Comparing Translation in Eukaryotes and Prokaryotes: Key Differences in Ribosomes, Initiation, Coupling, and Protein Modifications

Compare translation in eukaryotes and prokaryotes

Prokaryotes can have coupled transcription and translation. A polyribosome complex begins translating mRNA before transcription has ended.Eukaryotes have transcription first followed by translation.

Translation, the process of decoding mRNA and synthesizing proteins, occurs in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes, but there are some key differences in the process:

1. Ribosomes: In prokaryotes, ribosomes are smaller (70S) and located free-floating in the cytoplasm, while in eukaryotes, ribosomes are larger (80S) and located either in the cytoplasm or attached to the endoplasmic reticulum.

2. Initiation: In prokaryotes, translation initiation begins with the binding of the small ribosome subunit to the Shine-Dalgarno sequence (a conserved region of mRNA), while in eukaryotes, initiation begins with the binding of the small ribosome subunit to the 5’ cap of mRNA.

3. Coupling: In prokaryotes, transcription and translation are coupled, meaning that translation can start on an mRNA before transcription is complete, whereas in eukaryotes, transcription and translation are spatially separated by the nuclear envelope, meaning that mRNA must be fully transcribed and processed before it can be transported out of the nucleus for translation.

4. Protein folding and modification: In eukaryotes, proteins can be modified and folded in the endoplasmic reticulum or Golgi apparatus before they are trafficked to their final destination, whereas in prokaryotes, newly synthesized proteins fold on their own in the cytoplasm.

Overall, although the basic process of translation is the same in eukaryotes and prokaryotes, there are differences in the machinery and regulation of the process that reflect the broader evolutionary and anatomical differences between these two types of organisms.

More Answers: