DNA: Interactions between Proteins
Deoxyribonucleic Acid is a molecule that contains the genetic makeup of almost all living organisms. While Deoxyribonucleic Acid, or DNA, has been successfully mapped out, many of its interactions with certain proteins and enzymes have not been fully revealed within the atomic level.
The history and mysteries of DNA continue to fascinate biologists and chemists alike. However, we must question, who was the first to discover DNA, and what scientists have done to further enhance our understanding of it? In short, DNA was first isolated by physician Friedrich Miescher in 1869; in 1937, William Astbury became the first person to produce an x-ray diffraction pattern of the DNA molecule. Sixteen years
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Essentially, adenine may only bind with thymine with two hydrogen bonds, and guanine may only bind with cytosine with three hydrogen bonds. In broader perspective, purines may only bond with pyrimidines. Adenine and guanines are the purines, due to their double ring molecular structure, while thymine and cytosine are the pyrimidines due to there single ring structure. In addition the strands of DNA are connected together between base pairs, through Hydrogen bonding. While each base pair may only bind with its complimentary base pair, it is the sequence of the base pairs that creates such genetic diversity amongst living organisms around the world. As scientists further investigate the atomic structure and function of DNA, DNA replication is also being further examined. During DNA replication, multiple enzymes, such as DNA Ligase, DNA Helicase, and DNA polymerase assist in unwinding the DNA double strand into single stranded DNA (essentially an unwinding of the DNA in which the hydrogen bonds are broken separating the two strands) which would latter be used as a template for the creation of a new single DNA strand. DNA is thus widely known as the genetic material for almost all living organisms. Although DNA replication is in general understood, its atomic structure and interactions (between DNA and its proteins and enzymes) are not. Hence, we must begin to
In the early 1950s, the race to find the structure of DNA was in full swing. The search was being conducted at three different colleges. At the California Institute of Technology, Linus Pauling,
To sum this up DNA is an electronegative molecule with a lacking Oxygen found in the nuclei of Eukaryotes. Now let's go deeper, DNA is not only composed of Sugar, it is also composed of a phosphate backbone, and nitrogenous bases. The phosphate backbone generally expressed as PO4^-3 provides support for the nitrogenous bases [also bonding through ester bonds. The nitrogenous bases in DNA are divided into two Purines [Adenine and Guanine] and Pyrimidines [Thymine, Cytosine, and uracil in RNA] Purines are double ring structures, and Pyrimidines are Single ringed. In other words, they provide the perfect asymmetry of the DNA double helix. When Watson and Crick did their DNA model, they noticed that two Purines bonded together meaning for instance A-G was too wide, and too Pyrimidines bonded together would be too thin. But how did they know which was which? It was found that Adenine always double bonds with hydrogen bonds of course with Thymine, and that Guanine will always triple hydrogen bond with
This paper explores the history and some interesting facts about DNA. The last couple centuries have seen an exponential growth in our knowledge of DNA. The history of the DNA can be traced back to multiple devoted scientist. This article attempts to summarize, and review the basic history of DNA while providing some fascinating information about it.
Go to www.dnai.org > Timeline Visit the above website, read a scientist’s biography, watch an interview, or work through an experiment to identify scientists, dates, events, and facts that makeup the major advances (so far) in the science of DNA. List the answer in front of each question below: 1. Gregor Mendel: It took him eight years
Two scientists from Cambridge University named James Watson and Francis Crick were the first ones to actually build the actual structure of the DNA molecule. In building their DNA molecule, they discovered that there were two different types of bases, purines and pyrimidines. Purines were the larger of the two types of bases, and are the double ringed structures [example of nucleotides that fit in this category are adenine (A) and guanine (G)]. Pyrimidines were the smaller of the two types of bases, and are the only single ringed structures [example of nucleotides that fit in this category are cytosine (C) and thymine (T)]. The two scientists also discovered that in the DNA molecule, only two base pairings of nucleotides are possible, adenine (A) with guanine (G) and thymine (T) with cytosine (C). This is because of the improper forming of hydrogen bonds. In a G-C pairing, three hydrogen bonds are formed whereas in an A-T pairing, only two hydrogen bonds are formed.
