DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROKARYOTIC AND EUKARYOTIC TRANSCRIPTION.

1. What is Prokaryotic Transcription
Prokaryotes don’t have an organized nucleus, so the nuclear materials or DNA is in the
cytoplasm.
Therefore, the transcription occurs in the cytoplasm and all the precursors needed for
the transcription are found in the cytoplasm. Prokaryotic transcription requires the RNA
polymerase enzyme in order for the transcription to be successfully completed. The
enzyme contains five subunits (α, β, β’, ω) and it binds to the sigma factor and the
promoter region, and then initiate the transcription by completing the holoenzyme.
In prokaryotes, DNA is not bound to histones. Thus, the transcription initiates directly.
This could be advantageous when prokaryotes have overlapping genes. Transcription
starts at the promoter region and elongate through the coding region and ends when
the RNA polymerase reads the termination signal. There are two types of termination
signals, Rho-dependent and independent. Transcribed mRNA will be completely
translated during the transcription, and no post-transcription processing will be
undergoing most of the time.
What is Eukaryotic Transcription
Eukaryotic transcription is more complex than eukaryotic transcription and occurs
inside the nucleus.
Unlike prokaryotes, eukaryotes contain five types of RNA polymerases according to the
need of
transcription and contain 10 – 17 subunits. For example, RNA polymerase I transcribe
large mRNA and RNA polymerase II transcribe snRNA and miRNA, etc. These five
enzymes found differently in organisms, for example, RNA polymerase IV and V are
present only in plants.
Difference Between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic
Transcription
Location
Prokaryotic transcription occurs in the cell cytoplasm.
Eukaryotic transcription occurs in the cell nucleus.