unit 02: transcription and translation (midterm)

base-stacking attraction

stabilizes strands and supports H-bonds

• ID-ID or ID-PD

gene

sequence of DNA that produces an RNA molecule

promoter

DNA sequence where regulatory proteins called transcription factors bind to recruit the RNA polymerase

coding region

complete sequence of a transcript

terminator

sequence where transcription stops, and the transcript is released

RNA polymerase

enzyme that transcribes RNA

general transcription factor complex

• minimum complex needed to initiate transcription in eukaryotes
  can be activated/repressed by proteins bound to enhancer sequences

sigma factor

protein that recruits RNA polymerase in bacteria

exons

expressed regions that code for amino acids

introns

intervening sequences that do not code for anything

spliceosomes

protein complexes in the nucleus that recognize splice junction sequences, cut at the junction, and link the exons together

splice variants

different splicing patterns that contain different exons

transfer RNA (tRNA)

deliver amino acids to the ribosome

anticodons

three nucleotide sequence on a tRNA molecule that complementary base pairs with the codons in an mRNA

aminoacyl tRNA synthetases

link uncharged tRNAs to their appropriate amino acids

ribosome

structures made up of rRNA and protein that bind with mRNA and are the site of translation

ribosomal RNA (rRNA)

catalyzes the peptide bond

wobble effect

the 5’ nucleotide of the anticodon can be modified to permit binding to more than one nucleotide