UNDERLYING THEMES OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

BIOLOGICAL ORDER REGULATION AND HOMEOSTASIS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION UNITY WITHIN DIVERSITY ACQUIRING AND USING ENERGY EVOLUTION AND ADAPTATION

INTRODUCTION
OBJECTIVES FOR THE LECTURE
Understand the three kinds of evidence that show that DNA is the genetic information Understand the structure of DNA, including the structure of the bases, nucleosides, nucleotides, and the DNA double helix Understand the significance of the specificity of base pairing and the complementarity of the DNA strands

INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS THE DNA (DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID)?
DNA makes up a double-helix strand which is a part of chromosome DNA is the store of coded genetic information in the nucleus DNA holds instructions on how to produce all of the proteins that are required for a cell structure and function About 98% of human DNA is non-coding regions (introns). The remainder 2-5% (exons) codes for 30.000-35.000 genes.

The flow genetic information

(Central dogma in Molecular Biology)
Replication

DNA

DNA

REPLICATION (DNA SYNTHESIS) TRANSCRIPTION (RNA SYNTHESIS) TRANSLATION (PROTEIN SYNTHESIS)

Transcription

RNA
Translation

PROTEIN

Evidence that DNA is the genetic information

DNA transformation Transgenic experiments Mutation alters phenotype

The in vivo experiments show that something from the (heat-killed) virulent strain was able to alter the (viable) non-virulent strain, converting some of the cells to virulent bacteria and killing the host. We now know that purified DNA confers this virulence.

The growth hormone transgenic mouse grows to a larger size than the normal, control mouse.

It is also clear that new DNA mutations give rise to phenotypic differences between individuals, the most dramatic being those that give rise to genetic diseases. All of this evidence indicates that DNA is the carrier of the genetic information.

Phenotypic difference between individuals are due in large to differences between genes. At least one-third of our genes are polymorphic, that is that there are differences in the nucleotide sequences in one-third of our genes when compared from one individuals to another individual The different occurred by mutation of DNA over hundreds of thousands of years

Components of DNA
DNA consists of three components:
a sugar (called deoxyribose for DNA and ribose for RNA) a base a high-energy phosphate

Components of DNA
A base of DNA made up from four different nucleotides:
Adenine Guanine Cytosine Thymine Purines Pyrimidines

Base pairs are A - T, G - C

 1999 The International Herpes Management Forum, all rights reserved.

TRANSCRIPTION
The information encoded in DNA is transferred to RNA by process called transcription Transcription generates a single-stranded mRNA identical in sequence with one strands of the double helix DNA The process of transcription is catalyzed by a specific enzyme, called RNA polymerase

STAGES OF TRANSCRIPTION

INITIATION TERMINATION ELONGATION

TRANSCRIPTION INITIATION
Proteins called transcription factors bind to the promotor region of a gene If appropriate transcription factors are present, RNA polymerase binds to form initiation complex RNA polymerase melt the DNA at the transcription start site Polymerization of RNA begins

 1999 The International Herpes Management Forum, all rights reserved.