PPS '96 - Section 4

Section 4 - Protein Synthesis

To best appreciate the contents of this chapter you need to INTERACTIVELY EXAMINE a number of structures. If you haven't done so already, we STRONGLY URGE you to install the FREE molecular viewer software packages, RasMol and Mage, and configure them to be automatically invoked by chemical/MIME. See our Technology Page to find out how.

Section 4 concerns the processes involved in Protein Synthesis, starting from the genetic information in DNA, through transcription to produce messenger RNA, and translation of mRNA to a polypeptide. We also consider post-translational processing, and how this is involved in transporting the protein to appropriate parts of cells; and the degradation of proteins.

DNA Structure and the Genetic Code

DNA and the Central Dogma of Life by PPS Consultant Vineet Gupta, University of Rochester, Chemistry Department
The Search for DNA (in the Central Dogma Chapter of the Biology Hypertextbook developed by Shane Crotty, MIT.)
This DNA structure, 2bna (60Kb) [Bbk|BNL|ExP|Waw|Hal]
PPS Consultant Henry Brzeski's Rasmol exercise on DNA structure N.B. you need to run RasMenu to perform all the commands described in this tutorial (e.g. 'spin'). John Reissner explains.
The Genetic Code, by PPS Consultant Alan Mills
Refer also to Henry Brzeski's material on Elements of Transcription (see below).

Cell Biology Background

If you are unfamiliar with the structure and function of the nucleus, ribosomes, Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes and membranes, refer to these resources:

Course/Tutorial on Cell Biology, by Mark Dalton, Cray Research
- UK Mirror at UMIST
Cell Biology Chapter of the Biology Hypertextbook developed by Shane Crotty, MIT.

Transcription

Elements of Transcription by PPS Consultant Henry Brzeski

Translation

A collection of useful links by PPS Consultant Vineet Gupta
Tutorial by Leos Kral, Department of Biology at West Georgia College
-includes slide show and movie (now also in MPEG format; see link below)
- Mirror at Birkbeck College, including additional MPEGs, converted by PPS Consultant Michael Knaggs

Notes and discussion topics on Protein Synthesis

by PPS Consultant Sophia Kossida

Targeting and Transport of proteins

Protein Degradation

Degradation of proteins, by Keith D. Wilkinson, Department of Biochemistry, Emory University Atlanta, and
Introduction to Protein Degradation by Beatrice Gorinsky, Crystallography Department, Birkbeck

Thanks to

Henry Brzeski
Shane Crotty
Mark Dalton
Beatrice Gorinsky
Vineet Gupta
Sophia Kossida
Michael Knaggs
Leos Kral
Alan Mills
Keith Wilkinson

Index to Course Material

Last updated 11th Feb '96