In this blog post, we will look at how small errors in the protein synthesis process can have fatal consequences.
Proteins are the main components of our bodies. Proteins play a prominent role in the formation of muscles, hair, skin, nails, and other parts of the body. Proteins not only form the structure of the body, but also play various roles essential for life, such as hormones, enzymes, and antibodies. For example, hormones enable various organs in the body to communicate with each other, enzymes promote biochemical reactions, and antibodies protect the body from external pathogens. As such, proteins are a key element in maintaining the balance and harmony of the entire body, and their importance cannot be overemphasized.
At this point, a question arises. Where and how are they made? Let’s go to the kitchen, called the cell, to find the answer.
To make a dish, you first need a recipe. The recipes for proteins are stored in DNA, which is located in the cell nucleus. DNA is a kind of “blueprint for life” that determines the function and shape of each protein. Proteins are made based on this blueprint, so DNA plays an essential role in cells. This blueprint is important in itself, but it is also very important to protect it from damage.
DNA is scanned, and one item is selected. Excited, it is about to rush to the cooking room, but unfortunately, this recipe is so precious that it is forbidden to take it out. There is no choice but to obey the rules. I’ll have to take a copy of the recipe with me. This is where mRNA comes in. The information contained in DNA is transferred to mRNA. This process is extremely precise and does not allow for even the slightest error. If the information in the DNA is not accurately transferred to the mRNA, there is a risk that the protein will not be produced correctly. After carefully placing our precious DNA in its proper place, we took the mRNA and safely returned to the cytoplasm.
Now that we have the recipe, let’s start cooking in earnest. We gently place the mRNA on the ribosome, which is like a cooking table floating in the cytoplasm. Our tRNA chefs are already waiting nearby. tRNA acts as a kind of “delivery person” that transports the amino acids that make up proteins, and without them, protein synthesis would be impossible. When mRNA is spread out on the ribosome, tRNA quickly begins to decode it. tRNA are skilled and very orderly, having undergone long training. They follow the instructions written in mRNA, select the appropriate amino acids from among the 20 available, and place them one by one on the cooking table. At the same time, rRNA, which are cooking utensils, steadily perform their roles on the cooking table. They connect the ingredients to form a series of amino acids, also known as polypeptides. This process continues without pause until the mRNA reads the instruction “end.”
After the signal that it is finished is transmitted, this long polypeptide chain is removed from the cooking table as a delicious dish. Now let’s decorate this dish to make it even more colorful. Using a decorative technique called hydrogen bonding, we form this chain into a ring. Looking at it, something still seems to be missing. Ah, I have a good idea. We fold this ring several times to form a sphere. Finally, a beautiful culinary creation, a protein, is complete. Looking at it, can’t you help but smile?
The important thing to remember here is that there is no room for error in the process of cooking protein. If you make even the slightest mistake at any point, you will not get the desired result. The original DNA recipe must not mutate. The information must not be transferred incorrectly to the mRNA copy of the recipe. The chef tRNA must not cause any problems while decoding the mRNA. These seemingly trivial things have a tremendous impact on protein synthesis.
For example, let’s say you wanted to cook hemoglobin, a protein that transports oxygen. However, things go wrong from the start. The original recipe DNA contains incorrect information due to a mutation. What would happen if you started off on the wrong foot? Of course, you would fail. This would result in sickle cell anemia, which causes anemia in our bodies. A single letter difference in the information contained in DNA can turn something beneficial to our bodies into something that destroys them.
Protein synthesis is a mysterious and precise process. It must be as thorough as cooking. Proteins are that important and essential for the survival of living organisms. Through this detailed process, life is sustained, and we are able to live each day. This is the essence of protein cooking.
