MT2 Flashcards
For a molecule to serve as genetic material it must be able to (3)
- replicate accurately
- store large amounts of information
- allow for phenotypic variation
Johann Meischer
Discovery of DNA - 1869
Isolated weakly acidic substance, ‘nuclein’ from nuclei in human WBCs. Later renamed nucleic acid.
Fredrick Griffith
The Transforming Principle - 1928
- Showed that cells can be transformed - uptake genetic material from an external source resulting in new traits
Transforming Principle - Discovery + experiment
Fredrick Griffith 1928
Injected heat killed virulent bacteria + non-virulent into mice and mice died. Concluded that a substance in heat-killed virulent bacteria genetically transformed the non-virulent bacteria.
- Non-virulent = R cells
- Virulent = S cells
- The substance responsible causes a permanent, heritable genetic change referred to as TRANSFORMING PRINCIPLE
Avery, McLeod, McCarty
DNA Carry Genetic Information - 1944
EXPERIMENT: head killed S strain and extracted cell contents treated with (1) RNAse, (2) DNAse, (3) Protease. These extracts then mixed w non-virulent R strain. Found that transforming activity destroyed only by DNAse, so DNA must be the transforming principle
Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase
DNA Carry Genetic Information - 1952
- DNA, no protein, transmitted to progeny
- Bacteria infected with T2 phages with 35S labeled coat protein or 32P labelled DNA
- Labelled protein not in progeny, but labelled DNA was
Singer and Fraenkel-Conrat
RNA as Genetic Material - 1956
- Some viruses contain RNA, not DNA, and still reproduce
- EXPERIMENT: Separated ssRNA from protein in 2 samples tobacco mosaic virus. Applied protein coat from A to DNA in B. Hybrid progeny were identical to original B.
Aaron Levene
DNA is made of repeating units called NUCLEOTIDES
Albrecht Kossel
Nucleic acid contains for nitrogenous bases: Adenine (A), Cytosine (C), Guanine (G), Thymine (T)
Edwin Chargaff
Analyzed the nucleotide composition of DNA: A=T ; G=C
Watson and Crick
Using data collected from others, they proposed the 3D structure of DNA
- Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wolkins produced x-ray diffraction data with B form DNA that showed DNA had constant diameter
- Used (Linus Pauling) model building technique
- Initially has bases facing out, but Franklin saw that PO4s on inside would be unstable
3 forms of DNA
A, B, Z
A and B are the major forms.
A is what comes out when you try to purify DNA
Key characteristics of double helix
- Phosphates outside, bases inside
- Double helix
- Anti-parallel strands held together by H bonding
- Specific base pairing
- Constant diameter
- Bases flat, perp to axis ; stacked 0.34 nm apart with 10 bases per turn
Nucleotides linked together by
3’ - 5’ phosphodiester bonds
polarity of 5’ phosphate end and 3’ hydroxyl end
A form DNA
Right hand turns 11 bases per turn Narrower major groove Forms under low humidity Found in DNA-protein complexes
B form DNA
Right hand turns
10 residues/turn
Form usually found in cells
z form DNA
Left handed turns
12/residues/turn
No major grooves
Biological significance unknown
Hairpin and stem formation in DNA
Occurs in ssDNA where it has inverted complementary sequence.
- hairpin has loop at top where the bases don’t quite match up
- stem has all bases matching up to create a perfect fold
cruciform
forms in dsDNA with inverted repeats.
- Normal dna forms two mirrored hairpins/stems where the bases are complementary in the ssDNA
Ways to denature DNA (4)
- Increase temp
- Reduce salt []
- Increase pH disrupts H bonding
- Sovlents
Factors that determine Tm of DNA (4)
- G/C content
- Ionic strength of buffer
- Length of the DNA molecule
- Higher [salt] => higher Tm bc it stabilizes the -ve charge of the phosphate groups
Ways you can use Tm (3)
- CLASSIFY ORGANISMS - GC content in DNA is species specific
- DETECT SEQUENCE DIFFS IN 2 NUCLEIC ACIDS OF DIFF ORIGIN - hybrid molecule formed and differences seen in disruptions in base pairing
- DETECT RARE GENETIC MUTATIONS - mutated DNA melts at diff temp than normal ranges
Ways to disrupt H bonding in DNA to decrease Tm
Solvents: formamide and DMSO
Strong alkaline conditions (high pH)
Conservative replication
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