Protein Elongation and Termination

Process Diagrams Step-by-Step

Copyright 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Amino acid (methionine) Anticodon UAC GG A U G mRNA binding site

Initiator tRNA mRNA

Small subunit Start codon

1 Initiator tRNA attaches to a start codon.

Key: = Adenine = Guanine = Cytosine = Uracil

P site

Large subunit Initiator tRNA UAC GG A U G A site

Small subunit

2 Large and small ribosomal

Amino acid (methionine) Anticodon UAC GG A U G mRNA binding site mRNA subunits join to form a functional ribosome and initiator tRNA fits into P site. Initiator tRNA

Small subunit Start codon

1 Initiator tRNA attaches to a start codon.

Key: = Adenine = Guanine = Cytosine = Uracil

P site

Large subunit Initiator tRNA UAC GG A U G A site

Amino acid tRNA

C Small subunit P site Anticodon UAC GG A U G mRNA Codons A site

2 Large and small ribosomal

Amino acid (methionine) Anticodon UAC GG A U G mRNA binding site mRNA subunits join to form a functional ribosome and initiator tRNA fits into P site. Initiator tRNA

3 Anticodon of incoming tRNA pairs

with next mRNA codon at A site.

Small subunit Start codon

1 Initiator tRNA attaches to a start codon.

Key: = Adenine = Guanine = Cytosine = Uracil

P site

Large subunit Initiator tRNA UAC GG A U G A site

Amino acid tRNA

C Small subunit P site Anticodon UAC GG A U G mRNA Codons A site

2 Large and small ribosomal

Amino acid (methionine) Anticodon UAC GG A U G mRNA binding site mRNA subunits join to form a functional ribosome and initiator tRNA fits into P site. Initiator tRNA

3 Anticodon of incoming tRNA pairs

with next mRNA codon at A site.

Small subunit Start codon UAC U GG A U G U A G

1 Initiator tRNA attaches to a start codon.

4 Amino acid on tRNA at P site

forms a peptide bond with amino acid at A site.

Key: = Adenine = Guanine = Cytosine = Uracil

P site

Large subunit Initiator tRNA UAC GG A U G A site

Amino acid tRNA

C Small subunit P site Anticodon UAC GG A U G mRNA Codons A site

2 Large and small ribosomal

Amino acid (methionine) Anticodon UAC GG A U G mRNA binding site mRNA subunits join to form a functional ribosome and initiator tRNA fits into P site. Initiator tRNA

3 Anticodon of incoming tRNA pairs

with next mRNA codon at A site.

Small subunit Start codon UAC U GG A U G U A G

1 Initiator tRNA attaches to a start codon.

New peptide bond

4 Amino acid on tRNA at P site

forms a peptide bond with amino acid at A site.

U G G A U G U GC

mRNA movement

5 tRNA at P site leaves ribosome,

ribosome shifts by one codon; tRNA previously at A site is now at the P site. Key: = Adenine = Guanine = Cytosine = Uracil

P site

Large subunit Initiator tRNA UAC GG A U G A site

Amino acid tRNA

C Small subunit P site Anticodon UAC GG A U G mRNA Codons A site

2 Large and small ribosomal

Amino acid (methionine) Anticodon UAC GG A U G mRNA binding site mRNA subunits join to form a functional ribosome and initiator tRNA fits into P site. Initiator tRNA

3 Anticodon of incoming tRNA pairs

with next mRNA codon at A site.

Small subunit Start codon UAC U GG A U G U A G

1 Initiator tRNA attaches to a start codon.

New peptide bond C U G G A U G U GC

4 Amino acid on tRNA at P site

forms a peptide bond with amino acid at A site.

Stop codon

mRNA movement

6 Protein synthesis stops when

the ribosome reaches stop codon on mRNA. Key: = Adenine = Guanine = Cytosine = Uracil

5 tRNA at P site leaves ribosome,

ribosome shifts by one codon; tRNA previously at A site is now at the P site. Growing mRNA protein

Complete protein tRNA

Summary of movement of ribosome along mRNA