Scribd
Upload
12 views

Transcription Final

Transcription is the first step in the central dogma of molecular biology whereby DNA is copied into RNA. It involves three main stages - initiation, elongation, and termination. In initiation, an RNA polymerase enzyme binds to a promoter region of DNA and unwinds the double helix. In elongation, the polymerase synthesizes RNA using one DNA strand as a template by adding complementary nucleotides. Termination occurs when the polymerase reaches a termination signal and dissociates from the DNA. There are differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic transcription such as eukaryotes having multiple RNA polymerases and more complex promoter elements.

Uploaded by

Mahnoor Imran
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
12 views

Transcription Final

Transcription is the first step in the central dogma of molecular biology whereby DNA is copied into RNA. It involves three main stages - initiation, elongation, and termination. In initiation, an RNA polymerase enzyme binds to a promoter region of DNA and unwinds the double helix. In elongation, the polymerase synthesizes RNA using one DNA strand as a template by adding complementary nucleotides. Termination occurs when the polymerase reaches a termination signal and dissociates from the DNA. There are differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic transcription such as eukaryotes having multiple RNA polymerases and more complex promoter elements.

Uploaded by

Mahnoor Imran
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 27

Transcription

Central dogma of Molecular Biology


Transcription
• Transcription means that the genetic information stored in double-stranded
DNA are copied or printed in the form of a single-stranded RNA molecule
like mRNA, tRNA, rRNA
• The first stage of the flow of information from DNA to polypeptide is the
transcription of DNA nucleotide sequence to a RNA nucleotide sequence.
• One of the latest developments related to transcription is marked by that
Stanford University Biologist Roger Kornberg won the Nobel Prize for
Chemistry in 2006 as a result of his work on eukaryotic transcription
The Importance of the Transcription
• The foundation of the Molecular Biology is based on formation of RNA
from DNA and subsequently the conversion of that RNA into protein.

• When the DNA genetic information of each individual (geneotype) is


converted to the proteins, it reveals individual’s unique characters
(phenotype).
• Therefore, the conversion of DNA into an RNA product is the first step.
STAGES OF TRANSCRIPTION

• In transcription, there are three basic steps as initiation, extension and


termination which occur in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes.
• Although the general process of transcription is very similar in prokaryotes
and eukaryotes, there are also some significant differences.
• Transcription is initiated from this region called as the promoter, that is
firstly bound by relate proteins in both bacteria and eukaryotes
Promoter
• Promoter which serves as the control point in the regulation of gene
transcription is a region of the DNA segment toward 5' prime of the gene.
• It compromises elements of specific DNA sequences that is recognized by
transcription factor proteins.
• These promoter sequences lead RNA polymerase to the coding region of the
gene and initiate the function of the RNA polymerase.
Eukaryotic Promoters
These promoters usually extends toward 5' of the gene and have various
elements which are remote from the transcription start site.
• Many eukaryotic promoters contain a TATA box ( the DNA sequence in the
promoter region of the gene) (TATAAA sequence).

• This TATA box binds protein that helps the formation of the RNA
polymerase transcriptional complex. TATA bbox is located in close
proximity to the transcription start site (within 50 bases)
• Initiation: RNA polymerase enzyme is responsible for RNA transcription.
This enzyme is linked to specific portions called as promoter in DNA to
start RNA synthesis
• Elongation: RNA polymerase enzyme synthesizes RNA strand along the
DNA chain. While the acting enzyme opens the front of double-stranded
DNA, creates the helical structure after the reaction.
• Termination: RNA synthesis continues along the DNA strand until it
encounters a signal representing termination of the polymerase enzyme.
General Features of RNA (RIBONUCLEIC
ACID)
• RNA is a polymer composed of nucleotides. Each nucleotide within the
RNA structure includes a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar and a phosphate.
• RNA is involved in many important biological processes
• In nature, there are essentially two kinds of nucleic acid including DNA and
RNA. RNA is different in many respects from DNA
General Features of RNA (RIBONUCLEIC
ACID)
• 1. RNA has a single-stranded nucleotide chain structure. It is not like the double-
stranded structure of DNA. This allows more flexibility of RNA and formation of
complexes in a much greater variety, in three-dimensons.
• 2. RNA comprises ribose sugar in its nucleotides instead of deoxyribose sugar
present in DNA.
• 3. RNA nucleotides (ribonucleotides) comprises adenine, guanine, cytosine bases
and uracil base instead of thymine base in DNA.
• 4. RNA can catalyze important biological reactions similar to proteins but DNA can
not. RNA molecules functioning such as protein enzymes is called ribozyme
Classification of RNA
• RNA is generally divided into two groups.
• One class of RNAs mediates gene decoding process of the polypeptide
chain. This ‘informative’ RNAs are called messenger RNAs (mRNAs).
• These RNAs transmit genetic information in DNA to ribosome. For the rest
of the genes in the minority, the RNA itself is the ultimate functional
product. This kind of RNAs are functional RNAs
• The Messenger RNA (mRNA): They are the RNAs which mediate the translation of genetic information in DNA into
protein. They are protein-coding RNAs.
• Functional RNA (fRNA): These RNAs’ genes, which are also called non-coding RNAs, generate the functional RNA
molecules instead of encoding proteins
• 1. Transfer RNA (tRNA): It is responsible for bringing amino acid toward mRNA in the process of translation. All kinds
of tRNA are connected to a single kind of amino acid (20, in general) and carry it to the ribosome
• 2. Ribosomal RNA (rRNAs): They are essential components of ribosomes. They guides assembly of amino acid chain
which is made by mRNA and tRNA with pretending to be large macromolecular machines
• 3. Small nuclear RNA (snRNAs): It is a part of RNA transcription system in eukaryotic cells. Some snRNAs provide
guidance to the rRNAs modifications. Others are combined with various protein subunits to form ribonucleoprotein
processing complex
• 4. Small nucleolar RNA (snoRNAs): Until 1995, more than 20 small nucleolar RNA was detected. Small nucleolar RNAs
are responsible for making various modifications after transcription for rRNA, tRNA, or small nuclear RNAs
RNA Polymerase
• RNA polymerases (RNAP or RNAPol) are enzymes which copy the
information from a DNA or RNA molecule to an RNA molecule.
• There are RNA polymerase enzymes in all living things and many viruses.
While bacteria and archaea have a single RNAP.
• In eukaryotes there are three types of a RNAP. Bacterial RNAP and
eukaryotic RNAP II exhibits striking structural similarities
Synthesis of an RNA Transcript

2. Elongation
• RNA polymerase synthesizes a single strand of RNA against the DNA
template strand (anti-sense strand), adding nucleotides to the 3’ end of
the RNA chain

• As RNA polymerase moves along the DNA it continues to untwist the


double helix, exposing about 10 to 20 DNA bases at a time for pairing
with RNA nucleotides
Elongation Non-template
strand of DNA RNA nucleotides
RNA
polymerase

A T C C A A
3
3 end
U
5 A E G C A
T A G G T T

5 Direction of transcription
Template
(“downstream”)
strand of DNA
Newly made
RNA
Transcription Overview
Stages of Transcription:

You might also like