Transcription and Translation Exercise

1. A portion of the kernel pigment gene (in corn) is shown below. This portion of the
gene encodes the very first part of the kernel pigment protein. Use the base sequence for
mRNA to complete the columns on the following table. Be sure to include the polarity of
the DNA and tRNA strands.

DNA mRNA tRNA

5’ 3’ 5’
G C G C
G C G C
T A U A
C G C G
T A U A
A T A U3’
T A U A
G C G C5’
T A U A3’
C G C G
A T A U5’
G C G C3’
G C G C
C G C G5’
C G C G3’
A T A U
C G C G5’
C G C G3’
T A U A
G C G C5’
C G C G3’
C G C G
G C G C5’
C G C G3’
G C G C
G C G C5’
A T A U3’
C G C G
T3’ A5’ U3’ A5’
Complement Gene/template
2. Describe the relationship between the gene sequence and the mRNA sequence.

The gene sequence and the mRNA sequence are complements of each other.

3. Describe the relationship between the gene sequence and the tRNA sequence.

They are the same except RNA contains U’s while DNA contains T’s.

4. If the coding region of a protein coding gene contains 300 DNA nucleotides, how
many amino acids will be used in protein synthesis?

99 amino acids. Every three nucleotides = 1 amino acid, so 300/3 = 100, but the stop
codon does not code for an amino acid, therefore 99 amino acids.

5. If a protein has 150 amino acids, how many DNA nucleotides would make up the
coding region of the gene?

150 x 3 = 450, plus one codon for stop, 450 + 3 = 453.

6. What is the amino acid sequence for the very first part of the kernel pigment protein in
the exercise above?

Met-Ser-Gly-His-Leu-Pro-Arg-Thr

7. The allele of the gene above is dominant and codes for red kernel pigment (it is
designated as R). Another allele of this gene, the r allele (which is recessive), codes for
white kernel pigment and is the result of a mutation in the R allele. In the r allele, the
second nucleotide (base) in the second codon of the open reading frame (or coding
region) is an adenine.

What does the second codon in the r allele code for?

UCA becomes UAA = STOP

8. A protein has the following amino acid sequence. Construct a DNA nucleotide
sequence of this portion of the gene.

Phenylalanine-Glycine-Glycine-Alanine-Proline-Valine-Asparagine-Alanine

There are multiple correct answers for this.

9. If you compared your sequence to one constructed by a classmate, would you expect to
see any variations? What would be the reason for the difference?

This is due to the redundancy or degeneracy of the code. (multiple codons code for
the same amino acid)

10. Complete the following table:

Nucleotide Components and Function

Nucleic Acid Type DNA mRNA tRNA
deoxyribose ribose ribose
Name of the sugar present
in nucleotides

Adenine, Adenine, Guanine, Adenine, Guanine,

Name of bases present in Guanine, Cytosine, Uracil Cytosine, Uracil
nucleotides Cytosine,
Thymine
Storage of Copy an of Molecular
Function of the type of genetic info individual gene, middleman used in
nucleic acid used as protein synthesis.
instructions to
synthesize a
protein.
Very, very Fraction of the Relatively small.
Describe the relative size large. genome size.
and number of stands in
each of the nucleic acids

nucleus Cytosol cytosol

Where can you find each
of these in a eukaryotic
cell?