NUCLEIC ACIDS

Geromil J. Lara, RMT, MSMT

CHROMOSOMES AND GENES

Chromosome
Structure in the cell nucleus thought to be the carrier of genetic information

Gene
Portion of a chromosome that controlled a specific inheritable trait

COMPOSITION OF NUCLEIC ACIDS

Nucleic Acids
Polymers Polynucleotides

Part of Nucleotide
A five-membered ring monosaccharide A nitrogen-containing cyclic compound A phosphate group

COMPOSITION OF NUCLEIC ACIDS

Types of Nucleic Acids
DNA RNA

SUGARS
DNA 2-deoxyribose (2-deoxy means that an oxygen atom is missing from the C2 position of ribose RNA ribose

COMPOSITION OF NUCLEIC ACIDS

BASES
Purine (2)
Contains two-fused nitrogen-containing ring Adenine Guanine

Pyrimidine (3)
Has one nitrogen-containing ring Cytosine Thymine Uracil

COMPOSITION OF NUCLEIC ACIDS

SUGAR + BASE = NUCLEOSIDE
Sugar and the base are connected by a bond between one of the nitrogen atoms in a ring and the sugars anomeric carbon atom (the one bonded to two O atoms)
-N-glycosidic acid the bond connecting the sugar and the base

http://www.aw-bc.com/mathews/

COMPOSITION OF NUCLEIC ACIDS

NUCLEOSIDE + PHOSPHATE = NUCLEOTIDE

Nucleotides are the building blocks of nucleic acids Monomers of the DNA and RNA polymers Each nucleotide is a 5-monophosphate ester of a nucleoside Are named by adding 5-monophosphate at the end of the name of the nucleoside

RIBONUCLEOTIDE

DEOXYRIBONUCLEOTIDE

COMPOSITION OF NUCLEIC ACIDS

Nucleotides
Can add additional phosphate groups to form diphosphate or triphosphate esters

DNA
BASES DEOXYRIBONUCLEOSIDES DEOXYRIBONUCLEOTIDES
ADENINE (A) Deoxyadenosine 5Monophosphate (dAMP) Deoxyguanosine 5Monophosphate (dGMP)

Deoxyadenosine Deoxyguanosine

GUANINE (G)

CYTOSINE (C)

Deoxycytidine

Deoxycytidine 5-Monophosphate (dCMP)

THYMINE (T)

Deoxythymidine

Deoxythymidine 5Monophosphate (dAMP)

RNA
BASES RIBONUCLEOSIDES RIBONUCLEOTIDES
ADENINE (A) Adenosine 5-Monophosphate (AMP) Guanosine 5-Monophosphate (GMP)

Adenosine Guanosine

GUANINE (G)

CYTOSINE (C)

Cytidine

Cytidine 5-Monophosphate (CMP)

URACIL (T)

Uridine

Uridine 5-Monophosphate (AMP)

STRUCTURE OF DNA AND RNA

Primary Structure
Alternating deoxyribose and phosphate group
backbone of the molecule Phosphate group is linked to the 3 carbon of one deoxyribose unit and simultaneously to the 5 carbon of the next deoxyribose unit Provides structural stability

STRUCTURE OF DNA AND RNA

Primary Structure
The bases that are the side-chain groups
Carry all the information necessary for protein synthesis

STRUCTURE OF DNA AND RNA

Secondary Structure
James Watson and Francis Crick
Based on the following: Chargaff Rule that (A and T) and (G and C) are present in equimolar quantities X-ray diffraction photographs obtained by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins

STRUCTURE OF DNA AND RNA

Secondary Structure
Double Helix
The 2 polynucleotide chains run in opposite directions One 5 OH and one 3 OH terminal Bases are hydrophobic Sugar-phosphate backbone is exposed to the aqueous environment

STRUCTURE OF DNA AND RNA

Secondary Structure
Chargaffs Rule
For each A on one chain, a T is aligned opposite it on the other chain GC The bases so paired form H bonds with each other, 2 for A-T and 3 for G-C (complementary base pairs)

STRUCTURE OF DNA AND RNA

Higher Structure
DNA in the nuclei is not stretched out, but rather coiled around basic protein molecules called histones
The acidic DNA and the basic histones attract each other by electrostatic (ionic) forces, combining to form units called nucleosomes In a nucleosome, 8 histones form a core, around which a 147-base pair DNA double helix is wound

STRUCTURE OF DNA AND RNA

DNA
Is almost always double-stranded (helical structure 2-deoxyribose

RNA
Single-stranded Ribose

STRUCTURE OF DNA AND RNA

Types of RNA
Messenger RNA (mRNA)
Carry the genetic information from the DNA in the nucleus directly to the cytoplasm Consists of a chain of nucleotides whose sequence is exactly complementary to one of the strands of DNA

STRUCTURE OF DNA AND RNA

Types of RNA
Transfer RNA (tRNA)
Containing from 73 to 93 nucleotides per chain There is at least one different tRNA for each of the 20 amino acids Transports amino acids to the site of protein synthesis in the ribosomes

STRUCTURE OF DNA AND RNA

Types of RNA
Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)
RNA in complexed with proteins in ribosomes

STRUCTURE OF DNA AND RNA

Types of RNA
Ribozymes
Catalytic RNA Catalyze the splicing of mRNA

STRUCTURE OF DNA AND RNA

Exons
Coding sequences expressed sequences

Introns
Noncoding sequences Intervening sequences

next: DNA REPLICATION