Unit 3: Molecular Biology

Molecular Biology is the study of what genes

are, and how they work, at the molecular level.
Central Dogma of Genetics:
transcription
translation
Genes (DNA)
mRNA
replication

protein

Genes and Chromosomes in the

late 1800s and early 1900s
In the 1860s Mendel described the behavior of
hereditary factors (now known as genes).
By early 1900s, it was demonstrated that
whatever the genes were, they are located on
chromosomes in the nucleus of the cell.
Chromosomes were known to consist of DNA and
protein. Which of these was the substance of
the genes?

Genes have three properties

they are able to:
store and retrieve information
be copied
change over time

Evidence for DNA as the Genetic Material

DNA transfer in bacteria and viruses
The introduction of pure DNA to bacterial cells can change
the characteristics of bacteria (transformation, Griffith
1928, Avery 1944).
Work on bacteriophages (aka, phages; viruses that infect
bacteria) by Hershey and Chase, 1952.

The replication cycle of

a typical virus

Fig. 6-15 Klug, Cummings, and

Spencer, 8th ed.

When viruses infect

E. coli, DNA, but
not protein, enters
the bacterial cell.
Thus DNA has the
information to
produce new phage
particles.

Solving the Structure of DNA

Rosalind Franklins X-ray

crystallogram

James Watson & Francis Crick

1953

of DNA

Nucleic Acids
DNA deoxyribonucleic acid
RNA ribonucleic acid
Both are linear polymers of nucleotide subunits.
Both function to store and transmit hereditary
information.

5 end

Nitrogenous bases
Pyrimidines

5C
3C
Nucleoside
Nitrogenous
base

Cytosine (C)

Thymine (T, in DNA) Uracil (U, in RNA)

Purines

Phosphate
group
5C

Sugar
(pentose)
Adenine (A)

Guanine (G)

(b) Nucleotide

3C

Sugars
3 end
(a) Polynucleotide, or nucleic acid

Deoxyribose (in DNA)

(c) Nucleoside components

Ribose (in RNA)

Sugars

Deoxyribose (in DNA)

Ribose (in RNA)

(c) Pentose sugars in DNA and RNA

Nitrogenous bases
Pyrimidines

Cytosine (C)

Thymine (T, in DNA)

Uracil (U, in RNA)

Purines

Adenine (A)

Guanine (G)

(c) Nucleoside components: nitrogenous bases

Making a
nucleotide

5 end
5C

Nitrogenous bases
Pyrimidines

3C
Nucleoside
Nitrogenous
base

Cytosine (C)

Thymine (T, in DNA) Uracil (U, in RNA)

Purines

Phosphate
group
5C

Sugar
(pentose)
Adenine (A)

Guanine (G)

(b) Nucleotide

3C

Sugars
3 end
(a) Polynucleotide, or nucleic acid

Nitrogenous base connected to 1 carbon

of sugar nucleoside
Phosphate group added to 5 carbon of
sugar - nucleotide

Deoxyribose (in DNA)

(c) Nucleoside components

Ribose (in RNA)

DNA is a linear polymer of nucleotide

subunits joined together by phosphodiester
bonds - covalent bonds between phosphate
group at 5 carbon and 3 carbon of next
nucleotide uses oxygens as bridges.

5
PO4
(free)

Chain of nucleotides has alternating sugar and

phosphate components, called the sugarphosphate backbone. Nitrogenous bases stick
off backbone at regular intervals.
Any linear chain of nucleotides has a free 5
PO4 on one end, and a free 3 OH on the
other. A chain of DNA thus has POLARITY

3 C
5 C

1 C

3
OH
(free)

Different DNA molecules differ only in the

identities of the nitrogenous bases at any
given position they have different DNA
sequences. A simple way to represent this
strand of DNA is:
5-TACG-3
Segments of this sequence, which can be
1000s of nucleotides long, are the genes that
code for single, specific proteins.

RNA
Sugar is ribose
Nitrogenous bases are A G C U
RNA is single stranded
DNA
Sugar is deoxyribose
Nitrogenous bases are A G C T
DNA almost always exists as a
double helix.

In a double helix, 2 strands of DNA wrapped around each other in shape of helix
Strands are held together by hydrogen bonding between nitrogenous bases.
Only pairings that work are A with T and G with C. Strands held at constant
distance from one another because of the similar geometry of A-T and G-C base
pairs
Also, only way pairings will work is if strands have opposite polarity 5 to 3
Antiparallel

Complementary base pairing

A bonds with T (2 H-bonds)
G bonds with C (3 H-bonds).
Note that A-T and G-C base
pairs both contain a purine and a
pyrimidine similar geometry,
same overall diameter.

5' end

Complementary
Note again that the two chains of
double helix have opposite polarity.

3' end
Sugar-phosphate
backbones
Nitrogenous base pair (joined by
hydrogen bonding)

If two chains can form

proper base pairs when
oriented with opposite
polarity, the chains are
said to be complementary
to each other.

5' end

3' end
5' end

3' end

5' end

Because the two strands are

complementary, if you know
the sequence of one strand,
you can easily determine the
sequence of the other.

Complementary

For example, if you have a

double helix of DNA, and one
of strands is:
5 ATCCGCT 3
3 TAGGCGA 5
You know its partner
has to be this.

3' end

3' end

The cell replicates

(duplicates) DNA by simply
synthesizing new strands
of DNA complementary to
old strands

5' end
New
strands
5' end

3' end
Old strands
5' end

3' end

You have a single strand of DNA with the following nucleotide sequence:
5 ATTGCCGACGTACCG 3
You have four additional strands of DNA as follows:
1) 5 TAACGGCTGCATGGC 3
2) 3 ATTGCCGACGTACCG 5

5 ATTGCCGACGTACCG 3
3 TAACGGCTGCATGGC 5

3) 5 CGGTACGTCGGCAAT 3
4) 3 GCCATGCAGCCGTTA 5
For each of these four strands, indicate if they are identical,
complementary, or unrelated to the original strand.
A. 1,4-identical; 2-unrelated; 3-complementary
B. 1- unrelated; 2,3-complementary; 4-identical
C. 1,3,4- identical; 2-unreleated
D. 1,4-identical; 2-unrelated; 3-complementary
E. 1,2-unrelated; 3-complementary; 4-identical

2. A brief, 5 minute incubation at a near boiling temperature

(95oC) has the effect of disrupting (breaking) hydrogen
bonds, but has no effect on covalent bonds. If double
stranded DNA in solution is incubated for 5 minutes at 95 oC,
what will happen to the DNA?
A. The DNA will be unaffected by the treatment.
B. The DNA will separate into 2, intact, single strands of
DNA.
C. The nitrogenous bases will be released from the sugar
phosphate backbones which will remain intact.
D. The DNA will be broken down into individual nucleotides.
E. The DNA will be broken down into its sugar, phosphate, and
nitrogenous base components.
When the temperature is lowered back to room or body
temperature, the complimentary strands will find each other and
reform a double helix. No enzymes or energy are needed for
the process it is truly spontaneous.