PROTEIN SYNTHESIS MAKES SENSE! Anita Gordon Modified by: Marianne Dobrovolny Purpose: To help students understand the role of DNA, mrna, trna, and amino acids in the process of protein synthesis. This activity can also be used to introduce the concept of mutations. Introduction: Students will use the steps of transcription and translation to assemble a protein that forms a sentence. Members of groups will use the handout to work through each step of the process. Group sizes of 2 or 3 work best. Nucleus: A table (or the floor) in the middle of the room which holds the DNA code cards. There are 20 different double strands of DNA. The bold stand represents the template strand and is the one that will be used during transcription. None of the DNA cards can leave the nucleus. Students will try to take them to their desks; emphasize why they must transcribe them in the nucleus. The first step is unzipping (un-velcro) the double strand of DNA. They must copy the bold DNA template onto the top strand in the nucleus on their handout. This strand should be labeled Template DNA. The students must transcribe the RNA code from the template stand of DNA onto the bottom strand in the nucleus on their handout. This strand should be labeled mrna and the process should be labeled Transcription. This entire process should be done while in the area of the nucleus, because DNA cannot leave the nucleus. Tell them to record the number that is on the DNA card it makes checking for accuracy easier later. Ribosome: The student desks or tables are the ribosomes, this is where they will decode the mrna codons to know which trna they need to find the correct amino acids (words). The mrna molecule should be copied onto the ribosome at the bottom of the handout. The dotted arrow represents the mrna molecule leaving the nucleus and combining with a ribosome. Using the mrna, they determine the correct anticodon for each on the trna s above the strand. trna: After they have identified the trna anticodons, anticodon cards are distributed around the perimeter of the room. Each anticodon card has a word on the back. When assembled in the correct order the sentence will read: Start sentence (some silly) Stop. If the anticodon cards are clustered with all those beginning with the same letter in the same part of the room, students can find the cards quicker. Report Your Protein: Student groups will read their sentence to the teacher. (It is easiest for you to check if they tell you the number of the DNA card.) If it is not correct, they have to go back and begin again to determine when their mutation occurred. WATCH OUT FOR MUTATIONS!!! If students incorrectly transcribe the DNA or mrna, then a mutation will occur and the sentence will not make sense or not be complete. Materials: 20 DNA template cards 64 Anticodon cards Students need paper and pencil Follow up worksheet to check for understanding of the actual process Acknowledgement: This lab has been adapted from a presentation at the 1993 NABT convention in Boston by Bert and Lynn Marie Wartski, Biology with Junk: Protein Synthesis and Words. 1
Teacher Preparation: Print the DNA strands on cardstock. Cut the double strand into two pieces. Cut close to the template DNA and leave room above the complementary strand of DNA as shown by the dotted line on DNA strand 1. Once you have laminated the cards, place pecies of Velcro on the extra space on the complementary strand. Position the other side of the Velcro on the template strand so that the nitrogen bases of the two strand lay right next to each other. Make trna cards with words on back. Make sure the right words on are the back of each anticodon card. They are made to be run front and back. Prepare copies on the handout. 20 Sentences: 1. Who let the dogs out? 11. Education is the door to the future. 2. Designer jeans genes are made from DNA. 12. Who made up the code? 3. Are we having fun yet? 13. Sad movies make me cry. 4. Rock music is the best. 14. We are all in this together! 5. Chocolate chip cookies are the best! 15. We must be informed every day. 6. Biology is the best subject. 16. Rock and roll music is the best! 7. Drink water every day. 17. Biology is all around me. 8. I love rock and roll music. 18. Read a little every day. 9. Mutations make new traits. 