from nucleic acid language to amino acid language Translation from nucleic acid language to amino acid language 2007-2008
How does mRNA code for proteins? TACGCACATTTACGTACGCGG DNA 4 ATCG AUGCGUGUAAAUGCAUGCGCC mRNA 4 AUCG ? Met Arg Val Asn Ala Cys Ala protein 20 How can you code for 20 amino acids with only 4 nucleotide bases (A,U,G,C)?
mRNA codes for proteins in triplets TACGCACATTTACGTACGCGG DNA codon AUGCGUGUAAAUGCAUGCGCC mRNA AUGCGUGUAAAUGCAUGCGCC mRNA ? Met Arg Val Asn Ala Cys Ala protein
WHYDIDTHEREDBATEATTHEFATRAT WHYDIDTHEREDBATEATTHEFATRAT 1960 | 1968 Cracking the code Nirenberg & Khorana Crick determined 3-letter (triplet) codon system WHYDIDTHEREDBATEATTHEFATRAT WHYDIDTHEREDBATEATTHEFATRAT Codon = 3 bases of mRNA
The code Code for ALL life! Start codon Stop codons strongest support for a common origin for all life several codons for each amino acid Start codon AUG methionine Stop codons UGA, UAA, UAG Strong evidence for a single origin in evolutionary theory.
How are the codons matched to amino acids? 3 5 DNA TACGCACATTTACGTACGCGG 5 3 mRNA AUGCGUGUAAAUGCAUGCGCC codon 3 5 UAC Met GCA Arg tRNA CAU Val anti-codon amino acid
DNA mRNA protein trait From gene to protein nucleus cytoplasm aa From gene to protein nucleus cytoplasm transcription translation DNA mRNA protein ribosome trait
Transfer RNA structure “Clover leaf” structure anticodon on “clover leaf” end amino acid attached on 3 end
Ribosomes Facilitate coupling of tRNA anticodon to mRNA codon organelle or enzyme? Structure ribosomal RNA (rRNA) & proteins 2 subunits large small E P A
Building a polypeptide 1 2 3 Building a polypeptide Initiation brings together mRNA, ribosome subunits, initiator tRNA Elongation adding amino acids based on codon sequence Termination end codon Leu Val release factor Ser Met Met Met Met Leu Leu Leu Ala Trp tRNA C A G U A C U A C G A C A C G A C A 5' U 5' U A C G A C 5' A A A U G C U G U A U G C U G A U A U G C U G A A U 5' A A U mRNA A U G C U G 3' 3' 3' 3' A C C U G G U A A E P A 3'
Can you tell the story? See if you get it! RNA polymerase DNA amino acids exon intron tRNA pre-mRNA 5' GTP cap mature mRNA aminoacyl tRNA synthetase poly-A tail 3' large ribosomal subunit polypeptide 5' tRNA small ribosomal subunit E P A ribosome
Video demonstration https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5mJbP23Buo&t=234s