Day 9.3 Biochem Flashcards
Organizational relationship bt DNA and chromosomes
DNA –> nucleosomes –> chromatin –> chromosomes
What is a nucleosome?
Group of 8 histones w DNA wrapped around twice.
2 each of H2A, H2B, H3, H4
What AAs make up the histone octamer
Mostly lysine and arginine, which are positively charged, and therefore ionically bind the negatively charged DNA
Which histone is not part of the histone octamer (the nucleosome core)?
H1
When does DNA condense?
In mitosis, it condenses to form mitotic chromosomes.
Heterochromatin, Euchromatin
HeteroChromatin = Highly Condensed.
Transcriptionally inactive, sterically inaccessible.
Euchromatin (Eu = True-ly transcribed)
Less condensed, transcriptionally active and sterically accessible.
How do additions to lysine affect DNA transcription?
Adding an acetyl or removing a methyl group decreases DNA affinity for the histone, causing it to become euchromatin.
Euchromatin = transcriptionally active.
So, if you add acetyl or remv methyl, you can make proteins!
If you do the opposite- remove acetyl or add methyl, you make the DNA have MORE affinity for the histone –> heterochromatin.
Methylation of DNA strands during replication
On the template (parent) strand, cytosine and adenine are methylated during DNA replication.
This allows mismatch repair enz to distinguish b/t the old and new strands- it’s more likely that the new strand is going to be the one with the problem.
What effect does hypermethylation have on the transcription of DNA
Adding methyl groups causes DNA to become condensed into Heterochromatin, so transcription can’t occur.
Hypermethylation inactivates DNA transcription.
What effect does histone acetylation have on DNA transcription?
Histone acetylation relaxes DNA coiling (changes it to euchromatin), which allows transcription to take place.
Methylation effect on DNA
Acetylation effect on DNA
Methylation makes DNA Mute (heterochromatin, highly condensed/transcriptionally inactive form)
Methyl groups are sml, so they allow histones to stay together.
Acetylation makes DNA Active
(euchromatin, transcriptionally active form)
Acetyl groups are bigger, so they push DNA away from histones.
What are the nucleotides? How many rings? What’s in DNA vs RNA
Purines: A, G; 2 rings
Pyrimidines: C, T, U (1 ring- Py (pies) have a single ring)
DNA = A, G, C, T RNA = A, G, C, U
Which nucleotide has a ketone?
Which has a methyl?
Guanine has a ketone
Thymine has a meTHYl
How is uracil made?
Deamination of cytosine.
The NH2 is taken off of cytosine and replaced w an O.
Number of bonds between the nucleotides
G-C has 3 H+ bonds
A-T has 2 H+ bonds
So, DNA with higher G-C content is harder to melt, therefore has a HIGHER melting temp.
(Note that DNA length also affects melting temp- longer DNA has higher)
Difference bt nucleotide and nucleoside
Nucleoside = Sugar(ribose) + Base Nucleotide = Sugar(ribose) + Base + Phosphate(mono/di/tri)
Nucleotides are linked by 3’ to 5’ phosphodiester bonds.
Adenine vs adenosine
Guanine vs guanosine
the -sine is the nucleoside (Base + sugar).
otherwise, it just means the base.
So adenine and guanine are bases.
Adenosine and Guanosine are the nucleosides (base + sugar).
What AAs are necessary for purine synthesis? What are the carbon sources?
Glycine
Aspartate
Glutamate
CO2, glycine, and THF are the sources of carbons.
What is necessary for Pyrimidine synthesis?
Aspartate and Carbamoyl phosphate
The precursors for carbamoyl phosphate are CO2 (for the carbon) and glutamine (for the nitrogen)
Also need THF to make it.
Is glycine needed in purine or pyrimidine synthesis?
Only purine synthesis
What are the precursors for purines? pyrimidines?
Purines: IMP precursor
IMP –> AMP
IMP –> GMP (this is by IMP dehydrogenase)
Pyrimidines: Orotate precursor, PRPP is added later.
Orotic acid –> OMP –> UMP –> UDP
UDP –> > > > dTMP (DNA) (this is by thymidylate synthase)
UDP –> CTP
Which is made first, ribonucleotides or deoxyribonucleotides?
Ribonucleotides.
The deoxyribonucleotides come from the ribonucleotides. Ribonucleotide reductase is the enz that converts them.
What 2 pathways use carbamoyl phosphate?
Denovo pyrimidine synthesis
Urea cycle
OTC deficiency
Ornithine transcarbamoylase (OTC) normally converts carbamoyl phosphate to Citurulline, which is part of the urea cycle.
In OTC deficiency, the carbamoyl phosphate cannot be converted to citrulline and builds up, so it enters the other pathway it’s part of- denovo pyrimidine synthesis. Carbamoyl phosphate is converted to orotic acid.