DNA and Genetic

Engineering
Axel Vintimilla
DNA Replication
 DNA exists as a double-stranded structure,
with both strands coiled together to form
the characteristic double-helix. Each single
strand of DNA is a chain of four types of
nucleotides.
DNA Replication
 Nucleotides in DNA contain a deoxyribose
sugar, a phosphate, and a nucleobase. The
four types of nucleotide correspond to the
four nucleobases, commonly abbreviated as
A, C, G and T.
DNA Replication
 Each chain has a 5’ and 3’ end as the DNA is
anti parallel the complementary strand will
make sense 3’, 5’ this helps us understand
how DNA is able to replicate.
Enzymes acting in DNA replication

1. Helicase
2. Primase
3. Polymerase
4. Exonuclease
5. Topoisomerase
Enzyme Helicase
 The first step in DNA replication is to
separate the two helices this is done thanks
to the breakdown of the hydrogen bonds
that join the bases.

 All this is possible thanks to the enzyme

helicase that creates the replication fork.
Enzyme Helicase

 Each chain of the hairpin is a strand or

template from which a complementary
strand will be created and two
identical DNA will be obtained from
one.
Enzyme Primase

 An enzyme called primase initiates the

process, it creates a small RNA chain which
we will call prime this is the starting point of
the construction of the complementary work
Enzyme Polymerase

 Anenzyme called DNA polymerase 3 binds

to the first and begins to incorporate
nucleotides that will create the new chain.
Enzyme Polymerase

 This enzyme can only incorporate

nucleotides in sense 5 prime 3 prime which
is good for the continuous strand because
only a primer is needed.
Enzyme Polymerase

 Now for the discontinuous strand it

cannot be done in this sense because its
direction is 3’, 5’ so it replicates in the
opposite direction.
Enzyme Primase

 RNAprimase synthesizes various primers

on the discontinuous strand and then
DNA polymerase 3 synthesizes DNA
fragments between one primer and
another which we call Okazaki
fragments in direction 5’, 3’.
Enzyme Exonuclease

 Then the exonuclease removes all the RNA

primers and DNA polymerase 1 will now fill in
the spaces where there were RNA primers.
Topoisomerase

 Finallythe DNA joins all the DNA fragments

in both strands thus creating two identical
DNA from one
 Topoisomerase helps relieve coiling tension
The Watson and Crick principle

 All this was possible thanks to the fact that

from a template strand a complementary
strand was synthesized following the
Watson and Crick principle that an adenine
always binds with a thymine and a cytosine
with a guanine