Scribd
Upload
32 views

Chapter 3 - MB

The document summarizes the key properties of nucleic acids DNA and RNA. It describes nucleic acids as linear polymers composed of nucleotides, each containing a phosphate group, a pentose sugar (ribose in RNA, deoxyribose in DNA), and a nitrogenous base. The four bases are adenine, cytosine, guanine, and either thymine in DNA or uracil in RNA. Nucleic acids store and transmit genetic information through the sequence of these bases in the polymer chains. DNA contains the master copy of an organism's genome and is found in the nucleus of cells, while RNA plays a role in expressing genetic information.

Uploaded by

Mustee Tefera
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
32 views

Chapter 3 - MB

The document summarizes the key properties of nucleic acids DNA and RNA. It describes nucleic acids as linear polymers composed of nucleotides, each containing a phosphate group, a pentose sugar (ribose in RNA, deoxyribose in DNA), and a nitrogenous base. The four bases are adenine, cytosine, guanine, and either thymine in DNA or uracil in RNA. Nucleic acids store and transmit genetic information through the sequence of these bases in the polymer chains. DNA contains the master copy of an organism's genome and is found in the nucleus of cells, while RNA plays a role in expressing genetic information.

Uploaded by

Mustee Tefera
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 31

Chapter 3.

The Nucleic Acids

Originally isolated from nucleus of eukaryotic cells.

Are long linear polymers-storing the GI.

Nuclein- A novel phosphorous bearing substance in the nuclei of WBC.

- Mostly chromatin, which is a complex of DNA and


chromosomal protein
Two types of NAs
 DNA- Master copy of each cell's genome
-Contains all infos. Needed by the cell to live and propagate.
- long molecule with many thousand genes
RNA- Transformation of GI to cell machinery
- much shorter
- Carry only one or a few genes.
3.1. The Chemical Nature of DNA and RNA

The nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) – are linear polymers made of
Subunits known as nucleotides.

Determination of Info. In each gene is done by the order of different


nucleotides.
Four different types of Nucleotide found in each type of nucleic acid
(NA).

Three Parts of Nucleotide:


1) A cyclic five-carbon sugar (pentose)
-Called Ribose in RNA
- Deoxyribose in DNA- lacking oxygen at C2'.
 The Chemical structure of Pentose-The five carbon
atoms labeled as C1′ to C5′. Ring with four C atom and
oxygen and the 5th C-forms side chain to the ring
2) Base= Nitrogenous Base

• Five types:
- Adenine (A)
- Cytosine (C)
- Guanine (G)
- Thymine (T)- in DNA }
genetically
equivalent
- Uracil (U)- in RNA }
Two types of Bases in NAs

Pyrimidines
-Derivatives of heterocyclic compounds=pyrimidine

- Contains a single ring

- Are Cytosine, Thymine and Uracil: differ in the types and


position of chemical groups attached to the ring.
Major Pyrimidines

in DNA – Thymine and cytosine


in RNA- Uracil and cytosine
Purines
-Derivatives of The fused-ring compounds=Purine

-Contain a fused double ring

- Are Adenine and Guanine- also differ in types and


positions of chemical groups attached to the purine ring
Basic structure of Pyrimidines and Purines
Description of Major pyrimidine bases of nucleic acids
-Cytosine is 2-oxy-4 aminopyrimidine
-Thymine is 5-methyl-2,4-dioyxpyrimidine
-Uracil is 2,4-dioxypyrimidine
Description of Major purine bases of nucleic acids
- Adenine is 6-amino purine
-Guanine is 6-oxy-2-amino purine
3) A Phosphate -attached to the 5′Carbon of the sugar by
Phoshodiester linkage

-Responsible for the strong negative charge both in


Nucleotides and NAs
 Nucleosides: A base (Pyrimidine or purine) linked to a sugar (Ribose or
Deoxyribose).

Thus-the name -Ribonucleosides


- Deoxyribonucleosides

Purine nucleosides have β-glycosidic linkage from N-9 of the base to C1′of the
sugar.

Pyrimidine nucleotides have the linkage from N1 of the base to C1′ of the sugar.

