Unit 2: 8 Flashcards
What is the sense strand?
The sense strand carries the coded genetic information
Discuss the central dogma of molecular biology
DNA->RNA-> Protein
genetic info is stored in the DNA - most common form is double stranded DNA composed of two antiparellel strands linked through complementary base pairing - Chargaff’s rule (A with T and C with G)
What is the anti-sense strand?
The anti sense strand consists of a complementary sequence of bases oriented in the opposite direction
From where is genetic information transcribed?
the anti-sense strand serves as the template for synthesis of the messenger RNA (mRNA) with the same base sequence 5’-3’ as the sense strand of the double helical DNA except that uracil replaces thymine (T)
in what direction if messenger RNA translated into a sequence of amino acids ?
From N-terminus to C- terminus -read from 5’-3’
define gene
a unique sequence of DNA that provides the complete instructions to make a functional product called a protein
Nucleotide
sugar, phosphate, base
Nucleoside
just sugar and base - side = simple so missing phosphate just sugar and bas
what kind of bond links nucleotides
phosphodiester
what is the directionality of the polymeric chain?
5’-3’
pyrimidine bases
C, T and U
contain a flat plannar 6 member ring with two nitrogens- the bond between the pyrimidines and the sugar-phosphate is between position 1 on the pentose sugar to position 1 (-N) in the pyrimidine
purines
A and G - a flat plannar 6 member ring fused to a 5 member ring with two nitrogens each -the bond between the purines and the sugar-phosphate is from position 1 on the pentose sugar to position 9 (-N) of the purine
Modified bases in DNA
5 methyl cytosine -influences packaging of chromosomal DNA important for X chromosome inactivation.
-5 hyroxymethylcytosine ; may regulate gene expression by inducing DNA demethylation, found at high level in the CNS
Modified bases in RNA
- hypoxanthine: found in the anticodon of tRNA, also used in purine biosynthesis
- pseudouracil: found in tRNAs
- N6-methyladenosine: found in mRNAs and may affect gene expression and splicing
adenine phosphoribosyltransferase
a salvage enzyme that recovers purine bases
catalyzes the formation of adenylate
adenine + PRPP -> adenylate + PPi (pyrophosphate)