Lecture 7. The Structure Of DNA Flashcards

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1
Q

Who showed that each building block of DNA is a nucleotide?

A

Phoebus Aaron Theodor Levene

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2
Q

What is the difference between ribose and deoxyribose?

A

Ribose has a hydroxyl group on the C-2’ whilst deoxyribose has a hydrogen atom where the hydroxyl group was

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3
Q

Which nitrogenous bases are purines?

A

Adenine and Guanine

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4
Q

Which nitrogenous bases are pyrimidine?

A

Cytosine, Thymine and Uracil

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5
Q

Where do glycosidic bonds form between sugars and purines?

A

Between sugar C-1’ and N-9

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6
Q

Where do glycosidic bonds form between sugars and pyrimidines?

A

Between sugar C-1’ and N-1

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7
Q

Nucleoside

A

A sugar and nitrogenous base joined together by a glycosidic bond

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8
Q

Nucleotides

A

Phosphorylated nucleosides

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9
Q

Where do ester bonds form between nucleosides and phosphates?

A

Between C-5’ and the negatively charged end of the phosphate

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10
Q

How do you recognise the start and the end of the DNA sequence?

A

Base sequence is read from 5’ (phosphate group) to 3’ (Hydroxyl group on sugar)

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11
Q

What was the Tetranucleotide Model that Levene proposed in 1930?

A

The four nucleotides occurred in tetranucleotide blocks with the bases pointing outwards and thus DNA was simple and repetitive and couldn’t be the genetic material

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12
Q

Who disproved the tetranucleotide model and when was it disproven?

A

Erwin Chargaff

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13
Q

How was the tetranucleotide sequence disproven?

A

The percentages of all nitrogenous bases were not the same
%T = %A and %G = %C

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14
Q

What is the alpha helix?

A

The basic structure preset in many proteins

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15
Q

How was the alpha helix discovered?

A

X-ray crystallography - cross formed which is typical of a helical structure

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16
Q

How was DNA stretched into long fibres that could be mounted in front of an X ray source?

A

X-ray fibre diffraction

17
Q

Who discovered A-DNA and what did they do to the stretched DNA?

A

Maurice Wilkins, stretched DNA and air dried it

18
Q

Who discovered B-DNA and what did they do to the stretched DNA?

A

Raymond Gosling and Rosalind Franklin, stretched DNA and left it hydrated

19
Q

What was ‘Photo 51’

A

The clear cross from the x-ray fibre diffraction that showed DNA was helical. Allowed the dimensions of B-DNA to be deduced

20
Q

B-DNA dimensions

A

Height of one helical turn = 3.6nm
Separation of the bases = ~0.34nm
Diameter of the helix = 2nm

21
Q

Which way are the polynucleotide chain wound in the double helix?

A

Right-handed (clockwise)

22
Q

A-DNA

A

Occurs in low hydration conditions: whether this occurs naturally is uncertain

23
Q

B-DNA

A

The most structurally stable form under physiological conditions

24
Q

A-DNA

A

Taken up physiologically by stretches of alternating pyrimidines and purines