THE CENTRAL DOGMA OF

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Replication
ENZYME/PROT FUNCTION STAGE
EIN
DNA Helicase Unwinds the double-stranded
DNA by breaking the H-bonds
between the complementary
strand
Initiatio
Single strand binding proteins
(SSBPs)
DNA Gyrase
Keeps the single strands from
reannealing
Relaxes the twisting tension
n
(i.e. super coils) created on the
DNA during unwinding
Primase Synthesizes short stretches or
segments of RNA to serve as
primers for elongation of the
complementary strand
*RNA primers provide the 3-
OH end needed by the DNA Pol
III to catalyze the formation of
phosphodiester bonds when
nucleotides are added during
the elongation

Elongati
DNA Polymerase III (DNA Pol Adds nucleotide triphosphate
III) (dATP, dGTP, dTTP, dCTP)
complementary to the DNA
template starting from the 3

DNA Polymerase I (DNA Pol I)

OH end of the primer
Proofreads the DNA molecule,
and removes the primers by
on
digestion via its exonuclease
activity starting from the 3 to
5 direction
Ligase Seals or joins the nicks left by
the DNA Pol I during the
proofreading
Termination
- Two daughter molecules
that are exact copies of
each other and the
parent DNA are
produced.
Transcription (DNA RNA)
ENZYME/PROT FUNCTION
EIN
RNA Polymerase Attaches to a specific
sequence in the DNA called
the promoter located
upstream from the gene being
Sigma factor ()
transcribed
Recognizes the promoter
sequence so the RNA
polymerase can selectively
bind to it
Once bound, the factor
dissociates and is free for
another round of initiaton
Rho () factor Binds to the RNA polymerase
and dissociates it from the
DNA to stop transcription.
STAGE
Initiatio
n
Elongation
- The RNA polymerase
moves along the
anticoding strand of the
DNA, which is 3 to 5
strand of the gene.
Termination
Production of RNA
complementary to the
anticoding strand
Could be any of three types:
1. mRNA- provides the
template that contains the
nucleotide code for the amino
acid sequence of a protein
2. tRNA- transfers amino acids
from the cytoplasm to the
ribosomes; assumes a
cloverleaf configuration, and
has an anticodon arm that
contains three nucleotides
(anticodon) that are
complementary to the codon
of the mRNA, which dictates

Translation (RNA PROTEINS)
ENZYME/PROT FUNCTION
EIN
Amino-acyl synthetase
Initiation factor 1 (IF1)
Initiation factor 3 (IF3)
Initiation factor 2 (IF2)
Peptidyl transferase
Elongation factor Tu (EFTu)
Elongation factor G (EFG)
the amino acid that the tRNA
will carry.
3. rRNA- complexed with
ribosomal proteins to form
ribosomes the protein
synthesizing organelle of the
cell
STAGE
Attaches the amino acids to Activation of Amino Acids
their respective tRNAs
Initiatio
Stimulates the dissociation of
the small (30S) and large(50S)
subunits of ribosomes
Binds to the 30S subunit to
prevent the reassociation of
the 30S and 50S subunits and
binds the 30S subunit to the
n
start codon of the mRNA
With an attached GTP,
attaches the first amino acyl-
tRNA carrying formylated
methionine (fmet) to the 30S
subunit
Elongati
Present in the 50S subunit
Catalyzes the formation of a
peptide bond between the
fmet and the amino acid
carried by the tRNA in the A-
site
Brings the net tRNA enzyme
on
carrying the next amino acid
Moves the ribosomes along
the mRNA in the 5 to 3
direction, displacing the amino
acid-tRNA complex from the A-
site to the P-site leaving the A-
 site free for the next amino
acid-tRNA complex.

Terminat
Release factor 1 (RF1) Recognize UAA and UAG
Effect breakage of the bond
between the growing
polypeptide chain and the
tRNA it is attached to,
releasing the polypeptide
ion
product from the ribosome
Release factor 2 (RF2) Recognize UAA and UGA
Effect breakage of the bond
between the growing
polypeptide chain and the
tRNA it is attached to,
releasing the polypeptide
product from the ribosome
Release factor 3 (RF3) Aids either RF1 or RF2 binds to
the ribosome with the use of
GTP
Initiation factor 1 (IF1) Once the polypeptide has
been released, the ribosome
dissociates
Prepares the ribosomal
subunits for another round of
translation