GENETIC CODE

Transcription

DNA
Replication

Protein RNA Translation

1. Genetic information transfer from polynucleotide chain into polypeptide chain. 2. Take place in ribosomes. 3. tRNAs recognize codons.

Evolution of the Genetic Code Two base pairs New biosynthetic pathway Utilization of third position Frozen accident ??????

Is the code overlapping ? Any punctuation ? ?

How many letter make a code word

Hargovind Khurana

Robert W. Holley

Marshall W. Nirenberg

1965 tRNA Ala 1968 Nobel prize

The Code Is Degenerate

1. The genetic code evolved in such a way as to minimize the deleterious effects of mutations. 2. Code degeneracy may serve as a safety mechanism to minimize errors in the reading of codons.

Code degeneracy explains how there can be great variation in the AT/GC ratios in the DNA of various organisms without large changes in the proportion of amino acids in their proteins.

Degeneracy

Synonyms

Is there a specific tRNA for every codon? (If it was true, at least 61 different tRNAs would exist.)

ANS:

Some tRNA could recognize several different codons

Wobble Concept
In 1966, Francis Crick devised the wobble concept. It states that the base at the 5 end of the anticodon is not as spatially confined as the other two, allowing it to form hydrogen bonds with more than one bases located at the 3 end of a codon.

Base in 5 Anticodon

Base in 3 Codon

G C A U I

U or C G U A or G A, U, or C

Universality of the genetic code

Miss sense Non sense Frame shift mutation

What is ribosome?
Ribosome - protein synthesizer consisting of two subunits Larger one, 50S, is upper picture. Smaller is 30S (They look the same size here because of space restrictions.)

50S and 30S???

Related to their respective sizes. Numbers actually measures of how quickly each subunit sinks to the bottom of a container of liquid when spun in a centrifuge One subunit smaller than other, but both are larger than average protein

A couple more nifty pictures

50S (left) and 30S (right). This time you can see them from different angles, through different style of picture

Structures of the subunits

50S and 30S besides difference in size, also have somewhat different structures Both are rather complicated, since theyre much larger than average protein Well cover structure of 50S first

The 50S subunit

This part of ribosome contains site where new peptide bonds are formed when proteins are synthesized mRNA would be located horizontally in groove across middle To help with protein synthesis, subunit uses adenine RNA nucleotide, shown by green dot in center

The 50S subunit

This part of ribosome contains site where new peptide bonds are formed when proteins are synthesized mRNA would be located horizontally in groove across middle To help with protein synthesis, subunit uses adenine RNA nucleotide, shown by green dot in center

The 50S subunit

50S made of two RNA strands: a long one, shown in an orangey color, and shorter one, shown in yellow Blue things in the picture are a few of many proteins that have bound to ribosomes surface Many of proteins have long tails that go inside ribosome and keep the RNA strands in place

A bit more on 50S

50S is quite rigid, folded and packed so well that its virtually immobile within its structure Contrasts with structure of 30S, which well now move to

The 30S subunit

Unlike 50S, 30S is fairly flexible It needs to have movable regions because, when it shifts from one mRNA nucleotide triplet to another, movement is necessary to aid this process 30S controls flow of information during protein synthesis

The 30S subunit

30S finds an mRNA and then makes sure that each tRNA is matched up correctly on mRNA Its been suggested that mRNA enters through small hole in 30S (shown here in center of left side)

The 30S subunit

30S finds an mRNA and then makes sure that each tRNA is matched up correctly on mRNA Its been suggested that mRNA enters through small hole in 30S (shown here in center of left side)

The 30S subunit

mRNA then extends up into the place where translation occurs, located in cleft between top part, head, and bottom part, body

So whats the purpose of ribosome?

Ribosome basically a protein factory. Subunits each have role in making of proteins To understand exactly what each subunit does, its necessary to walk through protein synthesis step by step

tRNA

Protein synthesis
Activation of amino acids Initiation of polypeptide chain Elongation Termination

Folding and release

Activation of amino acid

Each tRNA is aminoacylated (or charged) with a specific amino acid by an aminoacyl tRNA synthetase. There is often just one aminoacyl tRNA synthetase for each amino acid, despite the fact that there can be more than one tRNA, and more than one anticodon, for an amino acid.

Reaction: amino acid + ATP aminoacyl-AMP + PPi aminoacyl-AMP + tRNA aminoacyl-tRNA + AMP

Describe how aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases produce charged tRNAs

Charging of a tRNA molecule by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase to produce an aminoacyl-tRNA (charged tRNA).

Initiation of polypeptide chain

30 S sub Unit m RNA N-formylmethionyl- tRNAfMet Initiation factors IF1 IF2 IF3 GTP

30 S + IF 3-------- prevent the recombining with 50 S

30 S+ + IF 3+ mRNA--------------------- with help of initiation codon (AUG)

special signal codon near to the (AUG) (A and G)

30 S+ + IF 3+ mRNA+ IF2+ GTP

Initiation of polypeptide chain

AGGAGGU

Elongation of polypeptide chain

Initiation complex

Next AA tRNA Elogation factors Tu G GTP

Releasing factors R1 R2 S