NUCLEOTIDES – are compounds containing DNA (DOUBLE HELIX)

BASE, SUGAR and PHOSPHATE GROUP o A chain of many nucleotides

FUNCTIONS:
o For production of nucleic acid
o Intermediate substance for metabolic
process
o Regulatory substance for coenzymes
o Energy currency of the cell (ATP)
o Regulates some process in metabolism
o DEOXYRIBOSE (A, G, C,T)
o Contains genetic information
o Has 2 nucleotide chains arranged in a
double helix in a right handed turn
B-DNA (WATSON & CRICK DNA)
o Most common type of DNA
o Described by Watson and Crick

PHOSPHATE-SUGAR BACKBONE
I. BASE o HYDROPHOBIC
PURINE PYRIMIDIN
o Found outside the helix
E
BASE
RN ADENINE CYTOSINE
o HYDROPHILIC
A GUANINE URACIL
o Located inside the helix
DN ADENINE CYTOSINE
A GUANINE THYMINE
CHARACTERISTICS OF DNA:
1. ANTIPARALLEL – opposite direction
II. SUGAR – PENTOSE 2. COMPLEMENTARY – bases complement
o RIBOSE each other
 Has HYDROXYL 3. H-BONDS – links the complementary bases
 Carbon #2 o DENATURING H-BONDS
o DEOXYRIBOSE  Altering pH
 Remove HYDROXYL  High temperature – most commonly
 C1 – attachment to BASE used for denaturing DNA
4. MELTING POINT – the temperature at
 C2 – attachment to HYDROXYL which 50% of the DNA strand is separated
GROUP 5. RENATURATION – done simply by cooling
 C5 – attachment to PHOSPHATE
GROUP CENTRAL DOGMA OF MOLECULAR
BIOLOGY
SUGAR + BASE = NUCLEOSIDE o Simply expresses how proteins are derived
from DNA
III. PHOSPHATE GROUP
o MONOPHOSPHATE DNA (REPLICATION) -> RNA (TRANSCRIPTION)
o DIPHOSPHATE -> PROTEIN (TRANSLATION)
o TRIPHOSPHATE

ESTER BONDS DNA REPLICATION – occurs in S PHASE

o Stabilizes the phosphate groups
o Found between phosphates
o Has high energy bonds at phosphate
groups
NUCLEIC ACIDS
o a chain of nucleotides linked by ester
bonds
o group of nucleotides linked by
phosphodiester bonds at C3 and C5
NUCLEASE
o an enzyme that destroys phosphodiester
bonds
o ENDONUCLEASE – inside cleaving
(middle)
o EXONUCLEASE – outside cleaving (ends)
TRANSCRIPTION & TRANSLATION – can
occur in either G1 or G2 PHASE
STEPS IN DNA REPLICATION:
1. Determine the origin of replication
o DNA a PROTEIN – determines the origin
of replication by binding to the site of
replication
o PROKARYOTES – single origin of
replication
o EUKARYOTES – multiple origins of
replication
2. Separation of the double strands by the
enzyme HELICASE
3. SINGLE STRAND BINDING PROTEINS
(SSBP) – prevents the 2 strands from coiling
again and protects the single strands from
NUCLEASE (degradation)
4. Relaxation of super coils by the enzyme
DNA GYRASE/DNA TOPOSIOMERASE
5. DNA-DEPENDENT RNA POLYMERASE
o RNA PRIMER – important in beginning the
DNA replication
o DNA is read in the 3’-5’ sequence
6. DNA POLYMERASE – extends the strand
7. DNA POLYMERASE III – proof-reading from
3’-5’ (exonuclease activity)
8. DNA POLYMERASE I – lengthens the DNA
chain and removes the RNA primer (5’-3’
exonuclease activity)
o Lengthening of the replication is towards
the replication fork

LEADING STRAND – towards the replication

fork
LAGGING STRAND – away from the
replication fork
OKAZAKI FRAGMENTS – fragments that are
not continuous
DNA LIGASE – enzyme that combines the
okazaki fragments

-Rosette Go 080808 