Slide 1  ___________________________________ 

Chapter 17

From Gene to Protein ___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 
PowerPoint® Lecture Presentations for

Biology
Eighth Edition
Neil Campbell and Jane Reece
___________________________________ 
Lectures by Chris Romero, updated by Erin Barley with contributions from Joan Sharp
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings
 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

Slide 2  Gene Expression ___________________________________ 

Which of the following is the best example of gene
expression? Why?
___________________________________ 
a. A frog adapts to variation in its environmental
temperature.
b. Mouse fur color results from pigment formed by gene-
encoded enzymes. ___________________________________ 
c. DNA is replicated during the S phase of the cell cycle.
d. The percent of A versus a alleles (alleles are variations
in genes) in a population is altered by natural
selection.
___________________________________ 
e. Mutation alters the sequence of a region of DNA.
 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

Slide 3  The Products of Gene Expression: A Developing ___________________________________ 

Story
Much of what we know about the relationship
between genes and proteins came from the
study of metabolic disorders.
___________________________________ 
The following hypotheses were proposed:
True or False, and why?: ___________________________________ 
• One gene – one enzyme hypothesis
• One gene–one protein hypothesis
___________________________________ 
• One gene–one polypeptide hypothesis
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings
 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 
Slide 4  DNA inherited by organisms lead to specific traits ___________________________________ 
Which of the following illustrate genotype? Phenotype?

Nucleotide #17 - Adenine (A) is

replaced by Thymine (T), resulting
___________________________________ 
in a Val for Glu substitution at
amino acid #6.

___________________________________ 
A BRCA1
mutation

___________________________________ 
Breast Cancer Cell

Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings

 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

Slide 5  Overview: The Flow of Genetic Information ___________________________________ 

• Proteins are the link between genotype and phenotype
• The information content of DNA is in the form of specific
sequences of nucleotides called genes, which “code for” RNA
___________________________________ 
and proteins.
• Gene expression, the process by which DNA directs protein
synthesis, includes two stages:
___________________________________ 
1. Transcription
2. Translation
• The central dogma is the concept that cells are governed by a
cellular chain of command: DNA → RNA→ Protein
___________________________________ 
– Are there exceptions?
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings
 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

Slide 6  Basic Principles of Transcription and Translation ___________________________________ 

• Transcription is the synthesis of RNA under
the direction of DNA. RNA is the intermediate
between genes and the proteins for which they
___________________________________ 
code.
– A primary transcript is the initial RNA transcript from
any gene ___________________________________ 
– Processing of the primary transcript produces
messenger RNA (mRNA)

• Translation is the synthesis of a polypeptide, ___________________________________ 

which occurs under the direction of mRNA
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings
 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 
Slide 7  ___________________________________ 
Fig. 17-3a-2

• In prokaryotes, mRNA produced by

transcription is immediately translated without
more processing. Is it the same for eukaryotes?
___________________________________ 

DNA
TRANSCRIPTION

mRNA
___________________________________ 
Ribosome
TRANSLATION

Polypeptide
___________________________________ 
(a) Bacterial cell

 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

Slide 8  ___________________________________ 
Fig. 17-3b-3

Nuclear
envelope
• In a eukaryotic
cell, the nuclear
DNA envelope separates
TRANSCRIPTION

Primary RNA
transcription from ___________________________________ 
RNA PROCESSING transcript translation

mRNA • Eukaryotic RNA

(primary) transcripts ___________________________________ 
are modified
TRANSLATION Ribosome through RNA
processing to yield
Polypeptide finished mRNA ___________________________________ 
(b) Eukaryotic cell
 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

Slide 9  ___________________________________ 
• During transcription, only one of the two DNA
strands, called the template strand, provides a ___________________________________ 
template for producing the RNA transcript
• During translation, the mRNA base triplets,
called codons, are read in the 5′ to 3′ direction
___________________________________ 
• Each codon specifies the amino acid to be
placed at the corresponding position along a
polypeptide
___________________________________ 
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings
 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 
Slide 10  ___________________________________ 
Fig. 17-4

