Transfer RNA
An RNA molecule that functions as a translator between nucleic acid and protein languages by picking up a specific amino acid and carrying it to the ribosomes
TATA box
A DNA sequence in eukaryotic promoters cruciial in forming the transcription initiation complex
Ribozymes
An Rna molecule that functions as an enzyme, such as an intron that catalyzes its own removal during RNA splicing
Terminator
In bacteria, A sequence of nucleotides in DNA that marks the end of a gene and signals RNA polymerase to release the newly made RNA molecule and detach from the DNA
transcription factors
A regulatory protein that binds to DNA and affects transcription of specific genes
Wobble
Flexibility in the base- pairing rules in which the nucleotide at the 5’ end of a tRNA anticodon can form hydrogen bonds with more than one kind of base in the third position (3’ end) of a codon
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases
An enzyme that joins each amino acid to the appropriate tRNA
RNA polymerase
An enzyme that links ribonucleotides into a growing RNA chain during transcription, based on complementary binding to nucleotides on a DNA template strand
Insertions
A mutation involving the addition of one or more nucleotide pair to a gene
Start point
In transcription, the nucleotide position on the promoter where RNA polymerase begins synthesis of RNA
A site
One of a ribosome’s three binding sites for tRNA during translation. The site holds the tRNA carrying the next amino acid
P site
One of a ribosome’s three binding sites for tRNA during translation. P site holds tRNA carrying the growing polypeptide chain
Coding strand
Nontemplate strand of DNA, which has the same sequence as the mRNA except it has thymine (T) instead of uracil
Polyribosomes
group of several ribosomes attached to, and translating the same messenger RNA molecule
Transcription initiation complex
The completed assembly of transcription factors and RNA polymerase bound to a promoter
Transcription
Synthesis of RNA using DNA template
introns
noncoding, intervening sequence within a primary transcript that is removed from the transcript during RNA processing.
Signal-recognition particle
A protein-RNA complex that recognizes a signal peptide as it emerges from a ribosome and helps direct the ribosome to the ER by binding to a receptor protein on the ER
5’ cap
A modified form of guanine nucleotide is added onto the 5’ end of the pre-mRNA molecule
Mutations
changing in the nucleotide sequence of an organism’s DNA or in the DNA or RNA of a virus
CRISPR-cas9 system
technique for editing genes in living cells, involving a bacterial protein called Cas9
Codens
A three-nucleotide sequence of DNA or mRNA that specifies a particular amino acid or signal
Poly-A tail
A sequence of 50 to 250 adenine nucleotides added onto the 3’ end of a pre-mRNA molecule
RNA splicing
After synthesis, removal of portions of a transcript that will not be included in the mRNA and joining together of the remaining portions
