TRANSLATION, TRANSCRIPTION

AND PROCESSING OF RNA

Objective:

• To analyze how the information

contained in the DNA is translated
& transcribed into RNA.
Translation
• A step in protein biosynthesis wherein the
genetic code carried by mRNA is decoded to
produce the specific sequence of amino acids
in a polypeptide chain. The process follows
transcription in which the DNA sequence is
copied (or transcribed) into a mRNA.
• The process by which messenger RNA directs
the amino acid sequence of a growing
polypeptide during protein synthesis.
Translation occurs in the cytoplasm where the
ribosomes are located. It consists of four phases:
(1) activation – the correct amino acid is covalently
bonded to the correct tRNA – a step required for
translation to proceed
(2) initiation - the small subunit of the ribosome binds
to 5' end of mRNA with the help of initiation
factors (IF)
(3) elongation – the next aminoacyl-tRNA in line
binds to the ribosome along with GTP and an
elongation factor.
(4) termination - the A site of the ribosome faces a
stop codon (UAA, UAG, or UGA)
 Transcription
• something written, especially copied from one
medium to another, as a typewritten version of
dictation
• The process by which messenger RNA is
synthesized from a DNA template resulting in the
transfer of genetic information from the DNA
molecule to the messenger RNA.
• the organic process whereby the DNA sequence in
a gene is copied into mRNA; the process whereby
a base sequence of messenger RNA is synthesized
on a template of complementary DNA
 Comparing RNA and DNA
There are three important differences between RNA
and DNA:

 (1) The sugar in RNA is ribose instead of

deoxyribose.

 (2) RNA is generally single-stranded and

not double-stranded.

 (3) RNA contains uracil in place of thymine.

 Functions of RNA
– The three main types of RNA are
messenger RNA, ribosomal RNA, and
transfer RNA.
 Messenger RNA
– Most genes
contain instructions
for assembling amino
acids into proteins.
– The RNA
molecules that carry
copies of these
instructions are known
as messenger RNA
(mRNA): They carry
information from DNA
to other parts of the
cell.
 Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)
– Proteins are
assembled on
ribosomes, small
organelles composed of
two subunits.
– These ribosome
subunits are made up of
several ribosomal RNA
(rRNA) molecules and as
many as 80 different
proteins.
 Transfer RNA
– When a protein
is built, a transfer
RNA (tRNA)
molecule transfers
each amino acid to
the ribosome as it
is specified by the
coded messages in
mRNA.
 The Genetic Code
– Each three-letter “word” in mRNA is
known as a codon.

– A codon consists of three consecutive

bases that specify a single amino acid to be
added to the polypeptide chain.
 How to Read Codons
– Because there are
four different bases in
RNA, there are 64 possible
three-base codons (4 × 4 ×
4 = 64) in the genetic code.
– This circular table
shows the amino acid to
which each of the 64
codons corresponds. To
read a codon, start at the
middle of the circle and
move outward.
 Start and Stop Codons
– The genetic code has
punctuation marks.
– The methionine codon
AUG serves as the
initiation, or “start,” codon
for protein synthesis.
– Following the start
codon, mRNA is read, three
bases at a time, until it
reaches one of three
different “stop” codons,
which end translation.