A stable DNA structure is formed when the two strands are a constant distance apart. This can only occur when a purine (A or G) on one strand is paired with a pyrimidine (T or C) on the other strand. The purine A can only pair up with the pyrimidine T and the purine G can only pair up with the pyrimidine C. Each letter corresponds to a specific nucleotide base. (Wexler 2) A nucleotide is any part of a group of molecules that, when linked together, form the building blocks of DNA or RNA.
Sixty-five years ago, the structure of DNA was unknown. In contrast to other sciences such as chemistry, which dates to around the time of the Egyptians, and physics, which came into vogue during the 1600s, molecular biology is truly a modern phenomenon. Until 1952, many biologists continued to believe that proteins carried genetic material. The next year, In 1953 James Watson and Francis Crick published their findings on the structure of DNA. Their proposition states that DNA consists of a double helix with alternating deoxyribose and phosphate molecules in the backbone.
The four bases found in DNA are adenine (abbreviated A), cytosine (C), guanine (G) and thymine (T). A fifth pyrimidine base, called uracil (U), usually takes the place of thymine in RNA and differs from thymine by lacking a methyl group on its ring.
Deoxyribonucleic (DNA) is the molecule that hold the genetic information of living things. In our body every cell contains about 2 meters of DNA. DNA is copied every time a cell divides. Deoxyribonucleic (DNA) is made up of two polynucleotide strands. Polynucleotide strands twist around each other, forming a shape that looks like a ladder called a double helix. The two polynucleotide strands run antiaparallel to each other with nitrogenous bases this means that the stands run in opposite directions, parallel to one another. The DNA molecule consists of two backbones chains of sugars and phosphate groups. The organic bases held together by hydrogen bonds. Although bases bonded together are termed paired
DNA is a long curved structure, made up of pairs of four specific bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine, is the repository of a code from which all of our cells are made. The code is made up of base pairs which look like the
In DNA, the sugar is known as deoxyribose. Obvious through its name, the structure of the molecule is arranged in a closed pentagon with 5 carbon atoms along with OH bonds and oxygen atoms. the DNA can be classified as a pentose monosaccharide.
Structure and function in Biology is a broad concept that can be explored within a diverse range of topics across the subject matter. The following essay will be focussed mainly on the subject of Deoxyribonucleic Acid, or more commonly DNA. DNA is a highly complex, intricate and extraordinary macromolecule found within all living cells. DNA is a "biochemical noun" and can be defined as "...a self-replicating material which is present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information." [Oxford Dictionary, c2016] DNA is found in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells, enclosed within a double membrane. Eukaryotic cells are multifaceted and require a high level of regulation to ensure smooth functioning. The double membrane of the nucleus allows gene expression, a key function of DNA, to be efficiently regulated.
DNA is the building block of every cell in our body, DNA resides in the nucleus. DNA’s full name is deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA is shaped like a twisted ladder, which is called a double helix. The rungs are made of four nitrogenous bases named: Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, and Guanine. Most of the time they are referred to as: A, T, C, and G. Each of the bases have a partner. Adenine pairs with Thymine, and Cytosine pairs with Guanine. Every rung in the DNA ladder is made of these pairs, they bond together differently to make you and I unique.
wonder what exactly is DNA? DNA is a term used for deoxyribonucleic acid and it
Sequence-specific DNA targeting of nucleases, recombinases and transcriptional activators is a powerful tool to manipulate the sequence or regulate the expression of the gene of interest. While Zinc fingers specific to DNA trinucleotides, coupled to different effector domains have been employed for targeted manipulation of the genome with considerable success, we are limited by the off-target toxicity caused by trinucleotide specific zinc fingers. Recently, it has been shown that Xanthomonas secreted virulence factors called transcription-activator like effectors (TALEs), which contain 1.5 to 33.5 tandem repeats bind sequence