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Study BS Guide Transcription and Translation
Define, describe or illustrate the following terms:
Promoter
DNA-binding protein
RNA polymerase
genotype
Phenotype
auxotroph
Prototroph
mRNA
TATA box
post transcriptional
-10 box
template
non-template
zipper
elongation
termination
general transcription factor transcription factor
RNA polymerase I
RNA polymerase II
RNA polymerase III
intron
Exon
RNA splicing
Primary transcript
ribozyme
Spliceosome
small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snurp)
5 guanine cap
poly A tail
PolyA polymerase
polyadenylation
ORF
5 and 3 UTR
Alternative splicing
triplet code
Codon
anticodon
Genetic code
wobble
tRNA
rRNA
amino acyl tRNA synthetase charged tRNA
nucleolous
P, A and E sites
peptide
release factor
polysome
post-translational
signal peptide
signal recognition particle (SRP)
point mutation
silent mutation
missense
nonsense
frameshift mutation
allele
Spontaneous mutation
Auxotroph
One gene one enzyme hypothesis
One gene one polypeptide hypothesis
Non-overlapping code
comma-less code
Degenerate code
start codon
Stop codons
Unambiguous code
reverse transcriptase
1. What is the role of the promoter in transcription? In your answer tell what problem
needs to be solved, where the promoter is and what is its relationship to transcription.
2. Given a gene sequence:
5GCGAAATGGAGAATGATGAACTTTAAAACCTTGTTATT 3
3CGCTTTACCTCTTACTACTTGAAATTTTGGAACAATAA 5
Transcribe into an RNA sequence and translate the protein. Use the genetic code in the
text with the following short-hand one letter designation for the amino acids used by
molecular biologists. Ala (A), arg R , asn (N), asp (D), cyc (C ), glu (E), gln (Q), gly (G),
his (H), ile (I), (L), leu lys (K), met (M), phe (F), pro (P), ser (S), thr (T), trp (W), tyr (Y),
val (V).
3. What three RNA processing steps occur to eukaryotic transcripts in the nucleus?
Describe the process and what happens to the transcript if it does not occur.
4. What is the value to the eukaryotic cell to have genes in pieces?
5. Using box structures draw or otherwise describe the structure of a typical prokaryotic
gene and compare it to a typical eukaryotic gene.
6
7.
Describe the contributions made by Garrod, Beadle, and Tatum to our
understanding of the relationship between genes and enzymes
Briefly explain how information flows from gene to protein
8. Compare transcription and translation in bacteria and eukaryotes
9. Explain what it means to say that the genetic code is redundant and unambiguous
10. Explain Cricks reasoning regarding the adaptor hypothesis? How do tRNAs act
as adaptors. Which enzymes couple specific tRNAs to specific amino acids and how
do they do it?
11. Take the mRNA from the Transcription study guide question 4 and describe the steps
of initiation, elongation and termination of translation using it. Include 30 and 50 S
subunits, initiation factors, Shine-Dalgarno sequence, mRNA, f-Met, codon, anticodon,
A, P and E sites, peptide bond, charged amino acid, aminoacyl bond, start and stop
codons.
12. A single mRNA can be translated many times by ribosomes. A new ribosome can
even attach and start translation before other ribosomes have reached the stop codon.
Why is repeated use of a single mRNA advantageous to the cell?
13. Make a table of mutations listing the type, modification in DNA and the effect on
protein function.