Nucleic Acids

Nucleic Acids
Structures of Nucleic Acids
DNA Replication
RNA and Transcription

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 Nucleotides
Asam nukleat terdiri atas of nucleotides that have a
sugar, nitrogen base, and phosphate

Base

PO4
Sugar

nucleoside
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Nitrogen-Containing Bases

O
NH2
H CH3
N N
N

N O N
N
H H
adenine (A) thymine (T)
O NH2 O
H N CH3 H CH3
N N N

NH2 N N O N O N
H H H
guanine (G) cytosine (C) uracil (U)

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 Sugars

HOCH2 O OH HOCH2 O OH

OH OH OH (no O)

ribose deoxyribose

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 Nucleosides in DNA

Base Sugar Nucleoside

Adenine (A) Deoxyribose Adenosine
Guanine (G) Deoxyribose Guanosine
Cytosine (C) Deoxyribose Cytidine
Thymine (T) Deoxyribose Thymidine

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 Nucleosides in RNA
Base Sugar Nucleoside
Adenine (A) ribose Adenosine
Guanine (G) ribose Guanosine
Cytosine (C) ribose Cytidine
Uracil (U) ribose Uridine

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 Example of a Nucleoside
NH2

O O N
O- P O CH2
-
O
O

OH

deoxyctyidine monophosphate (dCMP)

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 Friedrich Miescher in 1869
isolated what he called nuclein from the
nuclei of pus cells
Nuclein was shown to have acidic properties,
hence it became called nucleic acid

2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

Two types of nucleic acid are found
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
Ribonucleic acid (RNA)

2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

The distribution of nucleic acids in the
eukaryotic cell
DNA is found in the nucleus
with small amounts in mitochondria and
chloroplasts
RNA is found throughout the cell

2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

 DNA as genetic material: The
circumstantial evidence
1. Present in all cells and virtually restricted to the nucleus
2. The amount of DNA in somatic cells (body cells) of any given
species is constant (like the number of chromosomes)
3. The DNA content of gametes (sex cells) is half that of somatic
cells.
In cases of polyploidy (multiple sets of chromosomes) the DNA
content increases by a proportional factor
4. The mutagenic effect of UV light peaks at 253.7nm. The peak for
the absorption of UV light by DNA

2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

 NUCLEIC ACID STRUCTURE
Nucleic acids are polynucleotides
Their building blocks are nucleotides

2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

 NUCLEOTIDE STRUCTURE

PHOSPATE SUGAR BASE

Ribose or PURINES PYRIMIDINES
Deoxyribos Adenine Cytocine (C)
e (A) Thymine (T)
Guanine( Uracil (U)
G)

NUCLEOTIDE
2007 Paul Billiet ODWS
 Ribose is a pentose

C5

C4 C1

C3 C2

2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

 Spot the difference

RIBOSE DEOXYRIBOSE

CH2OH CH2OH
O OH O OH

C C C C

H H H H H H H H

C C C C

OH OH OH H
2007 Paul Billiet ODWS
 P

THE SUGAR-PHOSPHATE
BACKBONE P

The nucleotides are all

orientated in the same P

direction
The phosphate group joins the P

3rd Carbon of one sugar to the

5th Carbon of the next in line. P

2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

 P
G

ADDING IN THE BASES P

C

The bases are

attached to the 1st P
C
Carbon
Their order is P
important A

It determines the
genetic information P
T
of the molecule
P
2007 Paul Billiet ODWS
T
 Hydrogen bonds
P
G C
DNA IS MADE OF P
TWO STRANDS OF P
C
POLYNUCLEOTIDE G
P
P
C G
P
P
A T
P
P
T A
P
P
T A
2007 Paul Billiet ODWS
P
 DNA IS MADE OF TWO STRANDS OF
POLYNUCLEOTIDE
The sister strands of the DNA molecule run in opposite
directions (antiparallel)
They are joined by the bases
Each base is paired with a specific partner:
A is always paired with T
G is always paired with C
Purine with Pyrimidine
This the sister strands are complementary but not
identical
The bases are joined by hydrogen bonds, individually
weak but collectively strong

2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

Erwin Chargaffs Data (1950-51)
Wilkins & Franklin (1952): X-ray crystallography

Norman Collection on the History of Molecular Biology in Novato, CA

 Purines & Pyrimidines

Adenine Thymine

Guanine Cytosine
2007 Paul Billiet ODWS
 Watson & Crick Base pairing

2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

 The Double Helix (1953)

Public Domain image

Dr Kalju Kahn USBC Chemistry and Biochemistry
 Nucleotides in DNA and RNA
DNA
dAMP Deoxyadenosine monophosphate
dGMP Deoxyguanosine monophosphate
dCMP Deoxycytidine monophosphate
dTMP Deoxythymidine monophosphate

RNA
AMP adenosine monophosphate
GMP guanosine monophosphate
CMP cytidine monophosphate
UMP uridine monophosphate
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 Structure of Nucleic Acids

Polymers of four nucleotides

Linked by alternating sugar-phosphate bonds
RNA: ribose and A, G, C, U
DNA: deoxyribose and A,G,C,T

base base base base

sugar P sugar P sugar P sugar

P
nucleotide nucleotide nucleotide nucleotide
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 Nucleic Acid Structure
NH2

N
CMP
O O N
O- P O CH2
-
O
O
3 NH2
3,5-phosphodiester bond
OH N
N

O 5 N N
O P O CH2
-
O AMP
O

OH 27
 Double Helix of DNA

DNA contains two strands of nucleotides

H bonds hold the two strands in a double-helix
structure
A helix structure is like a spiral stair case
Bases are always paired as AT and G-C
Thus the bases along one strand complement the
bases along the other

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 Complementary Base Pairs

Two H bonds for A-T

Three H bonds for G-C

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Double Helix of DNA

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 Learning Check NA1

Write the complementary base sequence for the

matching strand in the following DNA section:

-A-G-T-C-C-A-A-T-G-C-

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 Solution NA1

Write the complementary base sequence for the

matching strand in the following DNA section:

-A-G-T-C-C-A-A-T-G-C-


-T-C-A-G-G-T-T-A-C-G-

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 DNA Replication

DNA in the chromosomes replicates itself every cell

division
Maintains correct genetic information
Two strands of DNA unwind
Each strand acts like a template
New bases pair with their complementary base
Two double helixes form that are copies of original
DNA

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 DNA Unwinds

G- -C
G-C A- -T
A-T C- -G
C-G T- -A
T-A

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DNA Copied with Base Pairs

Two copies of original DNA strand

G-C G-C
A-T A-T
C-G C-G
T-A G-A

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