The Synthesis and Enzymatic Polymerization of Nucleotides Containing Mercury

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Synthesis and Enzymatic Polymerization of Nucleotides Containing Mercury Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA Vol. 70, No. 8, pp. 2238-2242, August 1973 The Synthesis and Enzymatic Polymerization of Nucleotides Containing Mercury: Potential Tools for Nucleic Acid Sequencing and Structural Analysis (acetoxymercuration/mercaptans/Escherichia coli/polymerases) R. M. K. DALE, D. C. LIVINGSTON*, AND D. C. WARD Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06510 Communicated by Frederick M. Richards, May 1, 1973 ABSTRACT A simple acetoxymercuration reaction for also circumvent most of the present problems of preparing introducing covalently bound mercury atoms into nucleo- heavy-atom polynucleotide derivatives. The current methods tides is described. The 5-mercuriacetate derivatives of UTP, CTP, dUTP, and dCTP, as well as the 7-mercuriace- of attaching electron-dense atoms onto polynucleotides, in- tate derivative of 7-deazaATP, have been prepared by this volving chemical modification of preexisting DNA or RNA procedure and tested as substrates for nucleic acid poly- polymers (5, 6), often give unstable products, incomplete sub- merases. These nucleotides, in the absence of added mer- stitution, or fragmentation of the polynucleotide chain (7). captan, are not polymerized and in most instances are of a simple method of preparing polymers potent enzyme inhibitors. However, conversion of these The availability mercuriacetates to mercurithio compounds in situ by the with specific heavy-atom base labels should make sequence addition of one of various mercaptans, yields nucleoside analysis limited only by the resolving power of the electron triphosphates that are excellent substrates for all poly- microscope. merases tested: Escherichia coli and T7 RNA polymerases, Metallonucleoside derivatives can also be readily used DNA polymerase I of E. coli, DNA polymerase of avian myeloblastosis virus, and calf-thymus terminal deoxy- for analysis of protein or polynucleotide structures, as nucleotidyl transferase. By varying the mercaptan used to well as investigation of specific protein-polynucleotide promote syntheses it is possible to access certain structural complexes. In addition to the obvious utility of heavy-atom limitations in the enzyme's nucleoside triphosphate bind- analogues as isomorphous replacements in crystallographic ing site. These mercurinucleotides appear to have a di- designed compounds should provide versity of potential applications: (1) as heavy-atom re- studies, appropriately agents for crystallographic and microscopic studies; (2) electron spin resonance or affinity probes for investigation as affinity probes for enzymes sensitive to sulfhydryl of macromolecular structure in solution. modification; (3) as steric probes of substrate-binding With objectives like those outlined above in mind, we have sites on enzymes; and (4) as reagents for forming covalent undertaken the preparation of various metallonucleotides. protein-polynucleotide complexes. In this report, we describe the synthesis and some properties Numerous nucleoside analogues have been synthesized during of nucleotides containing covalently bound mercury atoms. the past decade, mainly for examination of their chemother- METHODS AND MATERIALS apeutic activity. One group of compounds that appears to 5'-triphosphates is the metallonucleosides. Although The standard ribo- and deoxyribonucleoside have escaped attention were purchased from P. L. Laboratories, while deoxyuridine likely to be of limited potential as chemotherapeutic agents, were obtained from Sigma. and coenzyme derivatives of and deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate nucleotide, polynucleotide, Radioactive nucleotides were products of New England Nu- such compounds could provide a set of useful tools for various the below. clear Corp. Tubercidin (7-deazaadenosine), generous biochemical studies, a few of which are outlined The Upjohn Co., Kalamazoo, Mich., technology has progressed to gift of Dr. G. Fonken, Recent electron microscope was converted to the 5'-triphosphate as described (8). the state where single heavy-atoms have been visualized both ribo- reduc- The pyrimidine nucleoside triphosphates (in (1-4). Although further refinements