon)
* tertiary structure
* may interact as functional units (quaternary
structure)
Why is RNA unstable and why use it?
The presence of the unique 2’OH group in ribose causes it to react intramolecularly with the 3’OH site resulting in phosphate bond breakage
-can form many tertiary structures allowing it to have
different conformations for different functions
-easier to control, easily degraded
What is transcription
synthesis of RNA from DNA templates
How does RNA ultimately lead to protein?
RNA is transcribed into mRNA (messenger RNA), which is translated into a protein
components for transcription
- DNAtemplate
- 4 ribonucleosidetriphosphates
(rNTPs)
* A, U, C, G
RNAn + rNTP RNAn+1 +PPi - DNAdependant RNA polymerase
RNA Polymerase Holoenzyme subunit functions
alpha -involved in the assembly of the tetrameric core (2 of these)
beta – contains the ribonucleoside
triphosphate (rNTP) binding site
beta prime- contains the DNA template binding region
ω : (omega)-helps to stabilize the tetrameric core
sigma-binds to RNA polymerase
tetrameric core and assists in the correct
initiation of transcription specifically at the
promoter region of the prokaryotic gene. Many types of sigma factors → allows for specificity
Rho-INdependent Termination
Poly A sequence is transcribed into a poly U
tail after the hairpin is transcribed.
* pauses poly
* Hairpin forms and destabilizes the DNA-RNA hybrid
* Assisted by the weak A-U base pairing
Rho-dependent Termination
Two sequence features:
1) DNA sequence of terminator site causes Polymerase to pause
2) DNA sequence upstream of terminator encodes a stretch of RNA that is C rich and devoid of secondary structure.
a) Called the rho utilization (rut) site.
b) Rho binds to rut site
* Rho moves along RNA towards paused Polymerase
* Rho factor has helicase activity
* Unwinds the RNA-DNA hybrid
* Brings transcription to an end
What are the roles of specific promotor sequences in eukaryotic transcription?
-special promoter sequences for genes transcribed by RNA poly I, II, or III
-accessory proteins recognize the specific promoters and recruit the appropriate poly to beign transcription
Transcription in Eukaryotes-Initiation
-assembly of transcription factors of Pol II (TFIID)
-TFIID complex contains TATA binding protein, assembles at TATA box followed by remaining TF’s and Pol II, causes DNA to unwind
-forms preinitaiton complex
Transcription in Eukaryotes-elongation
-poly moves along template strand leaving TF intact at promoter
-maintains rNTO transcription bubble
-hybrid bends at right angle
-positions -OH group at active site where nucelotides are added
-newly synthesized RNA separated from DNA and exits throguh cleft
Transcription in Eukaryotes-termination
-RNA Pol I:
requires a termination factor similar to rho factor in prokaryotes.
-RNA Pol II: transcription
continues past termination
sequence.
- RNA is cleaved at a
consensus sequence in the R
RNA Pol III: ends after transcribing a terminator sequence that produces a string of U’s that is downstream from a hairpin. Similar to rho-independent termination.
Cleaved RNA=2 RNAs: one
that will encode a protein and the
other with its 5’ trailing out of the
RNA polymerase.
* Rat1 (5’→ 3’ exonuclease) attaches
to 5’ end, degrades remaining RNA strand
* Transcription is stopped when
Rat1 reaches transcription
machinery
Transcription in Prokaryotes-Initiation
-sigma factor associates with core enzyme to form a holoenzyme which binds to -35 and -10 consensus sequences in promotor
-RNA poly positions over start site, and unwinds DNA to produce single-stranded template
-Initiation: RNA polymerase binds, unwinds and joins first 2 nucleotides (no primer)
Transcription in Prokaryotes-Elongation
-Elongation: when Sigma factor is released and RNA poly moves along the 3’ to 5’ DNA template strand. Nucleotides continuously added. RNA poly generates transcription bubble that moves with RNA poly
Transcription in Prokaryotes-Termination
-Termination: when RNA polymerase reaches “terminator” region of the gene.
* Occurs upstream of where the actual termination will take place.
* The newly-synthesized RNA together with the RNA polymerase are released.
* Bacterial cells possess two major types of terminators:
Rho-dependent (requires Rho factor) and Rho-
independent (aka intrinsic terminator)