Is the information in DNA decoded by transcription?

The instructions stored within DNA are read and processed by a cell in two steps: transcription and translation. Each of these steps is a separate biochemical process involving multiple molecules. During transcription, a portion of the cell's DNA serves as a template for creation of an RNA molecule .

What happens when DNA goes through transcription?

DNA transcription produces a single-stranded RNA molecule that is complementary to one strand of DNA . Transcription, however, differs from DNA replication in several crucial ways. Unlike a newly formed DNA strand, the RNA strand does not remain hydrogen-bonded to the DNA template strand.

What is the process of decoding DNA called?

The process of translation can be seen as the decoding of instructions for making proteins, involving mRNA in transcription as well as tRNA.

Is DNA directly involved in transcription?

Transcription is the process by which the information in a strand of DNA is copied into a new molecule of messenger RNA (mRNA). DNA safely and stably stores genetic material in the nuclei of cells as a reference, or template.

What is transcription in DNA simple?

Listen to pronunciation. (tran-SKRIP-shun) In biology, the process by which a cell makes an RNA copy of a piece of DNA . This RNA copy, called messenger RNA (mRNA), carries the genetic information needed to make proteins in a cell.

What are the 4 steps of transcription?

Transcription is the name given to the process in which DNA is copied to make a complementary strand of RNA. RNA then undergoes translation to make proteins. The major steps of transcription are initiation, promoter clearance, elongation, and termination .

What does transcription make?

Transcription is the process in which a gene's DNA sequence is copied (transcribed) to make an RNA molecule. RNA polymerase is the main transcription enzyme.

Sequencing is the process of decoding the 3 billion parts of our DNA , of determining the precise order of the four “bases”—adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C)—that comprise the entire human genetic code.

Do all cells need ribosomes?

All cells need ribosomes to make the proteins necessary for life. These multi-component molecular machines build complex proteins by stitching building blocks together according to instructions encoded in the cell's messenger RNAs.

What are the three basic stages of transcription?

Stages of Transcription The process of DNA transcription can be split into 3 main stages: initiation, elongation & termination. These steps are also involved in DNA replication.

Why can't DNA make proteins?

For the DNA to produce proteins directly, it would have to translocate to the cytoplasm. During the process of translocating, the DNA could get damaged because of the osmotic nature of cytoplasm. To mitigate the damage, the cellular machinery does not use DNA to produce proteins directly .

What begins the process of transcription?

The Transcription Process. The process of transcription begins when an enzyme called RNA polymerase (RNA pol) attaches to the template DNA strand and begins to catalyze production of complementary RNA.

Does DNA encode information?

DNA encodes information through the order, or sequence, of the nucleotides along each strand . Each base—A, C, T, or G—can be considered as a letter in a four-letter alphabet that spells out biological messages in the chemical structure of the DNA.

Does transcription or translation start with DNA?

After the transcription of DNA to mRNA is complete, translation — or the reading of these mRNAs to make proteins — begins .

The Information in DNA Is Decoded by Transcription (2024)

How does transcription proceed?

Transcription begins when an enzyme called RNA polymerase attaches to the DNA template strand and beginsassembling a new chain of nucleotides to produce a complementary RNA strand. There are multiple types of types of RNA. In eukaryotes, there are multiple types of RNA polymerase which make the various types of RNA. In prokaryotes, a single RNA polymerase makes all types of RNA. Generally speaking,polymerases are large enzymes that work together with a number of otherspecialized cell proteins. These cell proteins, called transcription factors, help determine which DNA sequences should betranscribed and precisely when the transcription process should occur.

Initiation

Figure 1:Transcription begins when RNA polymerase binds to the DNA template strand.

The first step in transcription is initiation. Duringthis step, RNA polymerase and its associated transcription factors bind to theDNA strand at a specific area that facilitates transcription (Figure 1). Thisarea, known as a promoter region,often includes a specialized nucleotide sequence, TATAAA, which is also calledthe TATA box (not shown in Figure1)

Strand elongation

Figure 2:RNA polymerase (green) synthesizes a strand of RNA that is complementary to the DNA template strand below it.

Once RNA polymerase and its relatedtranscription factors are in place, the single-stranded DNA is exposed andready for transcription. At this point, RNA polymerase begins moving down theDNA template strand in the 3' to 5' direction, and as it does so, it stringstogether complementary nucleotides. By virtue of complementary base- pairing,this action creates a new strand of mRNA that is organized in the 5' to 3'direction. As the RNA polymerase continues down the strand of DNA, more nucleotidesare added to the mRNA, thereby forming a progressively longer chain ofnucleotides (Figure 2). This process is called elongation.

Figure 3: DNA (top) includes thymine (red); in RNA (bottom), thymine is replaced with uracil (yellow).