are needed (e.g., and the 5'-triphosphate of 7-deaza- noise in grids), microscopic and deoxyribo-series) tion of the background support adenosine were converted to the corresponding mercuriacetate sequencing of polynucleotides is potentially feasible. Metal- The nucleo- to their compounds by the following general procedure. lonucleoside triphosphates that are able replace was dissolved in 5.0 ml of 0.5 M as in vitro side triphosphate (1 mmol) natural triphosphate counterparts quantitatively sodium acetate buffer (pH 5.0), and mercuric acetate (5.0 substrates for nucleic acid polymerases would yield polymeric mixture was then heated The mmol) was added. The reaction products suitable for such sequence analysis. enzymatic after was diluted 10- stable metallonucleotides would at 500 for 3 hr. The mixture, cooling, polymerization of chemically to 20-fold with water and applied to a column (110-ml) of DEAE-cellulose (bicarbonate form). The column was washed Abbreviations: dUMP-HgX, dUTP-HgX, and CTP-HgX, the 5- exhaustively with water (about 4 liters) to remove excess mer- mercuriacetate derivatives of dUMP, dUTP, and CTP. 7- curic salts before the products were eluted with a linear gradi- DeazaATP-HgX the 7-mercuriacetate derivative of 7-deazaATP of bicarbonate (0-0.5 M), UTP-HgSR, etc. the ent (2 liters) triethylammonium (tubercidin 5'-triphosphate). dUTP-HgSR, pH 7.5. Fractions containing the mercurinucleoside triphos- 5-mercurithio derivatives of dUTP and UTP prepared by reacting After the appropriate mercuriactetate compound with an excess of a phate were pooled and desalted by rotary evaporation. mercaptan. several washes with methanol the nucleotide was dissolved to and stored at -20°. Conversion * Permanent address: Dept. of Chemistry, Imperial Cancer Re- in water, adjusted pH 7.0, search Fund, LincoIns Inn Fields, London WC2, England. to the mercurinucleotide was in all cases quantitative, al- 2238 Downloaded by guest on October 1, 2021 Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 70 (1973) Polymerization of Nucleotides Containing Mercury 2239 though heating at 500 did cause a small degree of hydrolysis 0 NH2 NH2 HgX to the mono- and HqX corresponding diphosphates (which were HINA NX gHX readily removed chromatographically). Spectral, chromato- were used to graphic, and electrophoretic analyses demon- N 00'."N %NN strate that the mercuri-products are free from unmodified HOCH$HO HOC starting material. Radiolabeled mercurinucleoside triphosphates were pre- OH OH OH OH OH OH pared as above with [20'Hg]mercuric acetate (New England (H) (H) Nuclear Corp.). The standard conditions were: 5 pmol of I mE nucleoside triphosphate in 0.05 ml of acetate buffer and 25 FIG. 1. The structure of 5-mercuriuridine (deoxyuridine), ,Amol of [20'Hg]mercuric acetate (20 Ci/mol). (I); 5-mercuricytidine (deoxycytidine), (II); and 7-mercuri-7- Mid-log-phase E8cherichia coli B cells were obtained from deazaadenosine, (1I). The counterion, X, varies according to Grain Processing Corp. E. coli DNA polymerase I (Fraction the ionic environment but is normally acetate, carbonate, or VII) was prepared as described by Jovin et al. (9) with the chloride. In the presence of mercaptans the compounds are con- exception that the final Sephadex G-100 gel-filtration column verted to the corresponding mercurithio compounds (nucleoside- was eluted with phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) containing no 2- HgSR). The spectral properties of the carbonate salts at pH 7.5 mercaptoethanol. E. coli B RNA polymerase, purified by the are: I, X.., 267 nm (e = 10,100), X1min, 242 (e = 3600); II, Asxs, procedure of Burgess was the of R. and 275 (E 9200), Xmin 255 (e = 5600); m, Xm, 278 (e 12,000), (10), gift Ludwig Xmin, 244 (e = 2900). Although the absorption maximum is un- R. Condit. Commercial preparations of this enzyme (Grand affected by the nature of the counter ion present, the wavelength Island Biological Co.) gave similar results. The T7 RNA and extinction of the absorption minimum does vary somewhat. polymerase and T7 DNA were the generous gifts of Drs. E. Niles and W. Summers. Calf-thymus terminal deoxynucleo- strates (17, 19), provided that the substituent is not charged tidyl transferase (11) was kindly supplied by Dr. R. Ratliff, at the pH of the enzyme incubation. Los Alamos, Calif. In another communicationf we describe properties of