Part 2 Flashcards
What are the 3 main types of RNA?
- mRNA: the shuttle that transfers genetic information from DNA to the ribosome
- few % of total cellular RNA
- highly variable in length and composition - rRNA: a structural and catalytic component of the ribosome
- 85% cellular RNA
- low variability - tRNA: an adaptor that decodes genetic information
- 10% cellular RNA
- low variability
Which part of the RNA structure is vulnerable to hydrolysis?
2’OH on the ribose sugar
What is special about the single strand of RNA molecules?
can form an extensive variety of structures via intra-strand base pairing and folding
- bulges
- internal loops
- junctions
- hair pins
How does a bulge form on a single RNA strand?
There is no complementary base on one side of the region which results in the nucleotide bulging out
How does an internal loop form on a single RNA strand?
There isn’t complementary bases on both sides of the regions so technically both sides bulge out.
What are pseudoknots?
base-pairing between non-contiguous regions
What is non-conical base pairing in RNA?
non-watson crick base pairs can be found in all combinations in RNA and gives RNA an enhanced capacity for self-complementarity. RNA is able to do this because it is very flexible in structure since it is not confined to form a double helix like DNA.
What is non-conical base pairing in RNA?
non-watson crick base pairs can be found in all combinations in RNA and gives RNA an enhanced capacity for self-complementarity. RNA is able to do this because it is very flexible in structure since it is not confined to form a double helix like DNA.
When RNA forms a double helix, what form is it in? Describe this form.
A form
- the 2’OH in the backbone prevents RNA from adopting a B-form helix
- minor groove: wide and shallow making it more accessible
- major groove: narrow and deep
- unlike DNA, RNA double helical regions are not as well suited for sequence-specific interactions with proteins
____ ____ can stabilize RNA structures.
Metal Cations
- divalent and monovalent metal ions bind to specific sites in RNA and help shield the negative charge of the back bone phosphates
- allows parts of the molecule to pack more tightly
Give 3 reasons why RNA can fold up into complex tertiary structures?
- doesn’t have the constraint of forming long regular helices
- single strand regions of RNA have a lot of rotational freedom
- often involves unconventional base pairing
- base triples
- non watson-crick base pairs
- base-backbone interactions
***important for catalytic activity for ribozymes
What is the name given to RNA enzyme catalysts?
Ribozymes
What are ribozymes?
RNA enzyme catalysts
- in addition to proteins, RNAs can also be enzymes where they bind to a substrate and perform a chemical reaction, and release a product
- ability to form tertiary structures is important for catalytic activity; this allows the formation of binding sites
1. for substrates
2. small molecule cofactors
3. an active site for catalysis
RNase P
an Endoribonuclease
- cleaves 5’ end of precursor tRNA to make mature tRNA
- composed of both RNA and protein
- RNA: catalyst
- protein: shields the negative charges on the RNAso that it can bind to its substrate tRNA which is also negatively charged
RNase P
an Endoribonuclease
- cleaves 5’ end (leader segment) of precursor tRNA to make mature tRNA
- composed of both RNA and protein
- RNA: catalyst
- protein: shields the negative charges on the RNA (itself) so that it can bind to its substrate tRNA which is also negatively charged
RNase P
an Endoribonuclease
- cleaves 5’ end (leader segment) of precursor tRNA to make mature tRNA
- composed of both RNA and protein
- RNA: catalyst (metal cations help here)
- protein: shields the negative charges on the RNA (itself) so that it can bind to its substrate tRNA which is also negatively charged
What are restriction endonucleases?
they cleave DNA at specific sites
- useful to be able to work with smaller, workable fragment sizes
- recognize specific sequences in the DNA (4-8bps) and cut at defined positions
- they are palindromic which means they can read the sequence from both sides
What are the 4 different kinds of restriction endonucleases?
Hpal (blunt ends)
EcoRl (sticky ends)
Hindlll (sticky ends)
Pstl (sticky ends)
What are the 4 different kinds of restriction endonucleases?
Hpal (blunt ends)
EcoRl (sticky ends)
Hindlll (sticky ends)
Pstl (sticky ends)
What is the difference between restriction endonucleases leaving behind blunt ends or sticky ends?
other sequences can only bind to sticky ends
How do you calculate how often you might see s specific sequence in DNA?
a 4 nucleotide sequence
4^4
a 8 nucleotide sequence
4^8
a 6 nucleotide sequence
4^6
What technique can be used to identify specific DNA molecules?
DNA hybridization where a labeled radioactive or fluorescent probe is mixed with a mixture of ssDNA fragments.