Gene 2
DNA
molecule
Gene 1
Can both strands
Gene 3
serve as a template at
different times? ___________________________________ 
DNA
template Does the same strand
strand serve as the template
for the same gene

TRANSCRIPTION
each time it is
transcribed? ___________________________________ 
Is the RNA produced
mRNA complimentary
Codon or identical to the DNA
TRANSLATION template? ___________________________________ 
Protein

Amino acid
 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

Slide 11  ___________________________________ 
LMNA Gene

___________________________________ 
5’-AGGAGGACCTATTAGAGCCTTTGCCCCGG-3’
3’-TCCTCCTGGATAATCTCGGAAACGGGGCC-5’

If the top strand serves as the template, what would the RNA ___________________________________ 
sequence be?

If the bottom strand serves as the template, what would the RNA
Sequence be?
___________________________________ 
Would these two RNA molecules both produce the
LMNA protein?
 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

Slide 12  ___________________________________ 
Fig. 17-5
The Genetic Code • 20 amino acids
Second mRNA base
• 64 codons:
• 61 = code for
amino acids
• 3 = stop signals ___________________________________ 
Third mRNA base (3′ end of codon)
First mRNA base (5′ end of codon)

• Genetic code is
redundant
(degenerate base)
• No codon specifies
>1 unique amino
___________________________________ 
acid
• Genetic code is
nearly universal (a
few exceptions) ___________________________________ 
• Must be read in
frame (like words in
a book)  
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 
Slide 13  Genetic Code ___________________________________ 
These examples demonstrate the ability of genes
from one species to be expressed in a different
species. This is possible because of which property
of the genetic code?
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

Slide 14  Transcription ___________________________________ 

Describe what is
occurring at each of
the stages of ___________________________________ 
transcription:

1. Initiation
2. Elongation ___________________________________ 
3. Termination

___________________________________ 

 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

Slide 15  ___________________________________ 
Fig. 17-8
1 A eukaryotic promoter
includes a TATA box
Promoter
Template
Initiation
5′ 3′
3′ 5′
TATA box Start point Template
DNA strand

Transcription
2 Several transcription factors must
bind to the DNA before RNA
___________________________________ 
factors polymerase II can do so.
5′ 3′
3′ 5′

3 Additional transcription factors bind to

the DNA along with RNA polymerase II,
___________________________________ 
forming the transcription initiation complex.
RNA polymerase II
Transcription factors

5′
3′ 5′
3′
5′ ___________________________________ 
RNA transcript
Transcription initiation complex
 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 
Slide 16  RNA Polymerase Binding and Initiation of ___________________________________ 
Transcription
• Promoter - RNA sequence that signal the
initiation of RNA synthesis - A promoter called
a TATA box is crucial in forming the initiation ___________________________________ 
complex in eukaryotes
• Transcription factors mediate the binding of
RNA polymerase II and the initiation of
transcription in eukaryotes
___________________________________ 
• The completed assembly of transcription
factors and RNA polymerase II bound to a
promoter is called a transcription initiation ___________________________________ 
complex
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings
 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

Slide 17  Elongation of the RNA Strand ___________________________________ 

• As RNA polymerase moves along the DNA, the double helix is
untwisted, 10 to 20 bases at a time, and RNA pol II adds
ribonucleotides in the 5’ to 3’ direction.
___________________________________ 
• Transcription progresses at a rate of 40 nucleotides per second in
eukaryotes, but a gene can be transcribed simultaneously by several
RNA polymerases (increasing the amount of RNA transcribed)

___________________________________ 
Roger Kornberg
Nobel Prize, 2006
___________________________________ 
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings
 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

