Structure and Function of Nucleic Acids

Chromosome theory of inheritance

DNA replication

Helicase
Topoisomerases
ssb protein 3’
5’
5’

Primase
New strands
Christine Carrington
Oct 2021
DNA polymerase I
3’
Chromosome theory of inheritance

The established theory that genes are

linked to chromosomes and that
chromosomes are the carriers of
the genetic material (DNA).
 Development of the chromosome
theory of inheritance
• Gregor Mendel
– Austrian priest and scientist
– Studied inheritance of traits in pea plants
– father of genetics

• 1860's: proposed that discrete inherited factors segregate

and assort independently during gamete formation
– https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/gregor-mendel-and-the-
principles-of-inheritance-593/ Gregor Mendel
(1822 -1884)
• Worked out that “inherited factors”:
– are paired in organisms
– separate during gamete formation (gametes carry one of pair)
– fertilization restores the paired condition.
 Development of the chromosome
theory of inheritance
• 1875: mitosis
(somatic cell division)
described

• 1890: meiosis
(formation of
gametes) decribed
 Development of the chromosome
theory of inheritance
1900: Correns (Germany), von Seysenegg (Austria) and deVries
(Netherlands) independently rediscovered Mendel's principles of
segregation and independent assortment.
 Development of the chromosome
theory of inheritance

1902: Sutton, Boveri and others noticed parallels

between behaviour of Mendel's factors and behavior of
chromosomes:
– Chromosomes and genes both paired in diploid cells.
– Homologous chromosomes separate and allele pairs
segregate during meiosis.
– Fertilization restores the paired condition of both Theodor Boveri
chromosomes and genes.

Based upon these observations, biologists developed

the chromosome theory of inheritance:
– Mendelian factors or genes are located on chromosomes.
– It is the chromosomes that segregate and independently
assort.

Walter Sutton
 Which component is the genetic material?

• Proteins or DNA?
• Protein initially favoured
• 1928 Griffith experiment
suggested protein not the
genetic material.
Frederick Oswald T.
• 1944 Avery and colleagues Avery
Griffith
(1920s) confirmed Griffith’s findings; (1940s)
showed that DNA was the
genetic material.
 The transforming principle
Griffith (1928)

Conclusion: (i) Molecules that can carry inheritable information are present in S
strain cells; (ii) the inheritable information is NOT denatured by heat treatment.
 Avery et al (1944)

http://biology.kenyon.edu/courses/biol114/KH_lecture_images/How_DNA_works/how_DNA-works.html
 Discovery of the structure of DNA
Rosalind Franklin
(25 July 1920 – 16 April 1958)
English chemist and X-
ray crystallographer
whose X-ray diffraction
images of DNA led to
discovery of DNA
double helix.

Photo 51
This X-ray diffraction
image of crystallized
DNA was critical
evidence in identifying
James Watson & Francis Crick are credited the structure of DNA.
with the discovery of the molecular structure
of DNA in 1953. They received the Nobel
Prize for this discovery in 1962.
The genetic material in all cells is DNA

DNA is the most important

molecule of life
Responsible for maintaining
the integrity of cells and
organisms during their life-time
and from one generation to
another.
Flow of genetic information
Flow of genetic information

Protein synthesis
 DNA replication occurs
during interphase prior to
cell division

Ref: http://www.accessexcellence.org/AB/GG/comparison.html
 DNA replication

Original
ds DNA
molecule

Original
strands

New
strands

Two identical
DNA molecules
Enzymes and other proteins involved
in DNA replication*
• Helicase Also required are DNA
• Topoisomerase template and dNTPs
• Single strand binding
proteins
• Primase
• DNA polymerase III
• DNA polymerase I
• Ligase
* E. coli replication used as model; essentially the
• Telomerase same in other organisms
 Initiation of replication
Replication begins at the origin of replication (Ori)

circular DNA
with a single
Ori

linear DNA with several Ori

 Replication is bidirectional
Circular DNA (in bacteria)
Ori

Double
Original strands in black stranded Replication forks
New strands in red DNA

There are two replication forks because replication begins at

the Origin of replication (Ori) and proceeds in two directions as
shown by the blue arrows.
 Replication is bidirectional
Linear DNA (in eukaryotes)

5’ 3’
3’ 5’

With linear DNA molecules there are numerous origins of replication

and at each origin replication proceeds in two directions.

Newly synthesized DNA

 dsDNA à ssDNA
Helicase
unwinds DNA
Single strand
binding protein
stabilises single
stranded DNA

Topoisomerases
relieve supercoiling
ahead of replication
fork
Topoisomerase I
relieves
supercoiling by
nicking DNA then
resealing after
rotation

ntri.tamuk.edu/cell/ topoisomerase.gif
Enzymes and other proteins at replication fork

Replication fork moving this way

Helicase
Consider the Topoisomerases
ssb protein 3’
events occurring
at one of the 5’
replication forks
5’
in a replication
bubble
Primase
New strands DNA polymerase III

DNA polymerase I
3’
 Synthesis of new strands
• Synthesis of polynucleotides by polymerases always occurs in a 5’
to 3’ direction (nucleotides are always added to the 3’ end of a
growing chain)

No!!!
X 5’ 3’ 5’ 3’

Yes!
Step 1: 5’ 3’
Yes!
Step 2: 5’ 3’

Step 3: 5’ 3’