Exam 1 Flashcards
Central Dogma
DNA –> Transcription –> RNA –> Translation –> Protein
Exceptions to the Central Dogma
1. Reverse Transcription: Certain retroviruses such as HIV are able to convert single-stranded RNA into a double-stranded DNA copy, which is then inserted into the genome of the host cell
2. RNA Replication: some viruses’ RNA genome is copied directly into RNA without the use of DNA as an intermediary
3. RNA Editing: the base sequence of RNA is altered after it is transcribed from the DNA so that it no longer corresponds precisely to the DNA
Prokaryotic
Lacks a nucleus (bacteria and archaea)
Eukaryotic
contains a nucleus
Recombinant DNA technology (genetic engineering)
allows genes to be isolated, sequenced, modified, and transferred from one organism to another
Nucleosides
a base covalently bonded to the 1’ position of a pentose sugar molecule
(base + sugar)
Nucleotide
nucleoside with one or more phosphate groups covalently bonded to the 3’ or 5’ position
(base + sugar + phosphate)
Phosphodiester bonds
- in nucleic acid polymers, the ribose or deoxyribose sugars are linked by a phosphate between the 5’ position of one sugar and the 3’ position of the next
- creates sugar-phosphate backbone with a base attached to the 1’ of each sugar
DNA/RNA sequence
Consists of bases A,C,G,T/U in the DNA or RNA chain. Conventionally written in the free 5’ to free 3’ end of the molecule
Bonds between Base-Pairs
- three hydrogen bonds between C and G
- two hydrogen bonds between A and T
Purines
Adenine and Guanine
(two rings)
(heterobicyclic molecule)
Pyrimidines
Cytosine and Thymine (or Uracil in RNA)
(one ring)
(heterocyclic molecule)
Difference between Uracil and Thymine
Thymine has a methyl group at the Carbon-5 position while Uracil just has a hydrogen
Thymine is “5-methyluracil”
Structural Difference between DNA and RNA
one hydroxyl group (-OH) on the 2’ position (in RNA, but not in DNA)
Glycosidic bond (or glycosylic bond)
bond between bases and sugars
Structure of DNA
Nitrogenous bases attatched via a glycosidic bond to pentose sugars that are linked together by phosphodiester bonds between the 3’ and 5’ carbons of those sugars to form a long-chain polymer
Amino Acid Structure
a carbon atom is linked to a carboxyl group, a primary amino group, a proton and a side chain (R)
All natural forms exist in the L conformation (chiral), Lewis structures of natural amino (L) acids always have the carboxyl group at the top and the amino group to the left.
Polarity of Amino Acids
Amino acids are dipolar ions (zwitterions) in aqueous solution and behave as both acids and bases (they are amphoteric)
Globular Proteins
folded compactly and behave in solution more or less as spherical particles (most enzymes are globular in nature)
Fibrous Proteins
very high axial ratios (length/width) and are usually important structural proteins, for example in silk fibroin and keratin in hair and wool.
Generally much larger than globular proteins.
Prosthetic groups
may act as cofactors in enzyme reactions, or as large associations (lipids in lipoproteins or the carbohydrate in glycoproteins)
Peptide bond
bonds amino acids to one another (links carboxyl group of one amino acid covalently to the amino group of the next) to create a polypeptide.
Written directionality of polypeptides
N-terminus to C-terminus
Primary Structure of polypeptide
Linear amino acid sequence from N-terminus to C-terminus, also includes any covalently bonded prosthetic groups and disulfide links (salt bridges) between cystiene residues (cystines)
Van Der Waals forces
noncovalent associations between electrically neutral molecules
Hydrogen Bonds in Proteins
formed between a covalently bonded hydrogen atom on a donor group (ex. O-H or N-H) and a pair of non-bonding electrons on an acceptor group (ex O–C or N-)
Protein Functions
- Enzymes: allmost all enzymes are proteins (a limited number of RNAs act as enzymes)
- Signaling: receptor proteins in cell membranes can bind ligands
- Transport and Storage: hemoglobin, transferrin, ferritin, lipoproteins
- Structure and Movement: Collagen, keratin
- Nutrition: Casein and ovalbumin
- Immunity: antibodies
- Regulation: transcription factors
Which base is not found in DNA?
Uracil
Which statements best describe a DNA double helix?
- the sugar-phosphate backbone is on the outside of the helix
- the backbones of the two strands run in opposite (anitparallel) directions
- bases are positioned perpendicular to the overall axis of the DNA strand
Which statements about RNA are true?
