What are the steps involved in protein synthesis?
Responses
Active and passive transport
Active and passive transport
Diffusion and Osmosis
Diffusion and Osmosis
Replication and differentiation
Replication and differentiation
Transcription and Translation
Transcription and Translation are the steps involved in protein synthesis.
1. Transcription: This is the first step in protein synthesis where the DNA sequence of a gene is copied into a complementary messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule. The enzyme RNA polymerase binds to the DNA at the start of the gene and "reads" the DNA sequence, creating a complementary mRNA strand.
2. RNA processing: The newly formed mRNA molecule undergoes post-transcriptional modifications in the nucleus. This includes the removal of non-coding regions called introns and the joining together of coding regions called exons to form a mature mRNA molecule.
3. mRNA transport: The mature mRNA molecule is then transported out of the nucleus and into the cytoplasm, where protein synthesis will occur.
4. Translation: This is the second step in protein synthesis where the mRNA sequence is read by ribosomes to synthesize a protein. The ribosome binds to the mRNA at the start codon (usually AUG) and reads the mRNA sequence in groups of three nucleotides called codons. Each codon corresponds to a specific amino acid, and tRNA molecules carrying the matching amino acids bring them to the ribosome. The amino acids are then joined together to form a polypeptide chain.
5. Protein folding and modifications: After translation, the newly synthesized protein may undergo further modifications, such as folding into its final three-dimensional shape and attaching to other molecules such as sugars (glycosylation) or lipids (lipidation) to form a functional protein.
6. Protein transport and localization: Some proteins may need to be transported to specific locations within the cell or outside the cell to carry out their functions. This can involve vesicle-mediated transport or other mechanisms.
Overall, the steps in protein synthesis involve the transcription of DNA into mRNA, the processing and transport of mRNA, the translation of mRNA into a polypeptide chain, and the modification and localization of the synthesized protein.