DNA Replication and
Protein Synthesis
DNA Replication or DNA Synthesis
 the process of making an
identical copy of a DNA
molecule.
 occurs during the S phase of
the cell cycle
 DNA strands separate and
serve as templates for the
production of new DNA
molecules.
A summary of DNA Replication
Features of Replication:
 Semiconservative
o the resulting DNA
consists of one old and
one new strand
 Maintained Base Pairing
o Adenine pairs with
Thymine,
o Guanine pairs with
Cytosine
 New DNA molecules are
produced in the 5’ to 3’
direction
 Semidiscontinuous
o The leading strand is
synthesized in a
continuous manner (5’
to 3’) while the lagging
strand is produced
discontinuously in
short stretches called
Okazaki fragments.
 In lagging strand synthesis,
there is a need for a primer
terminus, which is provided
by an RNA molecule.
 A primase or RNA
polymerase synthesizes RNA.
 The 3’OH of the RNA is where
new DNA nucleotides are
added thus new DNA is built
in the 5’ to 3’ direction.
Transcription or RNA Synthesis
 DNA ‘s code must be copied and
taken to the cytosol
 DNA is unwound and one strand
is used as template for the
production of an RNA molecule.
 An RNA polymerase makes RNA
in the 5’ to 3’ direction.
 Promoters - Specific regions in
the DNA that allow the binding of
transcription factors
 transcription factors – make
possible the binding of RNA
polymerase.
 Three major types of RNA are:
1. messenger RNA (mRNA)
2. transfer RNA (tRNA) and
3. ribosomal RNA (rRNA)
mRNA Processing
 After the DNA is transcribed into
RNA, editing must be done to the
nucleotide chain to make the
RNA functional
 Introns, non-functional segments
of DNA are snipped out of the
chain
mRNA Editing
 Exons, segments of DNA that
code for proteins, are then
rejoined by the enzyme ligase
 A guanine triphosphate cap is
added to the 5” end of the newly
copied mRNA
 A poly A tail is added to the 3’
end of the RNA
 The newly processed mRNA can
then leave the nucleus

mRNA Transcript
• mRNA leaves the nucleus
through its pores and goes to the
ribosomes

Translation
 the process of decoding the
mRNA into a polypeptide chain
 Ribosomes read mRNA three
bases or 1 codon at a time and
construct the proteins

Codons and Anticodons

 The 3 bases of an anticodon are
complementary to the 3 bases of
a codon
 Example: Codon ACU and
Anticodon UGA

Ribosomes
 Made of a large and small subunit
 Composed of rRNA (40%) and
proteins (60%)
 Have two sites for tRNA
attachment --- P and A

Step 1- Initiation
 mRNA transcript start codon
AUG attaches to the small
ribosomal subunit
 Small subunit attaches to large
ribosomal subunit
Step 2 – Elongation
 As ribosome moves, two tRNA
with their amino acids move into
site A and P of the ribosome
 Peptide bonds join the amino
acids
End Product –The Protein!
 The end products of protein
synthesis is a primary structure
of a protein
 A sequence of amino acid bonded
together by peptide bonds