DNA to RNA Transcription

About DNA to RNA Transcription

This tool models transcription in text. Give it the coding (sense) strand, or a template (antisense) strand written in either direction, and it returns the mRNA read 5' to 3'. It can also turn an RNA sequence into the DNA text with the same sense. It is meant for students and researchers who need the mRNA text without working out strand polarity by hand.

How to use it

1. Paste the nucleotide sequence into the box. A FASTA header line is ignored, and the counter below shows how many valid bases were read.
2. Under Direction, choose DNA to mRNA (transcribe) or RNA to DNA (U to T, same sense).
3. When transcribing, set Input strand to say what you pasted: Coding / sense written 5' to 3', Template / antisense written 3' to 5', or Template / antisense written 5' to 3'.
4. Copy the mRNA, which is always shown 5' to 3', from the output block.

The same mRNA from three ways of writing the gene

Coding 5'-ATGGCCTTAGCTAGCTAA-3', or template 3'-TACCGGAATCGATCGATT-5', or template 5'-TTAGCTAGCTAAGGCCAT-3'

5'-AUGGCCUUAGCUAGCUAA-3'

When to use it

• Writing out the exact mRNA a cloned gene will produce for a methods section or lab report.
• Working a textbook transcription problem that draws the template strand under the coding strand, 3' to 5'.
• Converting an RNA sequence copied from a paper into DNA text for primer design.
• Turning a template strand copied from a FASTA file, which is written 5' to 3', into the mRNA it encodes.

Questions about DNA to RNA Transcription

Which strand does the mRNA actually match?

The mRNA has the same sequence as the coding strand, with uracil replacing thymine. RNA polymerase reads the template strand, so a pasted template must be complemented, and reversed if it is written 5' to 3'.

Which template option should I pick?

Pick 3' to 5' when the template is drawn under the coding strand, base for base, as most textbooks do: each base is complemented in place. Pick 5' to 3' for a template read in the usual direction: it is reverse-complemented first.

Is the RNA to DNA option the same as making first-strand cDNA?

No. It only swaps U for T and keeps the order, giving DNA with the same sense as the RNA, which is the coding strand. Real first-strand cDNA is the complement of the RNA, so run the result through the reverse-complement tool if you need that.

What happens if I paste FASTA text?

Header lines that start with a greater-than sign are skipped, and whitespace and digits are dropped. When several records are pasted only the first is used, and a notice under the box tells you so.

Does it model promoters, introns or splicing?

No. It is a strand and letter conversion only. Introns, UTR boundaries, the 5' cap and the poly-A tail are not modeled, so feed it the exact region you want.

Related tools

• DNA Reverse ComplementReverse, complement, or reverse-complement a DNA or RNA sequence (IUPAC ambiguity aware).
• DNA to Protein TranslationTranslate a DNA or RNA sequence into protein across reading frames using the standard genetic code.
• GC Content CalculatorCalculate GC%, AT%, base counts, and a basic melting temperature for a DNA sequence.
• Sequence StatsLength, base composition, GC%, and approximate molecular weight for raw or FASTA sequences.
• FASTA FormatterParse, clean, validate, and re-wrap FASTA records at a chosen line width.
• DNA ng / pmol / Copies ConverterConvert nucleic-acid mass, moles, and molecule count from length and type, with molarity.