Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Gene Expression
- PROTEINS
- Importance of Proteins
- all enzymes are proteins
- chemical messengers of the body
- make up important structures of the body
- e.g. hair, muslce
- carry O2 around the body
- i.e. haemoglobin
- fight disease
- e.g. antibodies antioxins
- make up important parts of the cell membrane
- Structure of Proteins
- main elements making up amino acids:
- carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen
- amino acids join together in a long chain forming a protein
- there are 20 diff amino acids
- held together by peptide bonds
- many amino acids joined together = polypeptide chain
- proteins are polymers
- i.e. large molecule made of many repeating units
- can be either:
- long and stringy
- fibrous proteins
- folded into almost circular balls or globs
- globular proteins
- divided into 4 diff stages
- primary structure:
- amino acids joined to form polypeptide strands
- secondary structure:
- polypeptide strands form alpha helixes or Beta pleated sheets
- Tertiary structure
- polypeptides fold, forming specific shapes
- Quarternary structure
- two or more folded polypeptides assemble to form larger protein molecules
- a functional unit made of 1 or more polypeptide chains
- produced from instructions of genes
- gene: length of DNA that codes for a ppolypeptide
- PROTEINSYNTHESIS
- RNA
- Ribonucleic acid
- mRNA
- messenger RNA
- carries genetic info from DNA to ribosomes so that photosynthesis can occur
- long single stranded chain (molecule) made in nucleus
- long string of nucleotides grouped in sets of 3 bases called codons
- each codon codes fora specific amino aid
- tRNA
- picks up amino acids from cytoplasm and carries it to ribosomes
- amino acids are joined together to make a polypeptide chain at ribosomes
- clover leaf shaped molecule
- has a 3 base anticodon
- complementary to codon on mRNA
- and an amino acid attachment site at other end
- each tRNA molecule is able to pick up only 1 type of amino acid
- rRNA
- makes up part of the structure of the ribosomes
- holds together the mRNA and tRNA so that peptide bond b/w amino acids can be formed
- rRNA made in nucleolus of the cell
- Transcription
- a section of DNA unwinds and mRNA strand is produced using the template strand
- using the base-pairing rule except Thymine is replaced by Uracil
- When RNA polymerase reaches the terminator sequence, transcription is completed
- mRNA strand detaches and 2 DNA strands re-join and helix reforms
- where DNA's code is transcribed onto the mRNA in the nucleus
- Translation
- mRNA molecule latches onto a ribosome and protein synthesis is initiated by a start codon
- through complementary base pairing, tRNA attaches anticodons on the codons
- as amino acids on the other end of the tRNA bind together (by peptide bonds) forming a polypeptide chain
- as more amino acids are added, the next tRNA falls into place.
- the tRNA molecule separates and a functioning protein is formed when a stop codon is reached on the DNA
- these polypeptide chains fold into 3D shapes to function
- each tRNA molecule is able to pick up only 1 type of amino acid
- THE GENETIC CODE
- living things use 20 amino acids to produce proteins
- combination of amino acids is controlled by 4 diff bases
- Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, Cytosine
- as there are 20 amino acids, each must be coded for by 3 nucleotides
- this is the triplet code on DNA and has a corresponding 3 nucleotides on mRNA called codons
- there are 64 different codons and only 20 amino acids, most amino acids are coded for by more than 2 codon
- This redundancy in the code is called degeneracy.
- it buffers the effect of mutations
- if only 1 base changes, in the 3rd position,
- it doesnt necessarily change the amino acid picked up, the same amino acid in coded for
- genetic code is universal
- the same codons code for the same amino acids in plants, fungi, bacteria and viruses
- 1 codon codes for amino acid methionine
- (AUG) start signal
- termination/stop codons
- UAA
- UAG
- UGA
- MUTATION
- permanent change in the DNA
- mutagenic agents: something that causes a mutation
- can be chemicals, or forms of energy
- Point mutations
- small changes in the base sequences.
- can happen in DNA replication just before meiosis or by mistakes made during crossing over
- affect only a single gene
- alters one nucleotide
- can be:
- neutral
- have no effect on functioning of polypeptide chain produced
- due to degeneracy of the code
- change in a single base usually in the third position of triplet
- may result in same amino acid being coded for
- if a new amino acid is coded for at a position of polypeptide chain
- that does not form part of the active site of the enzyme
- if shape of active site is unchanged, enzyme is likely to function
- beneficial
- change of an amino acid may alter shape of protein allowing it to function better than before
- harmful
- if the change in shape of polypeptide chain changes active site
- may decrease the functioning of enzyme or stop it working at all
- may introduce a stop codon and prematurely stop the formation of polypeptide chain
- result in necessary protein not being formed
- as a result, a function critical to life may not occur
- Types of point mutations
- Deletion
- one base is removed from the DNA sequence
- causes a reading frame shift
- i,e. every amino acid coded for after this mutation will be different
- usually produce a non-functioning protein
- harmful to the organism