DNA and Proteins Flashcards
What are the components of a nucleoside and a nucleotide?
nucleoside= sugar and base nucleotide= phosphate, sugar and base
Which bases are purine and which are prymidine? What’s the difference in their structure?
A and G are purines, C,T and U are prymidines.
Purines have 2 rings, prymidines have one
What is the long name for a deoxynucleotide and a nucleoside containing the base adenosine?
nucleoside: deoxyadenosine
nucleotide: deoxyadenosine monophosphate (AMP)
How many H bonds do A-T/U and G-C form?
A-T/U= 2 G-C= 3
What is significant about the major groove in the DNA helix?
It is a more accessible place for proteins to bind.
What is the differences in structure of RNA and DNA?
DNA is double stranded
DNA has an OH group on the 3rd carbon of the ribose sugar.
Describe the process of DNA replication
- DNA helicase breaks H bonds to expose both strands
- DNA primer binds to exposed DNA sequences on both strands
- DNA polymerase extends fragments 5’-3’
- On 5’-3’ side okazaki fragments form as DNA polymerase can only extend in bits
- DNA ligase joins okazaki fragments together
Why do we have 46 chromosomes before and after DNA replication?
Because before DNA replication, one chromosome= one DNA molecule, whereas after replication one chromosomes= two DNA molecules.
What is the difference between two sister chromatids?
There are no differences, they have exactly the same DNA sequence
What is the difference between two homologous chromosomes?
They have the same genes/ loci but different alleles for those genes- one from mum one from dad
What are telomeres? What is their function?
Repeating, non- coding sequences at the end of a chromosomes/ DNA sequence. They protect the DNA from degradation because after each DNA replication cycle some DNA is lost. The telomeres therefor protect the coding sequences. They get shorter with ageing.
Where is the centromere located on metacentric, acrocentric, submetacentic and telocentric chromosomes?
metacentric: middle
submetacentric: nearer one end
acrocentic: really quite near an end
telocentric: in telomeres (right at the end)
What are the mutations of the genes for cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia?
sickle cell anaemia= GLU6–> VAL
cystic fibrosis: Phenylalanine deletion
Describe each stage of mitosis
Prophase: chromosomes condense, nuclear envelope disappears
prometaphase: centrioles divide and move to poles, spindle fibres attach to centromeres
Metaphase: chromosomes line up on the equator
Anaphase: Sister chromatids separate (thus becoming individual chromosomes) to move to opposite poles
Telophase: Nuclear envelope reforms and chromosomes decondense
Cytokenesis: cleavage furrow forms and deepens, cytoplasm divides
Describe G1, S and G2 and the checkpoints within the cell cycle
G1: cell size doubles, cytoplasmic components are made
G1 checkpoint: check for cell size, nutrients, DNA damage, growth factors. If incorrect- senescence- enter stage G0, where cell cycle arrested.
S- DNA is replicated
G2- mitochondira divide, precursors to spindle fibres syntheised.
G2 checkpoint: is cell big enough, is DNA replicated + properly
Mitosis checkpoint: are spindle fibres attached properly.
Describe meiosis 1
Prophase is same at mitosis, in metaphase homologous chromosomes line up on the equator of the cell in pairs. Non- sister chromatids then cross over and exchange some genetic material. In anaphase the homologous chromosomes separate (not sister chromatids). You get independent assortment here as the homologous chromosomes line up in random order and so each daughter cell gets a mixture of maternal and paternal chromosomes. Telophase is same as mitosis
Describe mitosis 2
Prophase chromosomes condense
prometaphase: spindle fibres attach to chromosomes
metaphase: chromosomes line up on equator in single file
anaphase: sister chromatids separate
telophase: nuclear membrane reformes and chromosomes decondense
Give main differences between mitosis and meiosis.
Mitosis creates genetically identical daughter cells.
Mitosis creates cells with 46 chromosomes, meiosis creates one with only 23 chromosomes.
4 daughter haploid cells from meiosis and 2 daughter diploid from mitosis
Process of meiosis 1 differs from mitosis
What are the 3 main principles of the genetic code?
Non-overlapping
Degenerate
Universal
How do sex chromosomes find each other to pair up in meiosis?
There are small regions that are the same on X and Y chromosomes- PAR1 and PAR2 genes (psuedoautosomal regions).