Slide 18  Termination of Transcription ___________________________________ 

• The mechanisms of termination are different in
bacteria and eukaryotes ___________________________________ 
• In bacteria, the polymerase stops transcription
at the end of the terminator sequence, RNA pol
detaches and the mRNA is released
___________________________________ 
• In eukaryotes, the polymerase continues
transcription after the pre-mRNA is cleaved
from the growing RNA chain; the polymerase
eventually falls off the DNA ___________________________________ 
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings
 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 
Slide 19  ___________________________________ 
Fig. 17-9

RNA Processing - Modifications

Enzymes in the eukaryotic nucleus modify pre-mRNA (primary transcript)
before the genetic messages are dispatched to the cytoplasm.

Protein-coding segment Polyadenylation signal

___________________________________ 
5′ 3′
G P P P AAUAAA AAA…AAA

5′ Cap 5′ UTR Start codon Stop codon 3′ UTR Poly-A tail

___________________________________ 
During RNA processing, both ends of the primary transcript are usually
altered with the addition of a:

1.5’ cap – modified guanine is added after 20-40 nts are transcribed
2.poly-A tail – 50 to 250 adenines are added to the 3’ end (at a
polyadenylation signal, AAUAAA)
___________________________________ 
What are the functions of these modifications?

 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

Slide 20  ___________________________________ 
Fig. 17-10

RNA Processing - Splicing

5′ Exon Intron Exon Intron Exon 3′
Pre-mRNA 5′ Cap
1 30 31 104 105 146
Poly-A tail
___________________________________ 
Introns cut out and
Coding exons spliced together
segment

mRNA 5′ Cap
___________________________________ 
Poly-A tail
1 146
5′ UTR 3′ UTR

• RNA splicing removes introns and joins exons, creating an

mRNA molecule with a continuous coding sequence ___________________________________ 
• there is a signal sequence for splicing at the end of each
intron, recognized by snRNPs, which carry out the splicing
 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

Slide 21  The Functional and Evolutionary Importance of ___________________________________ 

Introns
• Some genes can encode more than one kind of polypeptide
• Such variations result from alternative RNA splicing ___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings
 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 
Slide 22  Dystrophin Gene and its Many Transcripts ___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

Gene has eight independent, tissue-specific promoters ___________________________________ 

 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

Slide 23  ___________________________________ 
Fig. 17-12
Gene
DNA
Exon 1 Intron Exon 2 Intron Exon 3

Transcription
Proteins often have a

RNA processing
modular architecture
consisting of discrete ___________________________________ 
regions called
domains.
Translation
In many cases,

Domain 3
different exons code
for the different
___________________________________ 
domains in a protein.

Domain 2 Exon shuffling may

Domain 1
result in the evolution
of new proteins ___________________________________ 
Polypeptide
 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

Slide 24  ___________________________________ 
Fig. 17-11-3
RNA transcript (pre-mRNA)
5′
Exon 1 Intron Exon 2
In some cases, RNA
Protein
Other
splicing is carried out
snRNA proteins by spliceosomes –
snRNPs complexes of
proteins and several
___________________________________ 
Spliceosome
small nuclear
ribonucleoproteins
5′
(snRNPs) that
recognize the splice ___________________________________ 
sites

Spliceosome
components
Cut-out
___________________________________ 
intron
mRNA
5′
Exon 1 Exon 2
 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 
Slide 25  Ribozymes ___________________________________ 
• Ribozymes are catalytic RNA molecules that function as enzymes and
can splice RNA (molecular scissors) – self-splicing and trans-splicing
• The discovery of ribozymes rendered obsolete the belief that all ___________________________________ 
biological catalysts were proteins
• Three properties of RNA enable it to function as an enzyme
– It can form a three-dimensional structure because of its ability to
base pair with itself
– Some bases in RNA contain ___________________________________ 
functional groups
– RNA may hydrogen-bond with
other nucleic acid molecules

___________________________________ 
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings
 
___________________________________ 

___________________________________ 

___________________________________