Biochemistry 314: Nucleic Acids

Polynucleotide molecules composed of nucleotide monomers.

Monomer unit of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA).

Information encoded in nucleic acids specifying protein synthesis.

Deoxyribonucleic acid; a type of nucleic acid.

Ribonucleic acid; a type of nucleic acid.

Process where DNA directs RNA synthesis.

Process where RNA directs protein synthesis.

Gene replication and function are regulated by gene products, often in collaboration with signal pathways.

DNA, not proteins, carries genetic information for bacterial traits.

Watson and Crick determined DNA's double helix structure in 1953.

Rosalind Franklin's X-ray crystallography contributed to understanding DNA structure.

DNA can last long, even in fossils.

DNA with one strand.

RNA with one strand.

Nitrogen-containing heterocycles (rings with C and other elements) that make up DNA.

The planar nature of purines and pyrimidines allows them to stack, stabilizing double-stranded DNA.

Heterocyclic nitrogenous bases with two rings in their molecular structure.

Heterocyclic nitrogenous bases with one ring in their molecular structure.

Covalent bond linking a sugar molecule to a nitrogen atom in a purine or pyrimidine base.

Nucleosides containing D-ribose as the sugar.

Nucleosides containing 2-deoxy-D-ribose as the sugar.

Nucleosides with a phosphate group attached to the sugar.

The monomer units of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA).

RNA is a single-stranded polymer of ribonucleotides linked by 3',5'-phosphodiester bonds. It contains adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and uracil (U) as bases, and its sugar is ribose. RNA can form unique secondary structures due to intramolecular base pairing.

In RNA, adenine (A) forms hydrogen bonds with uracil (U), and guanine (G) forms hydrogen bonds with cytosine (C).

RNA's sequence is complementary to the template strand of the gene from which it was transcribed. It won't bind to the coding strand of its gene.

Almost all types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis. They act as messengers, adapters, and structural components of ribosomes.

mRNA carries genetic information from DNA to ribosomes, where proteins are synthesized. Its sequence is a copy of the coding strand of the gene, with U replacing T.

tRNA brings specific amino acids to the ribosome during protein synthesis. Each tRNA molecule has an anticodon that recognizes a specific codon on mRNA.

rRNA is a major component of ribosomes, the protein synthesis machinery. rRNA helps to catalyze the formation of peptide bonds between amino acids.

In prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, three main classes of RNA molecules exist: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA).

A modified nucleotide found in tRNA, formed by rearranging the UMP (uridine monophosphate) within the preformed tRNA molecule.

A modified nucleotide found in tRNA, containing ribose (not deoxyribose) and formed by methylation of a UMP (uridine monophosphate) in the preformed tRNA.

A modified cytosine base found in DNA, with a methyl group added at the 5' position.

A modified cytosine base found in DNA, with a hydroxylmethyl group added at the 5' position.

Modified bases in DNA or RNA where a methyl group is attached to a nitrogen atom within the base structure.

Guanosine monophosphate with a phosphate group attached at the 3' position of its sugar moiety.

Deoxycytidine monophosphate with a phosphate group attached at the 5' position of its sugar moiety.

Nucleotides with three phosphate groups attached to the 5' carbon of the sugar moiety. They are important energy carriers and building blocks for nucleic acid synthesis.

The increase in UV absorbance of DNA upon denaturation, caused by the unstacking of base pairs.

The midpoint temperature at which a DNA molecule denatures (unzips into single strands) under specific conditions (pH, salt concentration).

Tm is influenced by the base composition of the DNA molecule and the salt concentration of the solution.

Formamide destabilizes hydrogen bonds in DNA, lowering Tm and allowing strand separation at a lower temperature.

DNA has deoxyribose sugar while RNA has ribose sugar.

DNA contains thymine (T) while RNA contains uracil (U).

DNA is double-stranded while RNA is typically single-stranded.

Single-stranded RNA can fold back on itself to create double-stranded regions giving it a more complex structure

The two strands of DNA run in opposite directions (5' to 3' and 3' to 5'), like a two-lane highway.

The DNA strand that has the same sequence as the RNA transcript, except for T being replaced by U.

Specific hydrogen bonding between adenine (A) and thymine (T), and guanine (G) and cytosine (C) in DNA.

In B-DNA, the distance between two base pairs is approximately 3.4 nanometers.

A covalent bond that connects the phosphate group of one nucleotide to the sugar of the next nucleotide in a DNA chain.

The direction in which DNA strands are synthesized, from the 5' end to the 3' end.

The opposite strand of DNA that has a base sequence that perfectly matches the original strand.

A simplified representation of DNA sequence using letters for bases and 'p' for phosphate groups.

The four bases (A, G, C, T) in DNA are arranged in a linear order, linked by phosphodiester bonds.

The structure of DNA with two complementary strands twisted around each other.

The human genome contains approximately 3 billion base pairs of DNA.

Two possible orientations of a nucleoside's base relative to the sugar, with 'anti' being more prevalent.

A measurement used to quantify the concentration of nucleotides and nucleic acids. The specific wavelength of 260 nm is used because nucleotides and nucleic acids strongly absorb UV light at this wavelength.

A non-protein organic molecule that helps an enzyme catalyze a reaction. Nucleotides can often act as coenzymes.

A molecule that can donate a phosphate group, like ATP or GTP. This is a very important role for nucleotides.

A small molecule that relays signals within a cell. cAMP and cGMP are examples of nucleotides that act as second messengers.

A purine base that's an intermediate in the breakdown of adenine and guanine.

A xanthine derivative found in coffee. It's a stimulant.

A modified nucleotide found in RNA. The sugar is attached to the uracil base in a unique way.

The temperature at which half of the DNA molecules in a solution have denatured (unzipped). The Tm is influenced by the DNA's base composition and the salt concentration of the solution.

DNA with a higher proportion of G-C base pairs has a higher Tm because G-C pairs have three hydrogen bonds, making them stronger and more resistant to denaturation.

Increasing the concentration of salt in the solution will increase the Tm because the salt ions help to stabilize the DNA helix.

PCR requires a DNA template, primers, dNTPs (building blocks), a buffer with Mg(II) ions, and a heat-stable DNA polymerase like Taq polymerase.

Taq polymerase is a heat-stable enzyme that synthesizes new DNA strands using the template and primers during PCR.

Primers are short synthetic DNA sequences that bind to specific regions of the template DNA, determining the starting point for DNA synthesis in PCR.

RNA polymerase is an enzyme that uses a DNA template to synthesize a complementary RNA molecule.

Transcription occurs in three stages: initiation, elongation, and termination.

Translation is the process where the genetic code in mRNA is decoded to produce a specific sequence of amino acids in a polypeptide chain.

Translation occurs on ribosomes, where mRNA is translated into a protein.