Nucleotides: The Building Blocks of Nucleic Acids Flashcards
1
Q
primary structure
A
- sequence of amino acids in a protein
2
Q
secondary structure
A
- first order folding
3
Q
tertiary structure
A
- second-order folding
- 3-D structure
4
Q
quaternary structure
A
- subunit interaction
5
Q
Nucleoside
A
Base + Sugar
6
Q
Nucleotide
A
Base + Sugar + Phosphate
7
Q
Sugar
A
- Ribose (RNA)
- Deoxyribose (DNA) - no OH in 2’ position
8
Q
Purines
A
- Adenine
- Guanine
- two membered rings
9
Q
Pyrimidines
A
- Cytosine
- Thymine - only DNA
- Uracil - only RNA
- single ring
10
Q
prime (‘)
A
- prevent numbering confusion with the atoms in the bases.
11
Q
bond between base and sugar
A
- N-glycosidic bond (N-9)
- covalently bonded to N
12
Q
P32
A
- common radioactive label
13
Q
Following the addition of nucleotides into DNA or RNA (nucleic acid)
A
- put P32 on the 5’ alpha position on the free nucleotides
14
Q
Following the transfer of a phosphate
A
- put P32 on the 5’ gamma position on the ATP
15
Q
Where are the phosphates?
A
May be carried in the 5’ or 3’ position
16
Q
ester
A
- linkage between an alcohol and an organic acid
17
Q
if the acid is phosphoric acid
A
the ester is phosphoester
18
Q
phosphoric acid can form more than one ester
A
phosphodiester
19
Q
Synthesis of a dinucleotide
A
- formation of a phosphodiester bond between 3’ OH and 5’ phosphate
- covalently linked
- 5’-3’ synthesis in vivo
- 3’ OH critical for nucleic acid synthesis
- pyrophosphate released
20
Q
pyrophosphate
A
- key for pyrosequencing
21
Q
chemical synthesis of DNA
A
- done in 3’ to 5’ direction
- primers for PCR and DNA sequencing
- need to be single-stranded with no template involved.
- synthesis controlled by identity of nucleotide provided by each round of synthesis.
