Translation in eukaryotes

Although the translation processes are very similar in prokaryotes in eukaryotes, they present some difference:

• In eukaryotes, the nuclear membrane separates the place where transcription takes place (cell nucleus) and the place of translation (cytoplasmic ribosomes).
• The mRNA of eukaryotic are monocistronic, each only contains information for a protein. The mRNAs of prokaryotes are usually polycistronic.
• The 5' end of eukaryotic mRNAs have methylguanosine triphosphate so that it can be identified by ribosomes.
• The ribosomes are formed by rRNA different and sedimentation coefficient is slightly different (80 S in eukaryotic cells and 70 S in prokaryotes).
• In eukaryotes, the first tRNA does not have formylmethionine attached to it, but methionine.
• This first tRNA binds to the minor ribosomal subunit before the mRNA, unlike in prokaryotes.
• The initiation and elongation factors differ from those of prokaryotes.

Interactive activity: Test on protein synthesis.

Animation: Initiation of translation in eukaryotes.

By Frank Starmer [CC BY 1.0], via Wikimedia Commons