The names of the nucleosides correspond to the name of the base, whereas the

name of nucleotides are referred to as phosphate derivatives of the corresponding

nucleosides E.g., Nucleosides of adenine is AMP


base

sugar

nucleoside

nucleotides (nucleoside mono-, di-, and triphosphates)


Some minor purine bases, shown as the
nucleosides.
Nucleotides:

• In a nucleic acid chain, two nucleotides are linked by a


phosphodiester bond, which may be formed by the
condensation reaction) similar to the formation of the
peptide bond.
• In cells, such process has been found in the ligation
between two nucleic acid fragments.
• However, the whole nucleic acid chain is usually
synthesized by RNA polymerase or DNA polymerase.
Fig. Formation of the phosphodiester bond through the
condensation reaction.
-An ester is a compound formed from an alcohol (bearing hydroxyl
group) and an acid.

-In nucleotides- the alcohol group is 5′-hydroxyl of the sugar & the acid
is Phosphoric acid, hence the name phosphoester.

•  The phosphate is esterified to both the 3′ and 5′ carbon atoms


, the overall structure is therefore called phosphodiester
linkage.
- The Phosphate group linking the sugar has a negative charge.
- The phosphate groups and sugars for the back bone of each
strand of DNA or RNA.
- The bases are joined to the sugars and stick out sideways.
Structure of Polynucleotide- Bases are attached to Deoxyribose- it is a DNA
nucleotide
At the phoshodiester linkage there is a free rotation.

The N-glycosylic bond between a base and the sugar


allows the base to rotate freely.

The linkage is repeated many times building a large

structure- a chain or strands having hundreds or millions of

nucleotide within a single giant molecule.


• cConCc’
The a nucleic acid chain also has orientation:

its 5' end contains a free phosphate group and

3' end contains a free hydroxyl

group. Synthesis of a nucleic acid chain

always proceeds from 5' to 3'. Therefore,

unless specified otherwise, the sequence of a


nucleic acid chain is written from 5' to 3' (left to right).
A nucleic acid chain. Its 5' end contains a free phosphate group. The 3' end has a free
hydroxyl group.
In DNA or RNA, a nucleic acid chain is also called a
strand. A DNA molecule typically contains two strands
whereas most RNA molecules contain a single strand.

-Thelength of a nucleic acid chain is represented by the


number of bases. In the case of a double-stranded
nucleic acid, bases are paired between two strands.

-Therefore, its length is given by the number of base pairs


(bp).

-1 kb = 1000 bases or bp; 1 Mb = 1 million bases or


bp. Oligonucleotides refer to short nucleic acid chains (<
50 bases or bp) and polynucleotides have longer
chains.
In cells, a free nucleotide may contain one, two or three phosphate groups. The energy
carrier ATP (adenosine triphosphate) has three phosphate groups; ADP (adenosine
diphosphate) has two; AMP (adenosine monophosphate) has one. Their structures are
shown in the above figure.-(a) A computer model of AMP. (b) Chemical structures of

Adenosine, ADPand ATP. They differ in the number of phosphategroups.


If all phosphate groups are removed, a nucleotide becomes a nucleoside such as
adenosine. The following table lists various nucleosides and nucleotides.

Table . Cellular nucleosides and nucleotides .


• NMP = nucleoside monophosphate
NDP = nucleoside diphosphate
NTP = nucleoside triphosphate
dNMP = deoxynucleoside monophosphate
dNDP = deoxynucleoside diphosphate
dNTP = deoxynucleoside triphosphate
• (nucleoside = ribonucleoside; deoxynucleoside =
deoxyribonucleoside
dGTP

deoxyguanosine triphosphate
dCTP

deoxycytidine triphosphate
dTTP

deoxythymidintriphosphate Thymine
O
CH3
All Pyrimidines and purines can exist in alternative isomeric forms called
tautomers. They can exist in keto (lactam) or enol (lactim)

FIG. Tautomeric forms of Uracil. The lactam form predominates


at pH 7.0; the other forms become more prominent as pH decreases.
The other free Pyrimidines and the free purines also have Tautomeric
forms, but they are more rarely encountered
• Adenine and cytosine,

which contain amino groups,

Can undergo an enamine <->

imine tautomerization
• Guanine and thymine (and

uracil), which contain keto

groups, can undergo a keto

Or enol tautomerization.
Functions of Nucleotide:
They are-

1) Building blocks of Nucleic acids.


2) Carriers of high energy intermediates in the
biosynthesis of carbohydrates, lipid, and proteins.
3) The essential chemical links in response to hormones
and other extracellular stimuli.
4) The structural components of several enzyme co-
factors (coenzymes) and metabolic intermediates.
5) Act as a secondary messengers in hormonal function
of cAMP, cGMP etc.

You might also like