From Gene

to Protein

How Genes
Work
 a
From gene to protein a a
a
nucleus cytoplasm a
a
a
a
a
a
a
transcription translation a a

DNA mRNA protein

a
a
a

a
a a
a a
a
ribosome

trait
Translation
from
nucleic acid language
to
amino acid language
How does mRNA code for proteins?
DNA
TACGCACATTTACGTAC
4 ATCG GCGG

mRNA
AUGCGUGUAAAUGCAUG
4 AUCG CGCC
?
protein Met Arg Val Asn Ala Cys Ala
20
How can you code for 20 amino acids
with only 4 nucleotide bases (A,U,G,C)?
mRNA codes for proteins in triplets

DNA
TACGCACATTTACGTAC
GCGG
codon

mRNA
AUGCGUGUAAAUGCAUG
CGCC
?
protein Met Arg Val Asn Ala Cys Ala
The code
 Code for ALL life!
 strongest support for a
common origin for all
life
 Code is redundant
 several codons for
each amino acid

 Start codon
 AUG
 methionine
 Stop codons
 UGA, UAA, UAG
How are the codons matched to amino acids?

DNA
3′TACGCACATTTACGTAC 5′
GCGG
5′AUGCGUGUAAAUGCAUG 3′
mRNA
CGCC codon
3′ 5′
UAC
GCA
tRNA CAU anti-codon
amino Met
acid Arg An anticodon is a 3-base sequence on tRNA

Val that has to match the codon on mRNA

Transfer RNA structure
 “Clover leaf” structure
 anticodon on “clover leaf” end
 amino acid attached on 3′ end
Loading tRNA
 Aminoacyl tRNA synthetase
 enzyme which bonds amino acid to tRNA
 bond requires energy

 ATP → AMP
 bond is unstable

 so it can release amino acid at ribosome easily

Trp C=O Trp C=O Trp

OH H2O
OH O

C
=O
O
activating
enzyme

tRNATrp AC C
anticodon tryptophan
UGG mRNA
attached to tRNATrp tRNATrp binds to UGG
codon of mRNA
Ribosomes
 Facilitate
coupling of
tRNA anticodon to
mRNA codon
 organelle or enzyme?
 Structure
 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) & proteins
 2 subunits

 large
 small

E P A
Ribosomes
A site (aminoacyl-tRNA site)
 holds tRNA carrying next amino acid to
be added to chain
P site (peptidyl-tRNA site)
 holds tRNA carrying growing polypeptide
chain Met
E site (exit site)
 empty tRNA
leaves ribosome
from exit site 5' U A C
A U G
3'
E P A
 Building a polypeptide
 Initiation
 brings together mRNA, ribosome
subunits, initiator tRNA
 Elongation
 adding amino acids based on
codon sequence
 Termination
 end codon 3 2 1
Leu Val release
Ser factor
Met Met
Met Met Leu Leu Leu Ala
Trp
tRNA
C
A

U AC UAC GAC U A C GA C U AC G A C
5'
A U GC U G A A U
5'
A U G C U GA A U
5' A U G C U G AAU 5'
AU G C U G
AA U 3' A CC
mRNA 3' 3' 3' U GG U A A
E P A 3'
 Destinations:
Protein targeting • secretion
• nucleus
 Signal peptide • mitochondria
• chloroplasts
 address label • cell membrane
• cytoplasm
start of a secretory pathway
• etc…
 Bacterial chromosome

Protein Synthesis
Transcription
in Prokaryotes mRNA

Psssst…
no
nucleus!

Cell
membrane

Cell wall
2007-2008
 Prokaryote vs. Eukaryote genes
 Prokaryotes  Eukaryotes
 DNA in cytoplasm  DNA in nucleus
 circular chromosome  linear chromosomes

 naked DNA  DNA wound on

histone proteins
 introns vs. exons
 no introns

introns
come
out!
intron = noncoding (inbetween) sequence
eukaryotic
DNA
exon = coding (expressed) sequence
 Translation in Prokaryotes
 Transcription & translation are simultaneous
in bacteria
 DNA is in
cytoplasm
 no mRNA

editing
 ribosomes

read mRNA
as it is being
transcribed
Translation: prokaryotes vs. eukaryotes
 Differences between prokaryotes &
eukaryotes
 time & physical separation between
processes
 takes eukaryote ~1 hour
from DNA to protein
 no RNA processing
 RNA polymerase
DNA

Can you tell amino

acids
the story? exon intron
tRNA
pre-mRNA 5' GTP cap

mature mRNA
aminoacyl tRNA
poly-A tail synthetase
large ribosomal subunit 3'
polypeptide

5'
tRNA
small ribosomal subunit
E P A

ribosome
Homework
1. Phrase sort with your group
2. Molecular Triominoes!
Can you tell
the story?