BS1030 Molecules of Life

Transcription and Translation

Episode 2 : Types of RNA

Dr Cas Kramer
Department of Genetics and Genome Biology
 What is a gene?

5' 3'
DNA 3' 5'
promoter coding region terminator

one gene: one protein?

• human haemoglobin, 4 subunits: α2β2

HBA1 gene (chr 16) codes for α-chain (141 amino acids)
HBB gene (chr 11) codes for β-chain (146 amino acids)
 What is a gene?

5' 3'
DNA 3' 5'
promoter coding region terminator

one gene: one polypeptide?

• not all genes are expressed as polypeptides

• not all RNA molecules are translated
 What is a gene?

5' 3'
DNA 3' 5'
promoter coding region terminator

one gene: one functional unit

• either a sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide

• or a sequence of nucleotides in an untranslated RNA
Types of RNA
• mRNA - messenger RNA
• rRNA - ribosomal RNA
• tRNA - transfer RNA

• noncoding RNA
• snRNA - small nuclear RNA
• miRNA - microRNA
• antisense RNA
Antisense RNA

Kramer et al. (2003) Nature 421:948-952

Types of RNA
• mRNA - messenger RNA
• rRNA - ribosomal RNA
• tRNA - transfer RNA

• noncoding RNA
• snRNA - small nuclear RNA
• miRNA - microRNA
• antisense RNA
RNA versus DNA
• RNA has C2 hydroxyl group

RNA DNA
RNA versus DNA
• RNA has C2 hydroxyl group
• RNA contains U instead of T
RNA versus DNA
• RNA has C2 hydroxyl group
• RNA contains U instead of T
• RNA molecules are single-stranded
• RNA often forms stemloops:
complementary, antiparallel strands,
which form a (mini) helix
RNA versus DNA
• RNA has C2 hydroxyl group
• RNA contains U instead of T
• RNA molecules are single-stranded
• RNA often forms stemloops
• RNA can form complex 3D structures, often with non-
standard (but chemically normal) bases, base-pairing
and other nucleotide linkage
RNA complex 3D structure
RNA complex 3D structure
ribosomal RNA (rRNA)
• >80% of total RNA
• few kinds, many copies
• small and large rRNAs
• highly conserved
• Prokaryotes:
1x small, 2x large (e.g.16S rRNA)
• Eukaryotes:
2x small, 2x large (e.g.18S rRNA)
RNA complex 3D structure
transfer RNA (tRNA)
• >15% of total RNA
• ~100 kinds, many copies
• small (79 nt)
• each tRNA is dedicated
(cognate) to one of 20
amino acids
messenger RNA (mRNA)
• ~ 2-5% of total RNA
• 100.000s kinds, few copies
• ‘mRNA transcripts’
What do you need to be able to do?
• Describe in broad terms ‘What is a gene?’
• Describe the main differences between DNA and RNA
• Explain how RNA can form complex 3D structures
• Describe the three main types of RNA: ribosomal RNA,
transfer RNA and messenger RNA
• Appreciate that there are many other types of RNA,
with important functions in the cell