DNA REPLICATION, TRANSCRIPTION & TRANSLATION LAB
1. REPLICATION: Given the following anti-sense DNA strand – what is the
corresponding sense strand? Label the 5’ and 3’ ends on both the anti-sense strand
given and the resulting sense strand you have replicated.
TAC GGT CGA GAA AGG TTT AGG ACG GAG GCC GGG CAG GGG AGT TGG TAG ACT
2. TRANSCRIPTION: Given the following anti-sense DNA template, what is the
sequence of the mRNA strand? Label the 5’ and 3’ ends. Circle the start codon. Is
there a stop codon in this sequence? What is it? Mark where the methylated cap and
poly-A tail would be located on this mRNA sequence.
TAC GGT CGA GAA AGG TTT AGG ACG GAG GCC GGG CAG GGG AGT TGG TAG ACT
3. Cut out the “bubbles” that represent your mRNA strand and piece them together. Fill
in the nucleotides on the provided mRNA strand to create your mRNA template.
(HINT – one nucleotide per bubble)
4. TRANSLATION: Cut out the provided tRNA molecules and amino acids and attach
them. Using the mRNA template you have created, the provided codon table and the
tRNA molecules, go through the process of translation.
e.g. AUG codon = methionine amino acid
- so….. take your cut out tRNAs and
amino acid tags and tape these
together
-fill in the amino acid name that
corresponds to the mRNA codon
-fill in the anti-codon sequence
HINT*** fill in your anti-codon
sequence once you are done
translating!!
mRNA chain – cut along the dotted lines and paste together, each bubble = mRNA nucleotide
mRNA chain – cut along the dotted lines and paste together, each bubble = mRNA nucleotide
tRNA molecules – cut out each tRNA and amino acid tag, tape the amino acid tag to the tRNA
amino acid:
amino acid:
amino acid:
amino acid:
amino acid:
amino acid:
amino acid:
amino acid:
amino acid:
amino acid:
amino acid:
amino acid:
amino acid:
amino acid:
amino acid:
amino acid:
amino acid:
amino acid:
tRNA molecules – cut out each tRNA and amino acid tag, tape the amino acid tag to the tRNA
Second mRNA base
U
A
C
UUU
G
UAU
UCU
UGU
Phe
U
UUC
U
Cys
Tyr
UCC
UAC
UGC
C
UCA
UAA Stop
UGA Stop
A
UUG
UCG
UAG Stop
UGG
CUU
CCU
CAU
CGU
Ser
UUA
Leu
Trp
G
U
C
CUC
CAC
CCC
Leu
CUA
CGC
Pro
CCA
C
Arg
CAA
CGA
A
CGG
G
Gln
CUG
CCG
CAG
AUU
ACU
AAU
AGU
A
AUC
Ile
AAC
ACC
U
Ser
Asn
C
AGC
Thr
AUA
AUG
AAA
ACA
Met or
start
GUU
Lys
ACG
AAG
GCU
GAU
AGA
A
Arg
AGG
G
GGU
U
GAC
GGC
C
GAA
GGA
A
GGG
G
Asp
G
GUC
GCC
Val
GUA
Ala
GCA
Gly
Glu
GUG
GCG
GAG
Third mRNA base (3 end of codon)
First mRNA base (5 end of codon)
His