DNA & Protein Synthesis 2 –Making Proteins

Your challenge To recreate the process by which a cell produces a protein. Your desk is the cell. – Half of the group/desk represents the nucleus. – The nucleus contains the DNA sequence from which you are going to make your protein. – The other half of the group/desk represents a ribosome within the cytoplasm.

Stage 1 - Planning What does the ribosome need to make a protein? How is the sequence of bases transferred to the ribosome?

Stage 2 – Preparation & Transcription One member of the group collect: Amino acids Sellotape White board One member of the “nucleus group” should nominate themselves to be mRNA. You should come to the nucleus, “unzip” the DNA and transcribe the sequence.

Stage 3 – Protein building (Translation) After transcription is complete, the DNA strands reconnect. Sort the bases on the mRNA molecule into codons. The mRNA strand can now be translated. There is a special codon called the start codon (met) translation will start here. This is the codon that corresponds to Met amino acid. Use the protein decoder to work out which codon makes which amino acid. Put your amino acids together in the correct sequence to produce a polypeptide chain. Have your protein checked by the teacher.

When the mRNA strand reaches the ribosome the amino acids must be joined in the order coded for by the mRNA strand.

TASK: Describe the steps for building a protein & draw DNA  mRNA  Amino acids DNA: TAC GGC AAT CGC ACG ATG CGC AGC GTA ATC mRNA: AUG CCG UUA GCG UGC UAC GCG UCG CAU UAG Amino acids: Start --P ro--Leu--Ala--Cys--Tyr--Ala—Ser—His--Stop