Chapter 5b: The Central Dogma Revisit Flashcards
What term describes the process of DNA replication?
Semiconservative
What did Watson and Crick’s base pairing maintain during DNA replication?
Watson and Crick’s base pairing maintained the complementary base pairing between the nucleotides of the parent DNA strands and the newly synthesized strands.
In which direction does DNA synthesis occur?
5’ to 3’ direction
What is required for the initiation of DNA replication?
Primer
What is the term for the complex of enzymes and proteins involved in DNA replication?
Replisome
How does base pairing facilitate DNA replication?
Base pairing allows each strand of DNA to serve as a template for the synthesis of a new complementary strand.
What is another term for the copying of DNA?
DNA Replication
Who conducted the famous experiment supporting semi-conservative replication, and in what year was it conducted?
- Meselson and Stahl
- 1958
How did Meselson and Stahl label the parent and new nucleotides in their experiment?
- labeled the “parent” nucleotides in DNA strands with heavy nitrogen (15N)
- labeled the new nucleotides with a lighter isotope, nitrogen-14 (14N)
Explain the concept of semi-conservative replication as demonstrated by Meselson and Stahl.
- Semi-conservative replication means that each newly replicated DNA molecule consists of one parental strand (labeled with heavy nitrogen, 15N) and one newly synthesized strand (labeled with lighter nitrogen, 14N)
- Meselson and Stahl’s experiment confirmed this by showing that after one round of replication, DNA molecules appeared as hybrid “half-heavy” strands, supporting the semi-conservative model proposed by Watson and Crick.
What is the premise of the conservative model of DNA replication?
the parental double helix remains intact, and an entirely new copy is made.
What is the central idea behind the semiconservative model of DNA replication?
the two strands of the parental molecule separate, and each functions as a template for the synthesis of a new complementary strand.
What does the dispersive model propose regarding DNA replication?
each strand of both daughter molecules contains a mixture of old and newly synthesized parts.
What are replication bubbles?
regions of the DNA double helix where the two strands are separated, allowing for the replication machinery to access the template strands and synthesize new DNA strands.
What is a replication fork?
a structure that forms as the DNA strands are unwound during replication. It consists of two single-stranded DNA templates and serves as the site where DNA synthesis occurs.
How do replication forks move during DNA replication?
move bidirectionally away from the origin of replication as DNA replication proceeds.
What are the origins of replication in eukaryotic genomes?
Eukaryotic genomes typically contain multiple origins of replication to ensure efficient and timely replication of the entire genome.
What is the single origin of replication in prokaryotic genomes called?
oriC
What is the function of initiator proteins in prokaryotic DNA replication?
recognize the origin of replication (oriC) and initiate the assembly of the pre-replication complex.
What is the pre-replication complex (Pre-RC) in prokaryotic DNA replication?
a complex of proteins and enzymes assembled at the origin of replication (oriC), including proteins like DnaA, which play a crucial role in the initiation of DNA replication.
How are replication forks formed in prokaryotic DNA replication?
when the pre-replication complex assembles at the origin of replication (oriC), and the DNA helix is unwound.
Describe the process of bidirectional replication in prokaryotic DNA replication.
the growth of two replication forks outward from the origin of replication (oriC) in opposite directions. This means that DNA is unwound and new strands are synthesized simultaneously in both directions.
What role do DNA polymerases play in prokaryotic DNA replication?
At the replication forks, DNA polymerases and other enzymes synthesize new DNA strands complementary to the parental strands. DNA polymerases add nucleotides to the growing daughter strands in a 5’ to 3’ direction.
What is nucleotide incorporation?
a crucial step during DNA replication where new nucleotides are added to the growing DNA strand.
What are nucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs)? What does it consist of?
the building blocks used to synthesize DNA. Each consists of a nitrogenous base, a sugar (deoxyribose in DNA), and three phosphate groups.
What is the role of DNA polymerase in DNA replication? Where does it add nucleotides? What is its polymerization activity?
the enzyme responsible for catalyzing the addition of nucleotides to the growing DNA strand during replication. It adds nucleotides to the 3’ end of the growing DNA strand and has a 5’ to 3’ polymerization activity.
What is pyrophosphate (PPi) hydrolysis? What’s the byproduct? What is the product? What is it for?
occurs when a nucleotide is added to the growing DNA strand, releasing pyrophosphate as a byproduct. Pyrophosphate is hydrolyzed into two inorganic phosphate (Pi) molecules, providing the energy necessary for phosphodiester bond formation.
What is a nucleophilic attack? What is it in DNA replication? What does it produce?
a reaction mechanism where a nucleophile donates a pair of electrons to an electron-deficient atom or center, forming a new chemical bond. In DNA replication, it occurs during the formation of phosphodiester bonds between adjacent nucleotides.