interactions between protein and nucleic acids

Question 1

What are the 3 cellular processes that require interaction between nucleic acids and proteins

Answer 1

1. DNA replication
2. DNA repair
3. RNA recombination
4. Transcription

Question 2

what type of forces are involved in protein-nucleic acid interaction?

Answer 2

• generally weak bonds
• electro static interactions (hydrogen bonds, ionic interactions, Van der Waal forces)
• hydrophobic interactions
• stacking interactions (between rings of aromatic AA and rings of NA bases)

Question 3

name and describe 2 interactions between nucleic acid and protein that are not specific to the sequence of the nucleic acid

Answer 3

1. Chromosomes - DNA bound to histone proteins
   - DNA compactions
   - histones contain many positively charged amino acids
   - many H bonds between protein and DNA
2. single-stranded nucleic acid binding proteins (SSB) in DNA
   - SSB proteins help protect DNA from degredation
   - electrostatic interactions
   - bases stack against aromatic amino acid side chains in the protein

Question 4

name 2 interactions between nucleic acid and protein that are sequence-specific

Answer 4

1. bacterial restriction enzymes
2. transcription factors
3. RNA splicing