A Nucleotide is made of these 3 structures:
Phosphate group, Sugar (deoxyribose), Nitrogenous Base
Adenine and Guanine are:
purines (2 rings)
Cytosine and Thymine (and Uracil) are:
pyrimidines, which have one ring.
Chargaff's rule
A - T (sometimes U)
DNA is antiparallel. What does this mean?
The two strands each run from 3' to 5' and run in opposite directions from one another.
DNA strands are held together by
hydrogen bonds between AT and CG
DNA in prokaryotes
DNA is contained in the cytoplasm and consists of a ring of DNA
DNA in eukaryotes
DNA is stored as rod-shaped chromosomes, in the nucleus
Histones
protein molecules around which DNA is tightly coiled in chromatin
Telomeres
Repeated DNA sequences at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, protects genes from degrading during division
DNA is copied in a _____ direction
5' to 3'
DNA replication is semiconservative. What does that mean?
The newly synthesized DNA strands each contain one of the original 'mother' strands
DNA replication occurs during...
S phase of interphase of cell cycle
topoisomerase
A protein that functions in DNA replication, helping to relax the double helix ahead of the replication fork.
Helicase
An enzyme that untwists (unzips) the double helix of DNA at the replication forks.
Single stranded binding proteins
Proteins that act as scaffolding, holding two DNA strands apart during replication
primase
An enzyme that makes the RNA Primers, which join to the DNA and act as a starting point for DNA synthesis.
DNA Polymerase
Enzyme involved in DNA replication that joins individual nucleotides to produce a DNA molecule
leading strand
the new complementary DNA strand synthesized continuously along the template strand toward the replication fork in the mandatory 5' to 3' direction
lagging strand
The strand that is synthesized in fragments using individual sections called Okazaki fragments
Ligase
An enzyme that connects two fragments of DNA to make a single fragment
Transcription
synthesis of an RNA molecule from a DNA template. Occurs in nucleus of Euk's
Translation
Process by which mRNA is decoded and a protein is produced (Ribosomes, Rough ER in Euk's)
RNA polymerase
Enzyme similar to DNA polymerase that binds to DNA and generates an RNA copy
mRNA is a copy of the _______________ strand
coding
mRNA is a complement of the ___________ strand
non-coding, template
uracil
a nitrogen-containing base found in RNA (but not in DNA). Functions in place of Thymine
Post transcription modification of mRNA =
addition of poly-A tail
Bacteria+ Virusus
BOTH RNA +DNA
Introns
A noncoding, intervening sequence within a eukaryotic gene.
Exons
expressed sequence of DNA; codes for a protein
mRNA
messenger RNA; type of RNA that carries instructions from DNA in the nucleus to the ribosome
tRNA
transfer RNA; type of RNA that carries amino acids to the ribosome
rRNA
ribosomal RNA; type of RNA that makes up part of the ribosome
Codon
A specific sequence of three adjacent bases on a strand of DNA or RNA that provides genetic code information for a particular amino acid
Translation starts with initiation. What happens in initiation?
rRNA interacts with mRNA. tRNA starts to bring amino acids to the ribosome
In Translation, initiation is followed by elongation. What happens in elongation?
tRNA brings AA to the ribosome, and using Chargaff's rule, complements the codons on the mRNA. The AA are assembled into a growing polypeptide chain.
What causes termination during translation?
A 'stop' codon, which doesn't code for any tRNA.
Transcription and Translation in Prokaryotes...
occurs simultaneously, both in cytoplasm
Viral reproduction
is 'backwards' (instead of DNA - RNA - AA), goes from RNA to host DNA, then host makes more viral RNA
Promoter
A specific nucleotide sequence in DNA that indicates where to start transcribing RNA.
Operator
Region of DNA that controls RNA polymerase's access to a set of genes with related functions.
Poly-A signal sequence
stretch of DNA that codes for the enzymatic cleavage of the mRNA and the addition of a poly-A tail
Repressor
A protein that binds to an operator and physically blocks RNA polymerase from binding to a promoter site
Inducer
A specific small molecule that inactivates the repressor (stopping transcription and ultimately gene expression)
Operon
A unit of genetic function consisting of coordinately regulated clusters of genes with related functions.
Repressible Operon
transcription is usually on, but can be inhibited (repressed) when a specific small molecule binds allosterically to a regulatory protein (example tryptophan)
Inducible operon
usually off, but can be stimulated (induced) when a specific small molecule interacts with a regulatory protein
lac operon is an example of an
inducible operon
The trp operon is an example of a
repressible operon
Lac operon
gene for lactase production
Repressor
operator always bound to repressor.
Lac Operon
presence of lactose opens operator, causes RNA Polymerase to bind to operator, starts transcription
TRP operon
gene for Tryptophan production, inducer = Tryptophan
Lactose Intolerant
presence of lactose causes inducer to bind to operator, prevents RNA Polymerase to bind to operator, stops transcription
Epigenetics
the study of influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change
methylation
A chemical modification of DNA that does not affect the nucleotide sequence of a gene but makes that gene less likely to be expressed.
Acetylation
of DNA and histones causes nucleosomes to loosen and spread apart, making transcription easier and therefore increasing expression of the genes