Genome Organisation Flashcards
What is positive super coiling?
DNA overrotated
Helix twists on itself
What are the four possible nitrogenous bases for DNA?
Adenine
Thymine
Cytosine
Guanine
What are the four possible nitrogenous bases for DNA?
Adenine
Thymine
Cytosine
Guanine
Why are Adenine and Guanine called purines?
have double rings
Why are Thymine and Cytosine called pyrimidines?
Only one ring
What is the approximate amount of base pairs for each turn in the helix of DNA?
10
What does the major groove contain?
base pair specific information
What does the minor groove contain?
base pair non specific information
What are the two main ways for viral genome packaging?
Many viruses assemble their capsids around the viral genomes
form protein capsid shells first and then package their genomes into the procapsids
How does ssRNA helical tobacco mosaic virus package its genome?
assemble capsid around genome
How do some dsRNA and dsDNA viruses package their genome?
some dsDNA viruses (like herpesviruses) and dsRNA viruses (e.g. φ6 and φ12 bacteriophages) form protein capsid shells first and then package their genomes into the procapsids. These viruses use a packaging motor protein that is driven by the hydrolysis of ATP to condense the nucleic acids into a confined space.
What is the typical bacterial genome like?
typically comprised one circular chromosome but often harbored extrachromosomal elements in the form of plasmids or phages
How does the bacterial genome form nucleoids?
genome interacts with proteins (nucleoid-associated proteins H-NS and HU) and is tightly negatively supercoiled
What is Topoisomerase?
The enzyme responsible for adding and removing turns in the coil
When does positive supercoiling occur?
DNA overrotated so it twists on itself
When does negative supercoiling occur?
DNA underrotated
twists on itself in the opposite direction
How does topoisomerase I catalyse relaxation of negative supercoils
(1) cleavage of one DNA strand;
(2) passage of a segment of DNA through the break, and
(3) resealing the break. No ATP energy required for this reaction.
How does topoisomerase I catalyse relaxation of negative supercoils
(1) cleavage of one DNA strand;
(2) passage of a segment of DNA through the break, and
(3) resealing the break. No ATP energy required for this reaction.