Biology (B)

Protein Synthesis

The code of DNA, stored in the base sequences, contains the instructions for the order of assembly of amino acids to make proteins. Each strand of DNA has many, many separate sequences that code for the production of a specific protein. These discrete units of DNA that contain code for the creation of one protein are called genes. Proteins are made up of units called amino acids, and the sequence of bases in DNA codes for the specific sequence of amino acids in a protein.

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There are about 22,000 genes in every human cell. Does every human cell have the same genes? Yes. Does every human cell use the same genes to make the same proteins? No. In a multicellular organism, such as us, cells have specific functions because they have different proteins, and they have different proteins because different genes are expressed in different cell types. Think of gene expression as if all your genes usually are "turned off." Each cell type only "turns on" (or expresses) the genes that have the code for the proteins it needs to use. So different cell types "turn on" different genes, allowing different proteins to be made, giving different cell types different functions.

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However, DNA does not directly coordinate the production of proteins. Remember that DNA is found in the nucleus of the cell, but proteins are made on the ribosomes in the cytoplasm. How do the instructions in the DNA get out to the cytoplasm so that proteins can be made? DNA sends out a message, in the form of RNA (ribonucleic acid), describing how to make the protein. There are three types of RNA directly involved in protein synthesis. Messenger RNA (mRNA) carries the instructions from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. The other two forms of RNA, ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and transfer RNA (tRNA) are involved in the process of ordering the amino acids to make the protein. This process is called translation and will be discussed below. All three RNAs are nucleic acids and are therefore made of nucleotides. The RNA nucleotide is very similar to the DNA nucleotide except for the fact that it contains a different kind of sugar, ribose, and the base uracil (U) replaces the thymine (T) found in DNA.

mRNA is created in a method very similar to DNA synthesis. mRNA is also made up of nucleotide units. The double helix unwinds and the nucleotides follow basically the same base pairing rules to form the correct sequence in the mRNA. This time, however, U pairs with each A in the DNA. In this manner, the genetic code is securely passed on to the mRNA. The process of constructing a mRNA molecule from DNA is known as transcription (Figures below and below).

The mRNA is directly involved in the protein synthesis process and tells the ribosome (Figure below) how to assemble a protein. The base code in the mRNA dictates the order of the amino acids in the protein. But because there are only 4 bases in mRNA and 20 different amino acids, one base cannot directly code for one amino acid. The genetic code in mRNA is read in “words” of three letters (triplets), called codons. For example, GGU encodes for the amino acid glycine, while GUC encodes for valine. This genetic code is universal and used by almost all living things. These codons are read in the ribosome, the organelle responsible for protein synthesis. In the ribosome, tRNA reads the code and brings a specific amino acid to attach to the growing chain of amino acids, which is a protein in the process of being synthesized. Each tRNA carries only one type of amino acid and only recognizes one specific codon. The process of reading the mRNA code in the ribosome to synthesize a protein is called translation (Figure below). There are also three codons, UGA, UAA, and UAG, which indicate that the protein is complete. They do not have an associated amino acid. As no amino acid can be added to the growing polypeptide chain, the protein is complete. The chart in Figure below should be of use in this area of study.