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Gene Expression
th process by which DNA directs the synthesis of proteins (or in some cases, just RNA) -includes transcription and translation
Transcription
the synthesis of RNA using information in DNA -occurs in the nucleus
mRNA
Messenger RNA that carries genetic message from the DNA to the protein-synthesizing machinery of the cell
Translation
the synthesis of a polypeptide using the information in the mRNA -the nucleotide sequence of mRNA is translated into the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide -occurs in the cytoplasm
Ribosomes
The site of translation, molecular complexes that facilitate the orderly linking of amino acids into polypeptide chains
Triplet Code
-organizes the flow of information from gene to protein -the genetic instructions for a polypeptide chain are written in the DNA sequence of nonoverlapping, three-nucelotide words
Template strand
provides the pattern (template) for the sequence of nucleotides in an RNA transcript
Codons
the mRNA nucleotide triplets -written in the 5'-->3' direction -AUG: start codon, codes for methionine -UAA, UAG, UGA: stop codons
RNA polymerase
An enzyme that pries the two strands of DNA apart and joins together RNA nucleotides complementary to the DNA template strand -this elongates the RNA polynucleotide -unlike DNA polymerases, these do not require a primer -RNA polymerase I: most rRNA genes -RNA polymerase II: all protei…
Promoter
the DNA sequence where RNA polymerase attaches and initiates transcription
Terminator
In bacteria, this is the sequence that signals the end of transcription -the direction of transcription is referred to as 'downstream' -the promoter sequence in DNA is upstream from the terminator
initiation
After RNA polymerase binds to the promoter, the DNA strands unwind, and the polymerase initiates RNA synthesis at the start point on the template strand
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
Termination
Eventually, the RNA transcript is released, and the polymerase detaches from the DNA
Transcription start point
Included in the promoter of a gene, the nucleotide where RNA synthesis actualy begins
Transcription factors
a collection of proteins that mediate the binding of RNA polymerase and the intiation of transcription
Transcription Initiation complex
After transcription factors attach to the promoter, RNA polymerase II then binds to it. The whole complex of transcription factors and RNA II polymerase bound to the promoter is called the transcription initiation complex
TATA box
A promoter DNA sequence in eukaryotes that is crucial in forming the transcription initiation complex -without it, RNA polymerase doesn't know where to bind to initiate transcription
RNA processing
-pre-mRNA is modified by enzymes in the eukaryotic nucleus before the genetic message is dispatched to the cytoplasm -during this processing, both ends of the primary transcript are altered. -also, certain interior sections of the RNA molecule are cut out and the remaining parts are spl…
5' cap
The 5' end of the pre-mRNA molecule receives a 5' cap, a modified form of a guanine nucleotide added on to the 5' end after transcription of the first 20-40 nucleotides
Poly-A tail
-the 3' end of the pre-mRNA molecule receives 50-250 more adenine nucleotides -these two modifications facilitate the export of mature mRNA from the nucleus, protect mRNA from degradation by hydrolytic enzymes, and help ribosomes attach to the 5' end of the mRNA once the mRNA reaches the…
RNA splicing
after synthesis of a eukaryotic primary RNA transcript, the removal of portions of the transcript (introns) that will not be included in the mRNA and the joining together of the remaining portions (exons)
introns
the noncoding segments of nucleic acids that lie between coding regions (also called intervening sequences)
Exons
the coding regions that are eventually expressed and translated into amino acid sequences
Spliceosome
the removal of introns is accomplished by this large complex made of proteins and small RNAs -it then joins together the two exons that flanked the intron
ribozymes
Ribosome molecules that function as enzymes -the molecule can have 3-D structure when a region of an RNA molecule base pairs with a complementary region elsewhere in the same molecule -some of the bases in RNA contain functional groups that can participate in catalysis -the ability of …
Alternative RNA splicing
-a single gene can encode more than one polypeptide -many genes give rise to two or more different polypeptides, depending on which segments are treated as exons during RNA processing
Domains
a discrete structural and functional region of a protein -different exons code for the different domains of a protein
tRNA
transfer RNA, the translator of a genetic message consisting of a series of codons along an mRNA molecule -its function is to transfer amino acids from the cytoplasmic pool of amino acids to a growing polypeptide in a ribosome
anticodon
the particular nucleotide triplet that base pairs to a specific mRNA codon ex. the anticodon of 5'-GGC-3' is 3'CCG-5'
aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases
a family of related enzymes that correctly matches up tRNA and amino acids -a tRNA that binds to an mRNA codon specifying and amino acid must carry that amino acid, and no other, to the ribosome -there are 20 different synthetases, one for each amino acid
Wobble
-some tRNA's are able to bind to more than one codon -this is possible because the rules for base pairing between the third nucleotide base of a codon and the corresponding base of a tRNA anticodon are relaxed -for ex. the nucleotide base U at the 5' end of a tRNA anticodon can pain wit…
rRNAs
ribosomal RNA's are found in ribosomes, along with a large and small subunit -this is the most abundant type of cellular RNA
Binding sites
P site: (peptidyl) holds the tRNA carrying the growing polypeptide chain A site: (aminoacyl) holds the tRNA carrying the next amino acid to be added to the chain E site: (exit) where discharged tRNA's leave the ribosome
Translation initiation complex
formed by the union of mRNA, initiator tRNA, and a small ribosomal subunit followed by the attachment of a large ribosomal subunit -proteins called initiation factors are required to brings all these components together
Targeting polypeptides to a specific location
-Ribosomes can be free in the cytoplasm or bound to the ER -signal peptide: targets proteins to the ER if the polypeptides for that protein are destined for the endomembrane system or secretion - consists of a sequence of 20 amino acids -signal-recognition particle (SRP): functions a…

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