Gene Expression- Transcription Worksheet

Gene Expression—Transcription How is mRNA synthesized and what message does it carry? Why? DNA is often referred to as a genetic blueprint. In the same way that blueprints contain the instructions for construction of a building, the DNA found inside the nuclei of cells contains the instructions for assembling a living organism. The DNA blueprint carries its instructions in the form of genes. In most cases the genes direct the production of a polypeptide, from which other more complex proteins, such as enzymes or hormones, may be constructed. These polypeptides and other molecules run the organism’s metabolism and, in multicellular organisms, dictate what each cell’s job is. So, what is the language of these instructions and how are they read and decoded by the cellular organelles? This activity will focus on the decoding of genes in eukaryotes. Model 1 – Transcription 1. Consider the eukaryotic cell in Model 1. a. Where in the cell is the DNA found? Nucleus b. Where in the cell does transcription take place? Inside nucleus 2. Refer to Model 1. a. What polymer is synthesized during transcription? pre-mRNA b. What monomers are used to construct this polymer and where are they found? Free RNA nucleotides, they are found inside the nucleus 3. According to Model 1, what enzyme is required for transcription? (Hint: Think about how enzymes are named. What ending is used for enzyme names?) RNA polymerase, the ending ase is used for enzyme names 4. Refer to Model 1. a. What is the base-pair rule for a DNA strand matching an RNA strand? G-G and vice versa, T-A, A-U b. Compare this base-pair rule with that of two DNA strands. DNA also pairs T with A because DNA doesn’t have uracil 5. Which strand of the DNA contains the “blueprint” for the pre-mRNA? Template strand 6. Consider Model 1. a. In which direction is the DNA molecule read? 3’ to 5’ b. The DNA strand and pre-mRNA strand are anti-parallel. With this in mind label the 3ʹ and 5ʹ ends of the pre-mRNA strand in Model 1. Left 3’, Right 5’ c. In which direction is the pre-mRNA molecule constructed? 5’ to 3’ 7. Before printing presses were available, books had to be transcribed in order to share the information in them. Consider the definition of transcription and explain why the process in Model 1 is described using that word. Transcribing something means making an exact copy of it. Transcription of DNA is the copying of the genetic information contained in DNA to RNA. Read This! In eukaryotes the enzyme RNA polymerase joins with several transcription factor proteins at the promoter, which is a special sequence of base pairs on the DNA template strand that signals the beginning of a gene. The transcription factor proteins, along with the RNA polymerase, is called the transcription initiation complex. This moves along the DNA template strand at about 40 base pairs per second producing pre-mRNA. When the RNA polymerase reaches the terminator sequence of base pairs on the DNA template strand, it completes the production of pre-mRNA and releases it into the nucleoplasm. 8. What parts make up the transcription initiation complex? RNA polymerase and transcription factors 9. Where on the DNA strand does the transcription initiation complex form? Promoter 10. Nearly all cells in an organism contain identical DNA, and each DNA strand may contain hundreds or thousands of individual genes. Is it likely that a cell would transcribe all the genes within its nucleus simultaneously? Justify your answer using complete sentences. No, because cells only transcribe genes to make specific proteins when they are needed 11. Considering the many types of cells in a multicellular organism, and their different functions, is it likely that all cells transcribe all their genes at some point in their lifetime? Justify your answer using complete sentences. No, because certain genes will be activated in some cells where they are needed, and deactivate in others where they are not needed. Model 2 – mRNA Processing 12. Compare the pre-mRNA to the mRNA leaving the nucleus in Model 1. a. What has been removed from the pre-mRNA to make it into mRNA? Intron b. What has been added to the mRNA that was not present in the pre-mRNA, and where on the mRNA strand are the additional items located? A, methyl cap was added to the 5’ end of the mRNA, and a poly-A tail was added to the 3’ end 13. Identify the structure through which the mRNA leaves the nucleus. Nuclear pore 14. The nucleotides on the mRNA will be “read” in the next step to producing a polypeptide. What sequence of bases indicates the starting point for the polypeptide “blueprint”? AUG 15. The “m” in mRNA is short for “messenger.” Why is this molecule called messenger RNA? The mRNA molecule is like a messenger because it carries the code for a polypeptide from the nucleus to the cytoplasm or ribosome. Read This! Introns are sections of pre-mRNA that are noncoding. That is, they don’t provide useful information for the production of the polypeptide being synthesized. There is evidence that suggests these introns allow certain sections of DNA to code for different polypeptides when different sections are removed. The removal of specific sections is triggered by a signal response in the cell. The portions of the pre-mRNA that remain are called exons. The methyl cap (sometimes called the GTP cap or 5ʹ cap) helps the mRNA molecule move through the nuclear pore and attach to a ribosome, its final destination. mRNA is a short lived molecule. Once in the cytoplasm the mRNA will be subject to exonucleases that immediately start removing individual nucleotides from the 3ʹ end of a nucleic acid. The individual mRNA nucleotides will then be free to be used again during the process of transcription. 16. The human genome contains about 25,000 genes and yet produces about 100,000 different polypeptides. Propose an explanation of how this is possible. Introns allow certain sections of DNA to code for different polypeptides when different sections are removed. 17. Using the information in the Read This! box, develop a hypothesis to explain the advantage of the poly-A tail added to the 3ʹ end of the mRNA. The poly-A tail prevents the information carrying part of the mRNA from being removed by the exonucleases before a polypeptide can be formed 18. Different mRNA molecules can have poly-A tails of different lengths. Considering the purpose of adding the poly-A tail (from the previous question), why are some tails longer than others? Justify your answer using complete sentences. Some tails are longer than others because proteins that are needed for long periods of time will come from mRNA with long poly-A tails, while proteins that are needed for brief periods of time will come from mRNA with shorter poly-A tails 19. Summarize the steps of transcription. pre-mRNA is made from the DNA template strand by the transcription initiation complex, which starts at the promoter. When the RNA polymerase reaches the terminator sequence of base pairs on the DNA template strand, it releases the pre-mRNA into the nucleoplasm, introns are then removed and the methyl cap and poly-A tail are added to form mRNA. Extension Questions 20. What type of biological molecule is an exonuclease? enzyme 21. Free nucleotides must be available in a cell’s nucleus to produce mRNA strands. Where do these free nucleotides come from? Cytoplasm 22. Even though bacterial cells do not contain a nucleus, transcription occurs in a similar way to eukaryotic cells. How might biologists use transcription mechanisms to support the theory of evolution? Since the genetic code is universal, meaning all living organisms use the same nucleotides in the DNA and mRNA, we can use slight variations in the code to determine relationships among species and how they are connected(common ancestor).