The RNA-dependent DNA polymerase of avian myelo- 5-methylmercurithio- and 5-trimethyllead pyrimidine nucleo- blastosis virus was prepared from a viral preparation sup- side compounds. Since the synthetic routes to these com- plied by Dr. J. Beard, Duke University, as described by pounds were rather extensive, simpler approaches were Green et al. (12). For enzyme assays the virus solution was considered. Methods of preparing mercury-carbon organo- preincubated in 0.5% NP-40 detergent (Shell) at 40 for 30 mercurials by hydrogen substitution have been known since min before addition to the polymerization mixture. the mid-1800s. These reactions (RH + HgX2 -- RHgX + Calf-thymus DNA was obtained from Sigma (Grade V), HX) proceed by way of electrophilic substitution and occur while poly(rA) . oligo(dT) and oligo(dT)6 were procured from at the carbon of greatest electron density. For nucleoside Collaborative Research Corp. Poly[d(A-T) I was prepared compounds, the C-5 of pyrimidines, the C-8 of purines, and according to the method
Recommended publications
  • Watson Andcrick1 Consists of Two Polynucleotide Chains, Which Are
    73474CHEMISTRY: DONOHUE AND STENT PiRoc. N. A. S. 2 E. Klenk, Z. physiol. Chem., 268, 50,1941. 3 K. Meyer, Advances in Protein Chemistry, 2, 249, 1945. 4K. Meyer, E. Chaffee, G. L. Hobby, and M. H. Dawson, J. Exptl. Med., 73, 309, 1941. 5 M. M. Rapport, A. Linker, and K. Meyer, J. Biol. Chem., 192, 283, 1951. 6 J. Werner and L. Odin, Acta Soc. med. Upsaliensis, 57, 230, 1952. 7 L. A. Elson and W. T. J. Morgan, Biochem. J., 27, 1924, 1933. 8 S. Gardell, Acta chem. Scand., 7, 207, 1953. 9 M. McLeod and R. Robison, Biochem. J., 23, 517, 1929. 10 0. Schales and S. S. Schales, Arch. Biochem., 8, 285, 1948. 11 We are indebted to Dr. Calderon Howe, of the Department of Microbiology, Columbia Uni- versity College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, for these studies. 12 We wish to thank Dr. Baruch S. Blumberg for performing the ultracentrifugation studies. 13 G. Blix, E. Lindberg, L. Odin, and I. Werner, Nature, 175, 340, 1955. 14 W. T. J. Morgan and L. A. Elson, Biochem. J., 28, 988, 1934. 16 A. Gottschalk, Yale J. Biol. and Med., 28, 525, 1956. 16 E. Klenk, H. Faillard, F. Weygand, and H. H. Schbne, Z. physiol. Chem., 304, 35, 1956. 17 J. S. D. Bacon and J. Edelman, Biochem. J., 48, 114, 1951. 18 S. M. Partridge, Biochem. J., 42, 238, 1948. 19 P. J. Stoffyn and R. W. Jeanloz, Arch. Biochem., 52, 373, 1954. 20 J. Immers and E. Vasseur, Acta chem. Scand., 6, 363, 1952.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 23 Nucleic Acids
    7-9/99 Neuman Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Nucleic Acids from Organic Chemistry by Robert C. Neuman, Jr. Professor of Chemistry, emeritus University of California, Riverside [email protected] <http://web.chem.ucsb.edu/~neuman/orgchembyneuman/> Chapter Outline of the Book ************************************************************************************** I. Foundations 1. Organic Molecules and Chemical Bonding 2. Alkanes and Cycloalkanes 3. Haloalkanes, Alcohols, Ethers, and Amines 4. Stereochemistry 5. Organic Spectrometry II. Reactions, Mechanisms, Multiple Bonds 6. Organic Reactions *(Not yet Posted) 7. Reactions of Haloalkanes, Alcohols, and Amines. Nucleophilic Substitution 8. Alkenes and Alkynes 9. Formation of Alkenes and Alkynes. Elimination Reactions 10. Alkenes and Alkynes. Addition Reactions 11. Free Radical Addition and Substitution Reactions III. Conjugation, Electronic Effects, Carbonyl Groups 12. Conjugated and Aromatic Molecules 13. Carbonyl Compounds. Ketones, Aldehydes, and Carboxylic Acids 14. Substituent Effects 15. Carbonyl Compounds. Esters, Amides, and Related Molecules IV. Carbonyl and Pericyclic Reactions and Mechanisms 16. Carbonyl Compounds. Addition and Substitution Reactions 17. Oxidation and Reduction Reactions 18. Reactions of Enolate Ions and Enols 19. Cyclization and Pericyclic Reactions *(Not yet Posted) V. Bioorganic Compounds 20. Carbohydrates 21. Lipids 22. Peptides, Proteins, and α−Amino Acids 23. Nucleic Acids **************************************************************************************
    [Show full text]
  • A DNA Pentaplex Incorporating Nucleobase Quintets