19. DNA is the code of life. 10. Biology is so much fun. 20. DNA must be read for life. Anticodons and the words to write on the back of each one: AUC = STOP CCG = IS CGC = WATER UAC = START CCU = SUBJECT CGG = EVERY AAA = WHO CGA = DRINK CGU = DAY AAC = FROM AAG = MUTATIONS AAU = SAD ACG = HAVING ACC = CHIP ACU = CRY ACA = DESIGNER AGA = THE AGG = ARE AGU = BEATLES AGC = BEST AUA = ROCK UAG = OUT AUU = UP CAA = YET CAC = JEANS GENES CAG = MAKE CAU = TRAITS CCA = CHOCOLATE CCC = BIOLOGY CUA = I CUC = LOVE CUG = ROLL CUU = MUSIC GAA = ALL GAC = MADE GAG = DOGS GAU = AND GCA = SO GCC = MUCH GCG = FUN GCU = EDUCATION GGA = DOOR GGC = TO GGG = FUTURE GGU = COOKIES GUA = A GUC = NEW GUG = MOVIES GUU = LET UAA = WE AUG = IN UAU = THIS UCA = TOGETHER UCC = MUST UCG = BE UCU = INFORMED UGA = AROUND UGC = ME UGG = READ UGU = LITTLE UUA = DNA UUC = CODE UUG = FOR UUU = LIFE Acknowledgement: This lab has been adapted from a presentation at the 1993 NABT convention in Boston by Bert and Lynn Marie Wartski, Biology with Junk: Protein Synthesis and Words. 2
DNA template cards: 1. TAC AAA GTT AGA GAG TAG ATC ATG TTT CAA TCT CTC ATC TAG 2. TAC ACA CAC AGG GAC AAC TTA ATC ATG TGT GTG TCC CTG TTG AAT TAG 3. TAC AGG TAA ACG GCG CAA ATC ATG TCC ATT TGC CGC GTT TAG 4. TAC ATA CTT CCG AGA AGC ATC ATG TAT GAA GGC TCA TCG TAG 5. TAC CCA ACC GGT AGG AGA AGC ATC ATG GGT TGG CCA TCC TCT TCG TAG 6. TAC CCC CCG AGA AGC CCT ATC ATG GGG GGC TCT TCG GGA TAG 7. TAC CGA CGC CGG CGT ATC ATG GCA GCG GCC GCA TAG 8. TAC CTA CTC ATA GAT CTG CTT ATC ATG GAT GAG TAT CTA GAC GAA TAG 9. TAC AAG CAG GTC CAT ATC ATG TTC GTC CAG GTA TAG 10. TAC CCC CCG GCA GCC GCG ATC ATG GGG GGC CGT CGG CGC TAG 11. TAC GCT CCG AGA GGA GGC AGA GGG ATC ATG CGA GGC TCT CCT CCG TCT CCC TAG 12. TAC AAA GAC ATT AGA TTC ATC ATG TTT CTG TAA TCT AAG TAG 13. TAC AAT GTG CAG TGC ACT ATC ATG TTA CAC GTC ACG TGA TAG 14. TAC TAA AGG GAA ATG TAT TCA ATC ATG ATT TCC CTT TAC ATA AGT TAG 15. TAC TAA TCC TCG TCT CGG CGT ATC ATG ATT AGG AGC AGA GCC GCA TAG 16. TAC ATA GAT CTG CTT CCG AGA AGC ATC ATG TAT CTA GAC GAA GGC TCT TCG TAG 17. TAC CCC CCG GAA TGA TGC ATC ATG GGG GGC CTT ACT ACG TAG 18. TAC TGG GTA TGT CGG CGT ATC ATG ACC CAT ACA GCC GCA TAG 19. TAC TTA CCG AGA TTC TTG TTT ATC ATG AAT GGC TCT AAG AAC AAA TAG 20. TAC TTA TCC TCG TGG TTG TTT ATC ATG AAT AGG AGC ACC AAC AAA TAG Acknowledgement: This lab has been adapted from a presentation at the 1993 NABT convention in Boston by Bert and Lynn Marie Wartski, Biology with Junk: Protein Synthesis and Words. 3
AUC ACG UAC ACA AAA AGU AAC UAG
FROM OUT WHO BEATLES START DESIGNER STOP HAVING
CAC GAU CCA GCG CUC GGC GAA GUA
ALL A LOVE TO CHOCOLATE FUN JEANS GENES AND
GUU UUA UAU UUU UCG CCG UGC CCU
ME SUBJECT BE IS THIS LIFE LET DNA
CGA AGC AAG AUU ACC CAG AGA CCC
THE BIOLOGY CHIP MAKE MUTATIONS UP DRINK BEST
CUG GGG GAC GUC GCA UAA GCU UCA
EDUCATION TOGETHER SO WE MADE NEW ROLL FUTURE
UCU CGG UGG CGU UUC AAU CGC ACU
WATER CRY CODE SAD READ DAY INFORMED EVERY
AGG CUA AUA CUU CAA GAG CAU GCC
TRAITS MUCH YET DOGS ROCK MUSIC ARE I
GGA UCC GGU UGA GUG UGU AUG UUG
IN FOR MOVIES LITTLE COOKIES AROUND DOOR MUST
1. TAC AAA GTT AGA GAG TAG ATC ATG TTT CAA TCT CTC ATC TAG 2. TAC ACA CAC AGG GAC AAC TTA ATC ATG TGT GTG TCC CTG TTG AAT TAG 3. TAC AGG TAA ACG GCG CAA ATC ATG TCC ATT TGC CGC GTT TAG
4. TAC ATA CTT CCG AGA AGC ATC ATG TAT GAA GGC TCT TCG TAG 5. TAC CCA ACC GGT AGG AGA AGC ATC ATG GGT TGG CCA TCC TCT TCG TAG 6. TAC CCC CCG AGA AGC CCT ATC ATG GGG GGC TCT TCG GGA TAG
7. TAC CGA CGC CGG CGT ATC ATG GCT GCG GCC GCA TAG 8. TAC CTA CTC ATA GAT CTG CTT ATC ATG GAT GAGTAT CTA GAC GAA TAG 9. TAC AAG CAG GTC CAT ATC ATG TTC GTC CAG GTA TAG
10. TAC CCC CCG GCA GCC GCG ATC ATG GGG GGC CGT CGG CGC TAG 11. TAC GCT CCG AGA GGA GGC AGA GGG ATC ATG CGA GGC TCT CCT CCG TCT CCC TAG 12. TAC AAA GAC ATT AGA TTC ATC ATG TTT CTG TAA TCT AAG TAG
13. TAC AAT GTG CAG TGC ACT ATC ATG TTA CAC GTC ACG TGA TAG 14. TAC TAA AGG GAA ATG TAT TCA ATC ATG ATT TCC CTT TAC ATA AGT TAG 15. TAC TAA TCC TCG TCT CGG CGT ATC ATG ATT AGGAGC AGA GCC GCA TAG
16. TAC ATA GAT CTG CTT CCG AGA AGC ATC ATG TAT CTA GAC GAA GGCTCT TCG TAG 17. TAC CCC CCG GAA TGA TGC ATC ATG GGG GGC CTT ACT ACG TAG 18. TAC TGG GTA TGT CGG CGT ATC ATG ACC CAT ACA GCC GCA TAG
19. TAC TTA CCG AGA TTC TTG TTT ATC ATG AAT GGC TCT AAG AAC AAATAG 20. TAC TTA TCC TCG TGG TTG TTT ATC ATG AAT AGGAGC ACC AAC AAA TAG