WEEK 4 Flashcards
Detail the ‘Central dogma’ of molecular biology
DNA⇌DNA⇌RNA→Protein
dna to dna via replication, dna to rna via transcription, rna to dna via reverse transcription (reverse transcriptase in retrovirus), rna to protein via translation
What is DNA?
Deoxyribonucleic acid, double-stranded molecule that forms a helix
What is RNA?
Ribonucleic acid. single-stranded molecule with intra-molecular base pairing
What are the differences between DNA and RNA?
RNA has an OH group at ribose C2, DNA doesn’t
RNA uses uracil (U), DNA uses thymine (T)
Bases of DNA/RNA
Adenine Guanine Cytosine Thymine (DNA) Uracil (RNA)
What effect does RNA having an OH group at ribose C2 but DNA not having one have?
Causes RNA to be unstable in aqueous environments where DNA is more stable
Which are the purine bases?
Adenine and Guanine
Which are the pyrimidine bases?
Cytosine, Thymine and Uracil
How many H bonds between the respective purine and pyrimidine base pairs?
A-T=2 H bonds
G-C=3 H bonds
How do H bonds between base pairs aid DNA replication?
Allows easy replication as H bonds easily broken, so strands separate and complementary bases pair to form two molecules
What is a gene?
Sequence of DNA nucleotides
What is the genome?
An organism’s complete set of genetic information
Excluding genes, what are the other elements of the genome?
regulatory elements→’promoter’ and ‘enhancer’ regions
non-coding DNA→introns, removed from primary RNA transcript via splicing (exons=coding DNA)
repeat elements→regions that don’t endode a protein that occur commonly in tandem arrays
What is the method of DNA replication?
Semi-conservative
How is the DNA helix arranged?
contains two strands that run anti-parallel (5′ and 3′ ends at opposite ends of DNA molecule)
LOOK AT DNA STRUCTURE AND BONDING OF DNA MOLECULES
5′ end=triphosphate
3′ end=hydroxyl
What is the basic DNA building block?
deoxynucleotide triphosphate (dNTPs)
What are the enzymes for DNA synthesis?
DNA helicase-causes separation of DNA helix to form 2 strands DNA polymerase (1, 2 or 3)
Process of DNA synthesis
DNA helicase separates the two strands, H bond formed between complementary bases, a second dNTP comes in which is complementary to the next base so forms a H bond, then forms a covalent bond with the dNTP adjacent via DNA polymerase causing two phosphates to be lost
Characteristics of DNA polymerase
Proceeds in 5′ to 3′ direction
Adds 1000 bases/second to the chain
Requires dNTPs
Must have a template and an RNA primer→provides free 3′ end which receives incoming dNTP’s
What is the replication fork?
Contains leading and lagging strands on which DNA polymerase acts, DNA polymerase synthesis from 3′ end of the leading strand to the 5′ end, forming the 5′ to 3′ new strand-complementary to the leading strand, on the lagging strand, Okazaki fragments are formed in a 5′ to 3′ manner but from the 5′ end to the 3′ end via multiple DNA polymerase, ligation of strands via DNA ligase forms one big new strand complementary to the lagging strand
What initiates whole chromosome replication?
Origin proteins which form a replication ‘bubble’
How does DNA polymerase prevent errors in DNA replication?
It adds a base, moves back to check it and excises it if it’s wrong and moves on
What is the process of DNA forming RNA?
Transcription
What enzyme is needed for RNA synthesis?
RNA polymerase
What are the building blocks of RNA?
Adenine/Guanine/Cytosine/Uracil Triphosphate (ATP/GTP/CTP/UTP)
What is the directionality of RNA synthesis?
5′ to 3′
What is different from DNA replication and RNA synthesis?
Only one strand is copied in RNA synthesis (template/non-coding strand)
Process of transcription
Local DNA melting produces roughly 30bp bubble which moves along the DNA and extends the RNA chain, proteins involved in RNA processing bound to primary RNA transcript (spliceosome-removes introns from pre-mRNA)
What occurs between transcription and translation?
mRNA moves out the nucleus into the cytoplasm via nuclear pores