DNA Transcription & Translation
*How do genes work? We’ve seen how DNA is replicated, but still haven’t learned exactly how genes work! The first step in understanding how genes work is to know how to “decode” the DNA.
Decoding DNA The decoder: RNA (Ribonucleic acid) Long stranded like DNA, except: Ribose instead of Deoxyribose Uracil instead of Thymine Single stranded instead of double stranded
Types of RNA The main job of all RNA types is protein synthesis (creation) 3 types: (*You will learn what each does later) Messenger RNA Transfer RNA Ribosomal RNA mRNA tRNA rRNA
Protein Creation DNA holds the instructions for making proteins Proteins do the cell’s work Two steps required for protein synthesis (creation) TRANSCRIPTION TRANSLATION
Transcription TRANSCRIPTION is the process by which a DNA gene is “rewritten” into RNA
Transcription A gene is only a segment of DNA Only the gene is transcribed, not all of the DNA (like replication) DNA Transcription mRNA
Transcription 3 phases: Initiation (“the beginning”) Enzymes recognize appropriate gene in DNA Elongation (“the middle”) Enzymes copy gene into mRNA Termination (“the end”) Enzymes unbind from DNA
Why re-write the instructions? DNA is like the “master plan” for the construction of a house Too important to bring to the work site and risk being damaged or lost RNA is like an inexpensive, disposable copy of the master plan Used at the work site (the ribosomes)
Transcription INITIATION RNA POLYMERASE (RP) recognizes a promoter on the DNA sequence PROMOTER: base sequence that signals the start of a gene DNA is split by RP and one strand is used as a template
Animation #1 Animation #2
Transcription ELONGATION: RP makes an mRNA copy of the gene
Transcription TERMINATION RP reaches TERMINATOR SEQUENCE Signals it to unbind and stop transcription
Transcription After transcription is done you end with one mRNA copy of a gene Some of the mRNA must be “spliced out” (removed) before we translate it
mRNA Processing Pieces of the mRNA that don’t contain genes (called INTRONS) are removed by a SPLICEOSOME
mRNA Processing Pieces of DNA that do code for genes (called EXONS) are left and pieced together
The Genetic Code The mRNA strand is then used to make proteins in the process of TRANSLATION
The Genetic Code The “language” of mRNA is known as the genetic code The 4 “letters” (A-G-C-U) are used to write “words” that correspond to different amino acids
The Genetic Code “Words”are written using 3 letters Every 3 letters = 1 codon Every 1 codon = 1 amino acid
The Genetic Code Because there are four different bases, there are 64 (43) different codon combinations Certain codons code for the same amino acid
Translation Shortly after mRNA is transcribed, translation begins. The sequence of bases in mRNA serves as instructions for the order in which amino acids should be joined
Translation Translation: The decoding of an mRNA message and creation of a polypeptide chain (protein) RIBOSOMES are the factories that assemble the proteins
Translation INITIATION mRNA in the cytoplasm attaches to a ribosome ELONGATION The ribosome “reads” the codons and attaches the proper amino acids Stop codon Start codon
Transfer RNA Transfer RNA brings the correct amino acids for the ribosome to use Has an ANTI – CODON on one end, and an amino acid on the other Anti-codon has a sequence complementary to an mRNA codon
Translation TERMINATION The ribosome continues along until it reaches a stop codon The amino acid chain is then released and allowed to fold into a protein Protein then performs its job within the cell
Translation Translation can occur at many different spots along the mRNA strand, creating many proteins at one time.
Let’s Try it ourselves Transcribe and translate the following DNA sequence: TAC GCA TGG AAT AUG CGU ACC UUA
Translation Animations Transcribe and Translate a Gene Why do fireflies glow?
Let’s try it ourselves Transcribe and translate the following DNA sequence: TAC GCA TGG AAT AUG CGU ACC UUA Met – Arg – Thr – Leu
Mutations Every now and then cells make mistakes. Inserting incorrect bases Deleting bases Adding extra bases Mistakes that cause a change in genetic information are called mutations.
Point Mutations Point mutations are mutations that affect one nucleotide. 3 different types: Substitution Insertion Deletion
Substitution Occurs when the wrong base is added to a growing nucleotide chain Original DNA: TAC GCA TGG AAT Original mRNA: AUG CGU ACC UUA Original Protein: Met – Arg – Thr - Leu Substitution Original DNA: TAC GTA TGG AAT Original mRNA: AUG CAU ACC UUA Original Protein: Met – His – Thr - Leu
Insertion Occurs when an extra base is added to a growing nucleotide chain Original DNA: TAC GCA TGG AAT Original mRNA: AUG CGU ACC UUA Original Protein: Met – Arg – Thr - Leu Insertion Original DNA: TAT CGC ATG GAA T Original mRNA: AUA GCG UAC CUU A Original Protein: Ile – Ala – Tyr – Leu
Deletion When a base is deleted from a growing nucleotide chain THE FAT CAT ATE THE RAT TEF ATC ATA TET HER AT
Frameshift Mutations Mutations that cause a shift in the reading frame Insertion Deletion More than one amino acid gets changed downstream TACGCATGGAAT TATCGTATGGAAT
Original DNA: TAC GCA TGG AAT Mutated DNA: TAC GCC TGG AAT Silent Mutations DNA changes that do not cause a change in the amino acid chain Original DNA: TAC GCA TGG AAT Mutated DNA: TAC GCC TGG AAT mRNA: AUG CGG ACC UUA Protein: Met – Arg – Thr - Leu