Three of the four nitrogenous bases that make up RNA — adenine (A), cytosine (C), and guanine (G) — are also found in DNA. In RNA, however, a base called uracil (U) replaces thymine (T) as the complementary nucleotide to adenine (Figure 3). This means that during elongation, the presence of adenine in the DNA template strand tells RNA polymerase to attach a uracil in the corresponding area of the growing RNA strand (Figure 4).

Figure 4: A sample section of RNA bases (upper row) paired with DNA bases (lower row). When this base-pairing happens, RNA uses uracil (yellow) instead of thymine to pair with adenine (green) in the DNA template below.

Interestingly, this base substitution is not the only difference between DNA and RNA. A second major difference between the two substances is that RNA is made in a single-stranded, nonhelical form. (Remember, DNA is almost always in a double-stranded helical form.) Furthermore, RNA contains ribose sugar molecules, which are slightly different than the deoxyribosemolecules found in DNA. As its name suggests, ribose has more oxygen atoms than deoxyribose.

Thus, the elongation period of transcription creates a new mRNA molecule from a single template strand of DNA. As the mRNA elongates, it peels away from the template as it grows (Figure 5). This mRNA molecule carries DNA's message from the nucleus to ribosomes in the cytoplasm, where proteins are assembled. However, before it can do this, the mRNA strand must separate itself from the DNA template and, in some cases, it must also undergo an editing process of sort.

Figure 5:During elongation, the new RNA strand becomes longer and longer as the DNA template is transcribed. In this view, the 5' end of the RNA strand is in the foreground. Note the inclusion of uracil (yellow) in RNA.

Termination and editing

Figure 6:In eukaryotes, noncoding regions called introns are often removed from newly synthesized mRNA.

Figure Detail

As previously mentioned, mRNA cannot perform its assignedfunction within a cell until elongation ends and the new mRNA separates from theDNA template. This process is referred to as termination. In eukaryotes, the process of termination can occur inseveral different ways, depending on the exact type of polymerase used duringtranscription. In some cases, termination occurs as soon as thepolymerase reaches a specific series of nucleotides along the DNA template,known as the termination sequence.In other cases, the presence of a special protein known as a termination factor is also required fortermination to occur.

Figure 7:In eukaryotes, a poly-A tail is often added to the completed, edited mRNA molecule to signal that this molecule is ready to leave the nucleus through a nuclear pore.

Once termination is complete, the mRNA molecule falls offthe DNA template. At this point, at least in eukaryotes, the newly synthesizedmRNA undergoes a process in which noncoding nucleotide sequences, called introns, are clipped out of the mRNAstrand. This process "tidies up" the molecule and removes nucleotides that are not involved in protein production (Figure 6). Then, a sequence ofadenine nucleotides called a poly-A tailis added to the 3' end of the mRNA molecule (Figure 7). This sequence signalsto the cell that the mRNA molecule is ready to leave the nucleus and enter thecytoplasm.

What's next for the RNA molecule?

Watch this video for a summary of eukaryotic transcription

I'm an expert in molecular biology and biochemistry, and I have a deep understanding of transcription processes. In the article you provided, the process of transcription is described in detail. Let me break down the key concepts mentioned:

Initiation:
- RNA polymerase, an enzyme, attaches to the DNA template strand.
- Transcription factors, specialized cell proteins, assist in determining which DNA sequences should be transcribed.
- Initiation occurs at a specific area called the promoter region, often with a TATA box nucleotide sequence.
Strand Elongation:
- RNA polymerase moves down the DNA template strand in the 3' to 5' direction.
- Complementary nucleotides are added to the growing RNA strand in the 5' to 3' direction.
- This process is called elongation, and it results in the formation of a progressively longer chain of nucleotides.
Base Pairing and Differences between DNA and RNA:
- RNA uses uracil (U) instead of thymine (T) as the complementary nucleotide to adenine (A).
- RNA is single-stranded and nonhelical, unlike the double-stranded helical form of DNA.
- RNA contains ribose sugar molecules, which differ from the deoxyribose molecules in DNA.
Termination and Editing:
- Termination is the process where mRNA separates from the DNA template.
- Termination in eukaryotes can happen through specific nucleotide sequences or the presence of a termination factor.
- In eukaryotes, introns (noncoding regions) are often removed from the mRNA during editing.
- A poly-A tail is added to the 3' end of the mRNA, signaling its readiness to leave the nucleus and enter the cytoplasm.
Next Steps for the RNA Molecule:
- After termination and editing, the mRNA molecule can proceed to translation.
- Translation involves the creation of a protein molecule based on the information contained within the mRNA.
- The mRNA is read by a ribosome, a protein-synthesizing structure within the cell.

This comprehensive process of transcription is essential for the synthesis of proteins in cells. If you have any specific questions or if there's a particular aspect you'd like more information on, feel free to ask.