Lecture 6: Microbial Genetics and Genetic Engineering

structural genes

genes that code for protein

RNA machinery genes

genes that code for the equipment to produce proteins

regulatory genes

genes that regulate other genes’ expression

easily formed and broken bonds that hold DNA’s nitrogenous bases together

hydrogen bonds

antiparallel arrangement

DNA is arranged complimentarily, with 5’ to 3’ on one side and 3’ to 5’ on the other

polymerase

enzyme that attaches free nucleotides to DNA that is being replicated, can only move from 5’ —> 3’

leading strand

strand that polymerase follows 5’ —> 3’, faster than lagging strand

lagging strand

strand that polymerase has to jump and work it’s way back from, because it is 3’ to 5’

helicase

enzyme that enwinds dna

binding proteins

proteins that hold DNA open while it is being replicated

semiconservative

the concept that DNA is half old and half new, it is not an entirely “new” strand behind formed

ligase

bonds the phosphate backbone of DNA

central dogma of biology

DNA is used as a template for RNA synthesis, RNA is used as a template for protein synthesis

promoter

gene sequence recognized by RNA polymerase to induce gene expression

de novo synthesis

no primers are required for RNA polymerase activation

template strand

strand that is read by RNA polymerase in transcription

RNA that folds into secondary and tertriary structure

tRNA and rRNA

mRNA

RNA that has the codon instructions to synthesize proteins (same as the original coding strand)

tRNA

RNA that has the anticodons corresponding to specific amino acids to be synthesized into proteins

anticodon tRNA for stop codons?

they don’t exist!

do all RNAs get translated?

no!

possible posttranslational modifications of proteins

removal of Met (start AA), adding cofactors (NAD), joining together for quarternary structure

operon

coordinated set of genes regulated as a unit, only found in prokaryotes

wobble base

pairing that does not match, but is allowed