- RNA secondary structure is more variable than DNA
- RNA contains uracil instead of thymine
- RNA differs from DNA by containing ribose, not deoxyribose sugars
Which statements best describe a nucleotide?
a. the phosphate group is attached to the base
b. a nucleotide contains a base, a sugar, and a phosphate group
c. the sugar contains two nitrogen atoms
d. the bases contain extra-cyclic groups such as NH2 or O
e. the base is attached to the sugar by a glycosidic bond
- b. a nucleotide contains a base, a sugar, and a phosphate group
- d. the bases contain extra-cyclic groups such as NH2 or O
- e. the base is attached to the sugar by a glycosidic bond
Nucleic Acids: Sugar components
(KNOW THE NUMBERING OF THE SUGARS)
Nucleic Acids: nucleosides
Structure of 5’ and 3’ ends
DNA Characteristics
- The polynucleotide strands are antiparallel.
(5’–>3’ and 3’–>5’).
- Bases in opposing strands are complementary. Base pairs always have one purine and one pyrimidine. (A = T, G = C).
- The bases interact by hydrogen bonding.
- DNA has 10 (10.5 in vivo) base pairs per turn of helix.
- DNA helices have major and minor grooves.
Differences between DNA and RNA
Separating the double helix into single strands during replication requires which protein?
a. DNA polymerase I
b. DNA polymerase II
c. helicase
d. topoisomerase
e. primase
Helicase
Leading and lagging strand synthesis differs in that:
a. On the leading strand, synthesis is 5’ to 3’ but 3’ to 5’ on the lagging
b. Leading strand synthesis does not require topoisomerase, unlike lagging strand synthesis
c. The leading strand requires only a single primer, while the lagging strand requires multiple primers
d. Helicases open the leading strand faster than the lagging strand
c. The leading strand requires only a single primer, while the lagging strand requires multiple primers
The technique used to determine that DNA replication occurs semi-conservatively was…
equilibrium density-gradient centrifugation
All of the following are properties of DNA polymerase III except:
a. It completes synthesis of the leading strand before beginning synthesis of the lagging strand
b. It is responsible for incorporating most of the nucleotides in the lagging strand
c. It is responsible for incorporating most of the nucleotides in the leading strand
d. It contains a 3’ to 5’ proofreading activity
e. It has a very low error rate
a. It completes synthesis of the leading strand before beginning synthesis of the lagging strand
If the sequence ACATA mutates to become ACTTA, the A to T alteration is called a:
a. depurination
b. transversion
c. transition
d. tautomeric shift
Changes from a purine to a pyrimidine, so the answer is:
b. transversion
Which of these DNA repair mechanisms does not use DNA polymerase during repair?
a. homologous recombinational repair of a double-strand break
b. base excision repair of an apurinic site
c. mitotic mismatch repair
d. photolyase repair of a thymine dimer
e. nucleotide excision repair of a thymine dimer
d. photolyase repair of a thymine dimer
A tautomeric shift during replication most likely results in a:
a. missense mutation
b. deletion mutation
c. frameshift mutation
d. insertion mutation
e. inversion mutation
a. missense mutation
Site-directed mutagenesis:
a. can be used to restore a mutant gene back to wild-type sequence
b. can be used to modify the function of a gene
c. can be used to modify the binding site for a repressor in the 5’ untranslated region of a gene
d. all of the above
e. none of the
d. all of the above
Definition of Mutation Rate and facts
The term mutation rate is the likelihood that a gene will be altered by a new mutation
- It is commonly expressed as the number of new mutations in a given gene per generation
- It is in the range of 10-5 to 10-9 per generation
- The mutation rate for a given gene is not constant, It can be increased by the presence of mutagens
Mutation Frequency
Number of mutant genes divided by the total number of copies of that gene in a population
- If 1 million bacteria were plated and 10 were mutant
The mutation frequency would be 1 in 100,000 or 10-5
What does mutation frequency depend on?
- Timing of the mutation
- Likelihood that the mutation will be passed on to future generations
Types of Mutation, by order of severity
- Genome-level changes: ploidy changes (whole genome duplication/deletion)
- Chromosome-level changes: c’some gain/loss
- Double-strand break: loss of chromosome telomere-proximal to break
- Chromosome rearrangements: large insertions, large deletions, duplications, inversions, translocations, transposition
- Locus alterations: point mutations, repeat alterations
Primary ways in which structure of chromosomes can be altered
- Change in total genetic information (deficiencies/deletions)
- Genetic material/information rearranged (inversions/translocations)
Change in total genetic information
•Deficiencies/Deletions
–The loss of a chromosomal segment
•Duplications
–The repetition of a chromosomal segment