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Transcription

In transcription, a DNA sequence is copied to produce a complementary RNA through the action of an RNA polymerase. With DNA that codes for a protein, transcription begins the process that leads to the creation of a functional protein through translation. Transcription and translation in prokaryotes occur in the cytoplasm; in eukaryotes, transcription takes place in the nucleus, and the RNA are transferred out to the cytoplasm for translation.

During the process of transcription, nucleotides bind to the DNA and create a mirror image RNA polymerase; then the RNA translates, building a mirror image of itself to create a protein. You can envision the first RNA as a plaster mold of something, from which you can cast a copy. Transcription is divided into three stages: initiation, elongation, and termination.

Initiation occurs when an RNA polymerase identifies the beginning of a protein chain on DNA, binds to it, and unwinds and "unzips" the DNA to create a template for RNA to be built. In elongation, the polymerase synthesizes RNA along the length of the DNA template. Errors are proofread for and can be edited out during this stage. Termination is the end of the RNA creation, and is usually signaled by a palindromic sequence in the nucleotides that causes a physical loop the RNA cannot bind to – it's a little like folding back a bit of tape to create a blunt nonsticky end.

Web Resources On Transcription

A Molecular Biology Glossary
Gene Expression: Transcription

Book Resources On Transcription

Gene Transcription, RNA Analysis : Essential Techniques by Kevin Docherty
Viral Messenger RNA : Transcription, Processing, Splicing and Molecular Structure by Y. Becker

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