GENETIC CODE Dr.
Hamdan Zaki Hamdan
The Central Dogma
of Molecular Biology
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Transfer RNA is needed as
adaptor molecule for the
protein synthesis pathway.
At least there is one tRNA
for each 20 amino acids
involved in the protein
synthesis.
These tRNA has a specific
sequences which bind to the
specific codons through its
anticodon arm.
WHAT IS THE GENETIC CODE?
Codon is a different combination of 4 nucleotide that
composed the DNA (A, G, C and T).
This triplet letter combinations collectively named genetic
code.
This triplet codons is important to understand the protein
synthesis and mutation.
As the codon is composed of three nucleotides, and there
are four nuecltide composed the DNA, so there is about 43
(64) possible combinations.
three out of these 64 codons are non coding codons so
named a termination codons (UAA), (UAG) and (UGA).
The starting amino acid in the protein synthesis always is
methionine, so the initiator codon is (AUG).
FEATURES OF GENETIC CODES
1. The genetic code is a triplet codon.
2. Degeneracy of the code.
This explained by that, only 20 amino acids are needed to
synthesized the cellular protein while the codons total number
are 64.
So every amino acid will be coded for more than one codon.
E.g amino acid serine encoded by 6 codons.
3. The genetic code is unambiguous. Every codon is
specific for single specific amino acid.
4. the genetic code is non-overlapping.
Once the reading process start it should be continue without
skipping the coming nucleotide. So there is no overlapping
in the reading frame.
5. In the genetic code there are no punctuation.
Once reading frame in translation start, there is no
comma or full stop until reaching the termination codons.
6. Genetic code is universal.
This mean that all species of different organisms in
prokaryotes and eukaryotes share the same codes.
Note, there are some exception in the mitochondria. E.g
AUA is read as Methionine and UGA codes for Tryptophan,
AGA and AGG serve as chain terminators.
TRANSFERE RNA ACTIVATION (CHARGING)
This is a two step reaction, first an appropriate amino acid
will be phosphorylated by aminoacyl tRNA synthetase
enzyme to form (Enz*AMP-aa), secondly, an activated
amino acid will attached to the corresponding tRNA to be
bind to CCA arm in tRNA.
This process will be done for each amino acid, and every
amino acid has a specific aminoacyl tRNA synthtase, so
there are about 20 aminoacyl tRNA synthtase enzyme.
IMPORTANCE OF THE DIFFERENT ARMS
IN TRNA
The specific amino acid will bind to the tRNA through the
acceptor arm (CCA-OH).
thymidine-pseudouridine-cytidine (TΨC) arm is involved in
binding of the aminoacyl-tRNA to the ribosomal surface at
the site of protein synthesis.
The anticodon region consists of seven nucleotides , the
sequences will read from 3 to 5 in the anticodon arm of
the tRNA.
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While the reading of the mRNA (and the genetic code)
continue form 5 to 3 direction??!?!? Anti parallel
The anticodon arm composed of 7 nucleotides 3’ any
nucleotide _ alkylated purine–XYZ–pyrimidine–
pyrimidine-5’.
XYZ this is the codon which will bind with the mRNA.
WOBBLING
The degeneracy of the code is defined as multiple codons
will encode for the single amino acid.
For example amino acid Leucine coded by two codons
CUCand CUU.
So the tRNA anticodon sequence should be GAGfor
CUCand GAAfor the CUU.
But in wobbling, both codons could be bind to the same
tRNA anticodon GAG. As they strictly read the first two
nucleotides correctly and the third one is less important.!