Nucleic Acids Overview

Flashcards covering key concepts related to nucleic acids and Huntington's disease according to the lecture notes.

Huntington's Disease

An autosomal dominant genetic disorder caused by a mutation in the huntingtin (HTT) gene characterized by repeated CAG codons.

CAG codon

A trinucleotide repeat in DNA that codes for the amino acid glutamine, which when repeated excessively leads to Huntington's disease.

Polyglutamine

A stretch of glutamine residues in a protein that can aggregate and lead to neurodegeneration.

Autosomal dominant mutation

A type of mutation where only one copy of the mutated gene from one parent is sufficient to cause the disease.

Nucleic Acids

Biological macromolecules, DNA and RNA, that are essential for the storage and transmission of genetic information.

Purines

The category of nucleobases that includes adenine (A) and guanine (G), characterized by a two-ring structure.

Pyrimidines

The category of nucleobases that includes cytosine (C), thymine (T), and uracil (U), characterized by a single-ring structure.

Nucleobase

A component of nucleotides, purines or pyrimidines, that pairs with complementary bases in nucleic acids.

Nucleotide

A building block of nucleic acids consisting of a nucleobase, a sugar (ribose or deoxyribose), and a phosphate group.

Primary Structure of Nucleic Acids

The linear sequence of nucleotides in a nucleic acid, which has a defined directionality from the 5' to the 3' end.

Transcription proteins

Proteins that read the nucleotide sequence of DNA to synthesize RNA during the process of transcription.

CRISPR/Cas9

A revolutionary gene-editing technology that allows for precise modifications to DNA and has potential therapeutic applications.

Avery et al. (1944) Experiment

A pivotal study demonstrating that nucleic acids can induce transformation in non-pathogenic bacteria by illustrating the role of DNA.

Hershey and Chase Experiment (1952)

An experiment that used radiolabeled DNA and protein to show that nucleic acid, not protein, acts as the genetic material in viruses.

Secondary Structure of Nucleic Acids

The three-dimensional conformation of nucleic acids, including the double helix structure of DNA, formed by base pairing.

Watson and Crick

Scientists known for elucidating the double helix structure of DNA in 1953, foundational to understanding genetic material.

Neurodevelopment

The process by which the nervous system develops, which can be disrupted by the absence of normal huntingtin protein.