DNA and RNA

In 1953 Watson and Crick described the structure of a DNA molecule that encodes the
most essential information for life with just four nucleotides. It is described as a double-stranded
coil consisting of aromatic bases (purine and pyrimidine), sugars and phosphate groups. Purine
and pyrimidine bases are located on the inside of the coil, while phosphates and deoxyriboses are
located on the outside. Adenine is paired with thymine via two hydrogen bonds, and guanine and
cytosine with three hydrogen bonds. In the case of ribonucleic acid, adenine is paired with uracil
by two hydrogen bonds (Nelson, 2005). The DNA molecule is polymorphic (exists in multiple
forms). Its structural polymorphism can vary from small protrusions to large deviations in the
structure, which can lead to incorrect base pairing, changes in the number of chains in the
structure or can affect the mobility of the molecule itself. air made several quality photographs of
DNA fibers. Namely, they observed that when they have dry fiber they get an A-coil by
diffraction, and when they have the same sample in wet form they get a B-coil (Sinden, 1994).
A-DNA and B-DNA are both right double-stranded coils made up of antiparallel chains
connected by Watson-Crick base pairing. On the B-coil, which is the most common form to be
found in physiological conditions, large and small grooves are clearly defined. The large groove
is wide and shallow, and the small one is deep and narrow, while in the case of the A-coil it is
reversed. The type A coil is wider and shorter than the B-coil, and its base pairs are not
perpendicular to the coil axis but inclined (Rich, 1993).

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a universal ingredient of all living things. It is a long chain
molecule that serves primarily as a mediator between DNA and its end product, a protein or
ribonucleic acid. The RNA nucleotide, like the DNA nucleotide, consists of: pentose sugar -
ribose, heterocyclic bases - Uracil instead of thymine, adenine, guanine, cytosine and
orthophosphoric acid (Li et al., 2014). RNA can be found in the cell in the cytoplasm, ribosomes
and nucleolus. It is also found in the nucleus associated with chromosomes. RNA is formed by
transcription from DNA using enzymes called RNA polymerases. RNA serves as a pattern for
the translation of genes into proteins. In pyrimidine RNA, thymine base is replaced by uracil, and
sugar is ribose instead of deoxyribose. The only difference between thymine and uracil is the
lack of one methyl group in uracil. RNA is mostly single-stranded, so in RNA the amount of
adenine is not equal to the amount of uracil, nor is the amount of guanine equal to the amount of
cytosine (Sanchez de Groot et al., 2019). Nuclear RNA is an integral part of chromatin and is a
precursor to cytoplasmic RNA. There are three different types of RNA: messenger RNA
(mRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and transport RNA (tRNA).

Nelson, D. L. & Cox M.M. (2005). Lehninger: Principles of Biochemistry (pp. 273–305).
Springer Nature Switzerland.
Li, H., Zhu, D., Zhang, C., Han, H., & Crandall, K. A. (2014). Characteristics and Prediction of
RNA Structure. BioMed Research International, 2014, 1–10.
Rich A. (1993). Gene. 135 99-109.
Sinden R. R. (1994). DNA Structure and Function (pp 1-31). Academic Press San Diego.
Sanchez de Groot, N., Armaos, A., Graña-Montes, R., Alriquet, M., Calloni, G., Vabulas, R. M.,
& Tartaglia, G. G. (2019). RNA structure drives interaction with proteins. Nature
Communications, 10(1).