BCHM-3050 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Erwin Chargaff, Hydrogen Bond, Guanine
Primary Structure
Primary structure: nucleotide sequence
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Main importance: genetic information is stored in the primary structure of
DNA
Gene is a particular DNA sequence
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Early evidence: Avery, MacLeod and McCarty
DNA from pathogenic strains of pneumococcus can be transferred
into non pathogenic strains
Through transfer of DNA
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Secondary and Tertiary Structure
Secondary structure: 3D arrangement of nucleotide residue w respect to
one another
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Tertiary structure: longer range interactions in 3D
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Watson-Crick Double Helix Model and other Data
Propose double helical model for DNA structure
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Erwin Chargaff: determined that bases pair with each other
A=T
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G=C
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Watson and Crick: two strands in the double helix are stabilized by
hydrogen bonding
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X-Ray Analysis of DNA fibers
Rosalind Franklin: Characteristics of DNA molecules
Characteristics:
The structure repeats itself at intervals of 10 nucleotides
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Distance parallel to helix axis at which the helix makes a turn
is 3.4 nm
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Distance parallel to the helix axis b/w two successive
nucleotide residues is 0.34 nm
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Base-Stacking
stacking interaction: strong interaction between bases via van der Waals
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Bases are closely packed within the helix
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Major grooves: give direct access to bases
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Minor grooves: face the sugar backbone
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Grooves play a role in replication, transcription and other protein
interactions
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DNA replication: semiconservative
Semiconservative: replication of DNA molecule yields two daughter
duplexes which consist of one half parental DNA
Half of the original material is conserved in each copy
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Conservative: one pair is the same as parental pair while the other is
synthesized and new
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Dispersive: parental material is scattered through the structures of the
daughter pairs
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Meselson-Stahl experiment
Bacteria with high density DNA (1.724 g/mL) was grown on media with
low density (1.710 g/mL) bacteria.
Subsequent generations had intermediate density DNA (1.717 g/mL)
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A and B form Helices
A form: DNA under low humidity conditions
dsRNA and DNA-RNA hybrid molecules
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Bases lie farther to the outside
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Grooves are equally width
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B form: seen in DNA under high humidity conditions
dsDNA
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Predominant form
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Grooves are distinguishable
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10.5 base pairs per turn
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A and B forms are right hand helices
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DNA and RNA molecules in Vivo
DNA molecules: Double stranded in most organisms
Two strands are complementary
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DNA shapes
Circular DNA: can be small, involve single strand or two strands
intertwined in B form double helix
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Supercoiled: strained circular molecules
Involved in tertiary structure
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More compact
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Essential for compaction
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DNA ligase: seal DNA together covalently
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Twist: complete helical turn
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Writhe: recreating a helix
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Hairpins and Cruciform
Cruciform: double hairpin
Can be formed in some DNA sequences
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Palindromic: sequence is the same read forward to backward or backward
to forward'
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G-Quadruplexes
G- quadruplex: structure consisting of several G-quartets
G- quartet: sequence consisting of 4 guanine molecules
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May exist in:
telomeres
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Transcriptional control sites
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Oncogenes
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Denaturation!
Denaturation: loss of secondary structure
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DNA denaturation follows laws of thermodynamics
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Biological function of nucleic acid
Replication : DNA to DNA1.
Transcription: DNA to RNA 2.
Translation : RNA to protein 3.
Chapter 4: Helix and structure
Saturday, May 19, 2018
9:22 PM
Document Summary
Main importance: genetic information is stored in the primary structure of. Dna from pathogenic strains of pneumococcus can be transferred into non pathogenic strains. Secondary structure: 3d arrangement of nucleotide residue w respect to one another. Erwin chargaff: determined that bases pair with each other. Watson and crick: two strands in the double helix are stabilized by hydrogen bonding. The structure repeats itself at intervals of 10 nucleotides. Distance parallel to helix axis at which the helix makes a turn is 3. 4 nm. Distance parallel to the helix axis b/w two successive nucleotide residues is 0. 34 nm. Base-stacking stacking interaction: strong interaction between bases via van der waals. Grooves play a role in replication, transcription and other protein interactions. Semiconservative: replication of dna molecule yields two daughter duplexes which consist of one half parental dna. Half of the original material is conserved in each copy.