DNA Structure/function/replication/repair Flashcards
Which nucleic acids bases are purines? Pyrimidines?
Purines: A + G
Pyrimidines: C T U
What is a nucleoside?
Nucleic acid base with a 5 carbon sugar attached via a N’glycosidic bond
What is a nucleotide?
Nucleoside + phosphate via a phosphoesterase bond
CLINICAL EXAMPLE:
How does salmonella cause food poisoning?
Inactivation of DNA adenine methylase
- blocks expression of virulence genes
- prevent diz development in mice
- induces an immune response
Clinical correlation:
How are nucleoside analogs used to tx Anti-viral and anti-cancer txs? Give an example:
Incorporates into DNA to prevent chain elongation.
Acyclovir - deoxyguanosine analog (HSV)
Azidothymidine (AZT) - analog of deoxythymidine (zidovudive- HIV)
Zalcitabine (dideoxycytidine) - analog of deoxycytidine (HIV)
How to nucleotides polymerize?
3’-5’ phosphodiester bonds btwn 3’-OH on sugar of one nucleotide and 5’-P on the next
What is chain polarity of the structure?
Free 5’-P at the 5’ end and free 3-OH at 3’end
What is the 1’ sttucture of DNA? 2’? 3’?
Primary - nucleotide chain
Secondary - Double helix
Tertiary - supercoiling
What are nucleases? What kind of nucleases do we have?
Nucleases - hydrolyze phosphodiester bonds
Exonuclease - cut at an end of a polynucleotide chain
Endonuclease - cleave at internal phosphodiester bonds (i.e. Restriction enzymes, site specifc cleavage)
A restriction enzyme is an example of what kind of nuclease?
Endonuclease
What is the most common DNA structure? What is it composed of?
B-form
2 anti-parallel polynucleotide chains
5’-3’ & 3’-5’
Right handed double helix
Outer sugar phosphate back bone
Bases perpendicular to axis
10BP/helical turn
Complete turn Q 34A
Chains held together with hydrogen bonds
Minor (narrow) and Major (wide) grooves
CLINICAL CORRELATION:
How do anti-cx drugs DACTINOMYCIN, actinomycin D exert cytotoxic effects?
Intercalate at MINOR grooves
Thus interfering with DNA/RNA syn
How does DNA size differ between E.coli and Humans?
Ecoli: 1 molecule, circular, DS, 4X10^6bp, 2mm
Human: 46 chromosomes, linear, DS, 6X10^9 BP, 6 geet long
Does a negatively supercoilded DNA double helix have fewer or greater helical turns compared to a relaxed B DNA double helix?
Fewer helical turns
I.e. 100BP->10 helical turns
100 -> 8 turns (neg. supercoiled)
100BP->12 turns (pos. Supercoiled)
Why are negative supercoils so important?
- Facilitate DNA strand separation in double helix (for replication/transcription/repair/recombination)
- Energetically favored
- NRG needed for strand separation are stored in the supercoils.
Do negative supercoils break phosphodiester bonds?
No.
double strand helix is partially unwound (bubbles) and then normal BP is restored.
When eukaryotic histone proteins bind to double helix, histones force DNA to wrap around them . Generates neg supercoil.
What do DNA topoisomerases do?
Change tertiary structure (supercoiling)
Swivel points in DNA helix
How does strand separation influence positive supercoiling?
Ex. If we have 100BP and uncoil 50, the remainder of 50 BP will be forced to have more helical turns —> (+ supercoiling)
How to topoisomerases work?
They have both nuclease and ligase activity.
- Transiently break one or both of the DNA strands
- Pass the strands thru the break.
- Rejoin them
How does TopoI differ from TopoII?
TopoI -> cuts single strand of helix
Topo II ->cuts both strands of helix. Think of a loop and all that happens in first step one side is being pulled underneath other. TOPOII comes in and cuts so that now one part of strand loops over and then other loops behind. Religates and now we have a negative supercoil.
What is bacterial DNA gyrase?
An unusual TopoII
Can remove both (+ & -) supercoils.
Facilitates bacterial DNA replication
REQUIRES ATP!!!
Introduces negative supercoils into relaxed circular DNA
CLINICAL CORRELATION:
How do drugs targeting Topoisomerases differ from ABX to ACX?
ABX -> FQs. Target DNA gyrase (topoII) not found in eukaryotes. Shouldnt have cell cycle specific side effects b/c of this.
Novobiocin - block ATP-binding to gyrase
(Nalidixic acid/Ciprofloxacin - interferes with endonuclease activity of gyrase
ACX ->
Camptothecin -> TopoI
Adriamycin/Etopside ->TopoII
(Converts Topo into DNA breaking agents)
How do prokaryotes and eukaryotes differ in chromatin and chromosome structure?
Pro: DNA associated with non-histone proteins. Condense DNA to form nucleoid (nonmembrane bound region)
Eukary: Associated with histone and non-histone proteins
Condensed in the nucleus. Nucleoprotein complex is called chromatin
What are histones?
Small BASIC Proteins. Typically ARG and LYS rich
What are the 5 classes of histones?
H1, H2A, H2B, H3, H4
What is the structure of the nucleosome?
A. Core: Histone octamer w/ DNA supercoiled around (2 histones of h2a/b,h3, h4)
**140BP dna (1&3/4 superhelical turn) winds around histones
B. DNA spacer = 20-80 bp btwn cores, binds with H1.
Why is H1 important?
As soon as DNA replication is completed, 1 H1 binds spacer DNA and promotes packing of nucleosomes
What is a solenoid?
Helical tubular coil of chromatin
How is compaction of the eukaryotic chromosome completed?
Solenoid loops itself and forms large DNA loops (600A) w/ each loop contained 40,000-80,000 BP
DNA loops around scaffold protein.
DNA loops radiate from scaffold = metaphase chromosome (classic 4 arm structure)
When does replication take place in the cell?
S phase.
Is replication a conservative process?
No, semi-conservative.
How is replication initiated?
Partial opening of double helix beginning at origin of replication
What base pairs do we typically see at origins or replication?
A:T base pairing