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 diagram worksheet and pencil
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 pieces 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 strands
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.
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
20 Sentences:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Who let the dogs out?
Designer jeans genes are made from DNA.
Are we having fun yet?
Rock music is the best.
Chocolate chip cookies are the best!
Biology is the best subject.
Drink water every day.
I love rock and roll music.
Mutations make new traits.
Biology is so much fun.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
Education is the door to the future.
Who made up the code?
Sad movies make me cry.
We are all in this together!
We must be informed every day.
Rock and roll music is the best!
Biology is all around me.
Read a little every day.
DNA is the code of life.
DNA must be read for life.
Anticodons and the words to write on the back of each one:
AUC = STOP
UAC = START
AAA = WHO
AAC = FROM
ACG = HAVING
ACA = DESIGNER
AGU = BEATLES
UAG = OUT
CAC = JEANS GENES
CCA = CHOCOLATE
CUC = LOVE
GAA = ALL
GAU = AND
GCG = FUN
GGC = TO
GUA = A
GUU = LET
UAU = THIS
UCG = BE
UGC = ME
UUA = DNA
UUU = LIFE
CCG = IS
CCU = SUBJECT
CGA = DRINK
AAG = MUTATIONS
ACC = CHIP
AGA = THE
AGC = BEST
AUU = UP
CAG = MAKE
CCC = BIOLOGY
CUG = ROLL
GAC = MADE
GCA = SO
GCU = EDUCATION
GGG = FUTURE
GUC = NEW
UAA = WE
UCA = TOGETHER
UCU = INFORMED
UGG = READ
UUC = CODE
CGC = WATER
CGG = EVERY
CGU = DAY
AAU = SAD
ACU = CRY
AGG = ARE
AUA = ROCK
CAA = YET
CAU = TRAITS
CUA = I
CUU = MUSIC
GAG = DOGS
GCC = MUCH
GGA = DOOR
GGU = COOKIES
GUG = MOVIES
AUG = IN
UCC = MUST
UGA = AROUND
UGU = LITTLE
UUG = FOR
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
Assessment:
• Determine if students produce the right sentence for their sequence of DNA. If they do, students
have correctly transcribed the DNA into mRNA and translated the mRNA using tRNA.
• Use the protein synthesis sequencing strips to assess students after the activity. Distribute a set
of strips to each student and allow them to put them in the correct order. The correct sequence
is:
1. RNA polymerase unzips the DNA.
2. RNA free nucleotides in the nucleus bond to the template strand of the DNA, forming mRNA.
3. mRNA leaves the nucleus and goes into the cytoplasm.
4. One mRNA codon enters the ribosome.
5. A tRNA picks up an amino acid.
6. The tRNA brings the amino acid to the ribosome, matching the anticodon to codon.
7. The tRNA drops off the amino acid and tRNA and mRNA leave the ribosome.
8. Amino acids stack up (attached by a peptide bond) until a stop codon is reached.
9. A polypeptide is formed.
10. The polypeptide folds.
11. The polypeptide combines with other polypeptides to make hemoglobin.
12. The hemoglobin is faulty because of an incorrect amino acid. Results in sickle cell anemia.
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.”
4
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
Template
mRNA
Instructions for Protein Synthesis Game
The following things should be done on the diagram on the front of this sheet.
1. The nitrogen bases (A,G,C,T,U) should be written in the correct sequence on each of the
strands shown.
2. Fill in the boxes with the correct labels.
3. The words (anmino acids) should be written on the lines above each tRNA.
4. Circle one codon in red.
5. Circle one anticodon in orange.
6. Circle one tRNA in blue.
7. Label the ribosome or rRNA in green.
8. Tell what the dotted line represents.
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