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What are the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic gene expression?
Posted August 11, 2022
Answer
Prokaryotic organisms are single-celled organisms that do not have a defined nucleus. Their DNA floats freely within the cell cytoplasm. Eukaryotic cells are more complex. They have intracellular organelles and their DNA is contained inside the cell’s nucleus where it is transcribed into RNA. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic gene expression are two processes involved in the transcription of genes. These are the key differences between the two processes:
| Basis of Comparison | Prokaryotic Gene Expression | Eukaryotic Gene Expression |
| Definition | Refers to the process by which information from the prokaryotic genes is used to synthesize a functional gene product | Refers to the process by which information from eukaryotic genes is used to synthesize a functional gene product |
| Occurrence | Entire process occurs in the cytoplasm | A part of the process (transcription) occurs inside the nucleus, another part of the process (translation) occurs in the cytoplasm |
| Regulation | Regulation occurs at the transcriptional level | Regulation may occur at epigenetic, transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels |
| Assembly of transcription initiation factors | Transcription initiation factors do not assemble with the initiation complex | Transcription initiation factors assemble with the initiation complex |
| Temporal segregation | Transcription and translation occur simultaneously | Transcription and translation occur at different times |
| Promoter elements | Contains only 3 promoter elements | Contains a much larger set of promoter elements including the TATA box |
| Types of RNA polymerase | Uses a single type of RNA polymerase | Uses 3 types of RNA polymerases |
| Type of mRNA produced | Results in polycistronic mRNA | Results in monocistronic mRNA |
| Post-Transcriptional Modifications | Does not include post-transcriptional modifications | Includes post-transcriptional modifications |
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