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DNA: The Carrier of Genetic Information. Evidence of DNA as hereditary material Proteins—rather than nucleic acids— thought to be genetic material in the 1930s and 1940s Several lines of evidence supported DNA as genetic material DNA is transforming principle in bacteria
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Evidence of DNA as hereditary material • Proteins—rather than nucleic acids— thought to be genetic material in the 1930s and 1940s • Several lines of evidence supported DNA as genetic material • DNA is transforming principle in bacteria • Watson and Crick modeled DNA structure
Griffith’s transformation experiments Established that DNA carries necessary information for bacterial transformation
Hershey-Chaseexperiments Established that viral DNA enters bacterial cells and is required for synthesis of new viral particles
Structure of DNA • Regular polymer of nucleotides • Nitrogenous base of purine or pyrimidine • Base covalently links to deoxyribose • Deoxyribose covalently bonds to a phosphate group • Backbone • Alternating sugar and phosphate groups joined by covalent phosphodiester linkages
Nucleotide subunits of DNA
Structure of DNA molecule • Two polynucleotide chains associated as double helix • Two chains are antiparallel (running in opposite directions)
Base-pairing rules for DNA • Hydrogen bonding between base pairs holds together the two chains of helix • Adenine (A) forms two hydrogen bonds with thymine (T) • Guanine (G) forms three hydrogen bonds with cytosine (C) • Chargaff’s rules • A = T • G = C
DNA Replication • Two strands of double helix unwind • Each strand serves as template for new strand • DNA polymerase adds new nucleotide subunits • Additional enzymes and other proteins required to unwind and stabilize DNA helix
DNA replication • Bidirectional, starting at origin of replication • Strands replicate at replication fork • Two DNA polymerase molecules catalyze replication • Leading strand • Lagging strand
Replication at chromosome ends • Telomeres • Short, non-coding repetitive DNA sequences • Shorten slightly with each cell cycles • Can be extended by telomerase • Absence of telomerase activity may be cause of cell aging • Most cancer cells have telomerase to maintain telomere length and resist apoptosis