CELS191 Lecture on Gene Expression: Transcription

Flashcards covering vocabulary and concepts from Lecture 11 on Gene Expression and Transcription.

Central Dogma of Molecular Biology

Describes the flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein.

Transcription

The process by which an RNA molecule is synthesized from a DNA template.

RNA Polymerase II

An enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of RNA from a DNA template during transcription.

Template Strand

The DNA strand that is transcribed to produce a complementary RNA strand.

mRNA (messenger RNA)

The RNA product of transcription that carries the coding information from DNA to the ribosome for protein synthesis.

Eukaryotic Gene Structure

Includes coding sequences, non-coding sequences, and regulatory elements that control gene expression.

5' UTR (Untranslated Region)

A region of mRNA that precedes the coding sequence, important for regulation.

3' UTR (Untranslated Region)

A region of mRNA that follows the coding sequence, which contains regulatory sequences and is involved in mRNA stability.

Promoter

A DNA sequence that RNA polymerase binds to initiate transcription.

Splicing

The process of removing introns from pre-mRNA to produce mature mRNA.

Non-coding RNA

RNA molecules that do not translate into proteins and can have regulatory roles.

Poly-A tail

A string of adenine nucleotides added to the 3' end of mRNA, which increases stability and aids in export from the nucleus.

Elongation

The stage of transcription where the RNA strand is extended as RNA polymerase adds nucleotides.

Transcription Factors

Proteins that influence the transcription of specific genes by binding to nearby DNA.

Gene Expression

The process by which information from a gene is utilized to synthesize a functional product, either a protein or a non-coding RNA.

Codon

A sequence of three nucleotides in mRNA that specifies a particular amino acid.