Unit 2

THE MOLECULAR AND BIOCHEMICAL

BASIS OF AN ORGANISM
• Protein synthesis

Dr. (Mrs) Chandana mohanty

Faculty of Biological Sciences

KIIT University
 Protein synthesis
• Protein synthesis is one of the most fundamental biological
processes by which individual cells build their specific proteins.
• It is a multiple step process involves transcription and
translation.
 What is needed for protein synthesis
RNA: mRNA: It carries genetic information from DNA
and translate it to corresponding proteins.
¬ Linear structure.

t RNA : It transport amino acid to the site of protein

synthesis.
¬ Each t RNA transport only one specific amino acid. t RNA Ribosomes
¬ Clover leaf model structure ¬ The anticoden of t RNA contain
nitrogen base complementary to m RNA.

Ribomes: It contain 2 subunits. ¬ In eukaryotes 40 s and

60 s. ¬ In prokaryotes 30 s and 50 s
¬ Made up of 60 % r RNA and 40 % proteins
• Aminoacid: Protein is synthesized by the sequential addition
of amino acids to the carboxyl end of the growing peptide chain.
• Total 20 amino acid participate in protein synthesis.
 Steps of protein synthesis
1. Transcription

2 Translation
 Transcription - Steps
Initiation: RNA Polymerase enzymes binds to DNA.

Elongation: As the RNA Polymerase moves downstream

unwinding of DNA happens and the new RNA strand
gets synthesized. The direction of synthesis is always 5'
to 3‘. Uracil (U) is used in place of thymine (T)
during making of RNA strand

Termination: RNA will stop adding complementary

sequences once it receives a stop signal. RNA
polymerase leaves the DNA strand. mRNA falls of and
this form a RNA is known as pre-mRNA.
 mRNA Splicing
• There are some parts of the RNA sequence that aren’t involved in
coding for proteins. These parts are called introns, and the
introns must be removed from mRNA.
• The parts of RNA that are involved in coding are called Exons
• Pre-mRNA has to be edited in order to remove the introns and
make a complete coding set. This is achieved by a process called
splicing
 Genetic code Examples:
How the code is read: AUG = Methionine
a. Every 3 bases on mRNA CAU = Histidine
represents a code for an amino
acid = codon. UAG/UAA/ UGA= Stop

b. Amino acids are abbreviated

most times by using the first 3
letters of the amino acid’s name.
• Met = methonine
• Leu = leucine
Characteristics of the genetic code:
Triplet nature
Code that was triplet. These three letter codes of nucleotides (AUG, AAA, etc.) are called codons. Genetic code for 64
different combinations (4 X 4 X 4) genetic code and provide plenty of information in the DNA molecule to specify the
placement of all 20 amino acids.
Degeneracy
The code is degenerate which means that the same amino acid is coded by more than one base triplet. For example, the
amino acids leucine coded by UUA and UUG.
Nonoverlapping
The genetic code is nonoverlapping, i.e.,the adjacent codons do not overlap. A nonoverlapping code means that the same
letter is not used for two different codons.
Commaless
There is no signal to indicate the end of one codon and the beginning of the next. The genetic code is commaless (or comma-
free).
Non-ambiguity
The same codon shall not code for two or more different amino acids (non-ambiguous).
Universality
Although the code is based on work conducted on the bacterium Escherichia coli but it is valid for other organisms. This
important characteristic of the genetic code is called its universality. It means that the same sequences of 3 bases encode the
same amino acids in all life forms from simple microorganisms to complex, multicelled organisms such as human beings.
Polarity
The genetic code has polarity, that is, the code is always read in a fixed direction, i.e., in the 5′ → 3′ direction.
2. Translation- Steps

• mRNA binds to 30S unit.

• The tRNA for Methionine binds at the start
codon and initiates the translation process.
• Later on 50S joins to form Iniatiation
complex.
• Iniatiation complex has two sites P or
peptidyl site and A or Aminoacyl site.
2. Translation
• The tRNA brings the proper amino acid to the ribosome.
• The A site where the t RNA anticoden bind to the mRNA coden.
• The P site where the tRNA adds aminoacid to polypeptide chain
• The amino acids are joined together by chemical bonds called peptide bonds
to build an amino acid chain called a “polypeptide
• Start codons: found at the beginning of a protein
• Only one - AUG (methionine)
• Stop codons: found at the end of a protein (end of a polypeptide chain)
• Three stop codons that do not code for any amino acid therefore making the
process stop : UAA, UAG,UGA
 SUMMARY

• Cell machinery for protein synthesis

• Steps in protein synthesis
• Transcription and translation