From Gene

to Protein

How Genes
Work

AP Biology 2007-2008
 What do genes code for?
 How does DNA code for cells & bodies?
 how are cells and bodies made from the
instructions in DNA

This Photo by Unknown

DNA
Author is licensed under
CC BY-NC-ND proteins cells bodies
AP Biology
 The “Central Dogma”
 Flow of genetic information in a cell
 How do we move information from DNA to proteins?

pt i on t i on
cri l a
t rans trans
DNA RNA protein trait

replication

AP Biology
 Transcription
from
DNA nucleic acid language
to
RNA nucleic acid language

AP Biology 2007-2008
 RNA
 ribose sugar
 N-bases
uracil instead of thymine
U : A

C : G

 single stranded
 lots of RNAs
 mRNA, tRNA, rRNA, siRNA…

transcription
DNA
AP Biology RNA
 Transcription
 Making mRNA
 transcribed DNA strand = template strand
 untranscribed DNA strand = coding strand
 same sequence as RNA
 synthesis of complementary RNA strand
 transcription bubble
 enzyme coding strand
 RNA polymerase

G
A G C A T C G T
A A
3
5 G
A
T C
T C
T
A
T
C A T C A G
T
DNA G T A 3 A C T
G C A U C G U T
G 5
C unwinding
3 G T A G C A
rewinding

mRNA 5 RNA polymerase template strand

AP Biology
build RNA 53
 Transcription Factors
 Initiation complex
 transcription factors bind to promoter region
 suite of proteins which bind to DNA
 hormones?
 turn on or off transcription
 trigger the binding of RNA polymerase to DNA

AP Biology
 Matching bases of DNA & RNA
A
 Match RNA bases to DNA C
G U
bases on one of the DNA G A

strands U G
C
U U
C G
A
A C
U
A
AG
C
U
5' RNA
A 3'
A C C polymerase G

T G G T A C A G C T A G T C A T CG T A C CG T

AP Biology
 Translation
from
nucleic acid language
to
amino acid language

AP Biology 2007-2008
 mRNA codes for proteins in triplets

DNA TACGCACATTTACGTACGCGG
codon

mRNA AUGCGUGUAAAUGCAUGCGCC
?
protein
AP Biology
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
 3rd base “wobble”

 Start codon
 AUG
 methionine
 Stop codons
 UGA, UAA, UAG
AP Biology
 How are the codons matched to
amino acids?
3 5
DNA TACGCACATTTACGTACGCGG
5 3
mRNA AUGCGUGUAAAUGCAUGCGCC
3 5 codon
UAC
tRNA GCA
Met
CAU anti-codon
amino Arg
acid Val
AP Biology
 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

AP Biology ribosome
 Prokaryote vs. Eukaryote genes
 Prokaryotes  Eukaryotes
 DNA in cytoplasm  DNA in nucleus
 circular  linear
chromosome chromosomes
 naked DNA  DNA wound on
histone proteins
 no introns
 introns vs. exons
introns
come out!
intron = noncoding (inbetween) sequence
eukaryotic
DNA
exon = coding (expressed) sequence
AP Biology
 Translation: prokaryotes vs. eukaryotes
 Differences between prokaryotes &
eukaryotes
 time & physical separation between
processes
 takes eukaryote ~1 hour
from DNA to protein
 no RNA processing

AP Biology
 Can you tell
the story?

AP Biology