What would be the consequence of the SRY gene crossing over from the Y chromosmes on the X
The offspring could have XY genotype (lost SRY from the X) but have female genotype or have XX and have male phenotype. This is because SRY triggers testicular development.
Describe the steps in spermatogenesis
The spermatogonium (stem cell) divides by mitosis into itself and also (from puberty) into two primary spermatocytes. If stimulated, the primary spermatocytes will divide by meiosis, at the end of meiosis 1, each primary spermatocyte will produce 2 secondary spermatocytes- each with 23 chromosomes (in X form)- and so these cells are haploid. The secondary spermatocytes then undergo meiosis 2 for form 2 spermatids. These spermatids then undergo maturation into sperm cells.
Describe the process of oogenesis
The oogonium divide into primary oocytes in the foetal stage of development. This means a female only has a finite number of oocytes from birth. The primary oocyte starts meiosis but the process is paused at prophase of meosis 1. When the female reaches puberty, one oocyte will be able to resume meiosis per month. The oocyte divides into a secondary oocyte and a polar body after meiosis 1. The secondary oocyte is then ovulated (the polar body disintergrates) and if it is penetrated by a sperm cell it will very quickly complete meiosis 2 to create another polar body and an ovum. The ovum and the sperms nucleus will fuse to create a zygote.
Why are polar bodies creates in oogenesis?
So that the majority of a cells components can go to the oocyte and so it has enough nutrients and mitochondria ect to survive till fertilisation.
Describe the process of transcription
- Transcription factor binds to promotor region (eg TATA box)
- RNA Polymerase also binds to TR and promotor
- Transcription activated by enhancer region upstream of promotor region
- Transcription starts at transcription start sequence (not AUG), helicase unwinds DNA
- RNA Nucleotides join to bases on template strand (3’-5’) and RNA polymerase joins RNA nucleotides 5’-3’. This means pre- mRNA strand created is complementry to coding strand
- Transcription continues pasts stop codon and polyA site until it means transcription termination site.
Describe the 3 post transcriptional modifications of pre mRNA
Splicing- introns removed by splicosome, which recognises where to cut by splicing sequences at beginning and end of intron.
Capping- methylated guanine is added by 5’-5’ linkage at 5’ end of the pre mRNA strand
Poly A Tailing- Poly A site at 3’ end is recognised and cleaved, PolyA polymerase adds a bunch of AMPs onto the end
Describe the process of translation
- mRNA meets ribosome
- tRNA with CAU fills P site where it is complementary to the start codon (AUG)
- the next tRNA in the sequence fills the A site
- energy GTP breakdown used to form polypeptide bond and break amino alkyl bond between amino acid and tRNA in P site
- Peptidyl transferase used to move amino acid from P site onto amino acid in A site.
- tRNA from A site moves into P site
- Process repeats
- Water needed to break amino alkyl bond between final amino acid and tRNA when stop codon reached.
What are the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic ribosomes?
Eukaryotes have 80s type- 60s and 40s subunits
prokaryotes have 70s type- 50s and 30s subunits
What binds the tRNA and amino acid back together?
aminoacyl tRNA synthase and ATP
How is the wobble base created on the tRNA meaning one tRNA needed per amino acid not per codon?
the base Inosine is present in some tRNA molecules, it can bind to U,C or A meaning the same tRNA can bind to slightly different codons- thus the same amino acid can bind to many different codons (code is degenerate) without needing lots of different tRNA molecules.
State ways that you can classify amino acids side chains
charged/ uncharged polar/nonpolar hydrophobic/ hydrophillic acidic/ neutral/ basic aliphatic/ aromatic
Where will uncharged/ hydrophobic aminoacid residues tend to reside in a protein
on the interior/ within the plasma membrane portion.
Why can amino acids be buffers?
because many are weak acids/ bases and so can act to ‘mop up’ excess H+
What is pK?
The pH at which an amino acid will have no overall charge
If pH is greater than pK will the side chain be protonated or deprotonated
deprotonated- acidic amino acids have very low pK and so pH is usually higher and so usually in deprotonated form
What is pI?
the isoelectric point of a protein- the pH at which a protein will have no overall charge. it is basically the avg pK of the amino acids.