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What about?
Rosalind Franklin
The Structure of DNA
DNA is composed of four nucleotides,
each containing: adenine, cytosine,
thymine, or guanine.
Each 2-stranded
daughter molecule is
only half new
One original strand was
used as a template to
make the new strand
DNA Replication
The copying of DNA is remarkable in its speed and
accuracy
Involves unwinding the double helix and synthesizing two
new strands.
More than a dozen enzymes and other proteins participate
in DNA replication
The replication of a DNA molecule begins at special sites
called origins of replication, where the two strands are
separated
Mechanism of DNA Replication
DNA replication is catalyzed by DNA polymerase which needs an RNA
primer
RNA primase synthesizes primer on DNA strand
DNA polymerase adds nucleotides to the 3’ end of the growing strand
The Mechanism of DNA Replication
DNA synthesis on the leading strand is continuous
The lagging strand grows the same general direction as the
leading strand (in the same direction as the Replication Fork).
However, DNA is made in the 5’-to-3’ direction
Therefore, DNA synthesis on the lagging strand is discontinuous
DNA is added as short fragments (Okasaki fragments) that are
subsequently ligated together
DNA polimerase
Ligase
DNA polymerase I degrades the
RNA primer and replaces it with
DNA
The Mechanism of DNA Replication
Many proteins assist in DNA replication
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Nuclear
envelope
TRANSCRIPTION DNA
Pre-mRNA
RNA PROCESSING
mRNA
Ribosome
TRANSLATION
(b) Eukaryotic cell. The nucleus provides a separate
Polypeptide compartment for transcription. The original RNA
transcript, called pre-mRNA, is processed in various
ways before leaving the nucleus as mRNA.
Transcription
Transcription is the DNA-
directed synthesis of RNA
RNA synthesis
Is catalyzed by RNA
polymerase, which pries the
DNA strands apart and hooks
together the RNA nucleotides
Follows the same base-pairing
rules as DNA, except that in
RNA, uracil substitutes for
thymine
RNA
RNA is single stranded, not double stranded like DNA
RNA is short, only 1 gene long, where DNA is very long and contains
many genes
RNA uses the sugar ribose instead of deoxyribose in DNA
RNA uses the base uracil (U) instead of thymine (T) in DNA.
Table 17.1
Synthesis of an RNA Transcript
transcription are 5
3
DNA
3
5
Start point
Initiation RNA polymerase 1
Initiation. After RNA polymerase binds to
Elongation the promoter, the DNA strands unwind, and
the polymerase initiates RNA synthesis at the
start point on the template strand.
Termination
5
3 3
5
Template strand of
Unwound RNA DNA
DNA transcript
2
Elongation. The polymerase moves downstream, unwinding the
DNA and elongating the RNA transcript 5 3 . In the wake of
transcription, the DNA strands re-form a double helix.
Rewound
RNA
5
3 3 3
5
5
RNA
transcript
3 Termination. Eventually, the RNA
transcript is released, and the
polymerase detaches from the DNA.
5
3 3
5
5 3
Completed RNA
transcript
Synthesis of an RNA Transcript - Initiation
Polypeptide
of RNA synthesis Promoter
5 T A T A A AA 3
Transcription factors help 3 AT AT T T T
TATA box
5
Start point Template
eukaryotic RNA polymerase DNA strand
5 3
3 5
3 Additional transcription
factors
RNA polymerase II
Transcription factors
5 3
3 5 5
RNA transcript
Transcription initiation complex
Synthesis of an RNA Transcript - Elongation
RNA polymerase synthesizes a single strand of RNA against the DNA template strand
(anti-sense strand), adding nucleotides to the 3’ end of the RNA chain
As RNA polymerase moves along the DNA it continues to untwist the double helix,
exposing about 10 to 20 DNA bases at a time for pairing with RNA nucleotides
Elongation Non-template
strand of DNA
RNA nucleotides
RNA
polymerase
T C C A A
A
3
3 end
U
A E G C A
5
T A G G T T
Direction of transcription
5 Template
(“downstream”)
strand of DNA
Newly made
RNA
Synthesis of an RNA Transcript - Termination
• Specific sequences in the DNA signal termination of transcription
• When one of these is encountered by the polymerase, the RNA
transcript is released from the DNA and the double helix can zip
up again.
Translation
Translation is the RNA-directed TRANSCRIPTION DNA
mRNA
Amino
Ribosomes - Ribosomal RNA acids
Polypeptide
Transfer RNA
Genetic coding - codons tRNA with
amino acid
Ribosome attached
Gly
tRNA
Anticodon
A A A
U G G U U U G G C
5 Codons 3
mRNA
The Genetic Code
Genetic information is encoded as a sequence of nonoverlapping base
triplets, or codons
DNA Gene 2
molecule
Gene 1
Gene 3
DNA strand 3 5
(template) A C C A A A C C G A G T
TRANSCRIPTION
U G G U U U G G C U C A
mRNA 5 3
Codon
TRANSLATION
Since there are 4 bases and 3 positions in each codon, there are 4
x 4 x 4 = 64 possible codons
64 codons but only 20 amino acids, therefore most have more than
1 codon
3 of the 64 codons are used as STOP signals; they are found at the
end of every gene and mark the end of the protein