    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA Vol. 96, pp. 10614–10619, September 1999 Biochemistry A DNA pentaplex incorporating nucleobase quintets JOHN C. CHAPUT AND CHRISTOPHER SWITZER† Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521 Edited by Leslie Orgel, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, San Diego, CA, and approved July 7, 1999 (received for review April 29, 1999) ABSTRACT Supramolecular self-assembly is an integral ions. As a consequence, the iG-motif fulfills geometric pre- step in the formation of many biological structures. Here we dictions. report a DNA pentaplex that derives from a metal-assisted, hydrogen bond-mediated self-assembly process. In particular, cesium ions are found to induce pentameric assembly of DNA MATERIALS AND METHODS bearing the nonstandard nucleobase iso-guanine. The penta- plex was designed by using a simple algorithm to predict Oligonucleotides. Synthesis of iG phosphoramidite and oli- nucleobase structural requirements within a quintet motif. gonucleotides were performed as described (14). The design principles are general and should extend to PAGE Assays. Oligonucleotide (400 pmol) was combined complexes beyond pentaplex. Structures exhibiting molecu- with 1 ␮lof10ϫ kinase buffer (700 mM Tris⅐HCl, pH ͞ ͞ ␮ ␥ 32 larities of five or more were previously accessible to peptides, 7.6 100 mM MgCl2 50 mM DTT), 1 lof - P-ATP (2 ␮ ␮ ␮ but not nucleic acids. Ci), 6 lofH2O, and 1 l of T4 polynucleotide kinase (3 units, United States Biochemical). The sample was incu- ␮ ␮ In abiologic systems, metal-mediated self-assembly has bated for 30 min at 37°C, at which time 1 lof660 MATP yielded arrays (1), nanometer-sized dendrimers (2), and was added, followed by incubation for an additional 30 min at 37°C.
    [Show full text]
  • Nucleic Acid Monomer Polymer Condensation Complementary Hydrolysis ATP Polynucleotide Nucleotide Deoxyribose Ribose DNA Purines
    Nucleic acid Monomer Polymer condensation Complementary hydrolysis ATP Polynucleotide Nucleotide Deoxyribose Ribose DNA Organic Purines Pyrimidines nitrogenous bases A large molecule made A small molecule that is up of many/repeating one of the units bonded A polymer of similar smaller molecules together to form a NUCLEOTIDES. (monomers) covalently polymer bonded together A type of chemical A reaction in which a reaction in which 2 molecule is broken down Refers to structures molecules are joined into smaller molecules that fit together together by means of a by the addition of a because their shapes covalent bind to form a water molecule and the and/or charges match up larger molecule and at breaking of a covalent the same time a water bond. molecule is released. The monomer used to A polymer consisting of form nucleic acids. Made A molecule used to store many nucleotide of a pentose sugar, a energy temporarily in monomers covalently phosphate group and a organisms bonded together nitrogenous base Stable polynucleotide molecule that stores The 5-carbon (pentose) genetic information in The 5-carbon sugar in sugar found in RNA the form of a sequence DNA nucleotides nucleotides of bases. =Deoxyribonucleic acid Thymine, cytosine, and Adenine and guanine – uracil- nitrogenous nitrogenous bases A, T, C, G, U bases consisting of a consisting of a double single ring structure ring structure Cytosine Adenine Uracil (C) (A) (U) Thymine Guanine Ribosomal RNA (T) (G) (rRNA) Messenger RNA Transfer RNA Semi-conservative (mRNA) (tRNA) replication A nitrogen containing A nitrogen containing A nitrogen containing organic base found in organic base found in organic base found in nucleic acids, It pairs nucleic acids, It pairs RNA.
    [Show full text]
  • Structure of DNA (The Double Helix) It Was Suspected That Most Naturally Occurring DNA Did Not Exist As Single Chains. Instead T
    Structure of DNA (The Double Helix) It was suspected that most naturally occurring DNA did not exist as single chains. Instead two or more chains appear to interact with one another in some way. The resulting macromolecules were known to be long, thin and rigid such that they formed highly viscous solution in water. The double Helix structure of DNA was proposed by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953 . It was based primarily on model building and X-ray diffraction pattern. Information from X-ray patterns was added to information from chemical analysis that showed that the amount of A was always same as the amount of T and that the amount of G always equal to the amount of C. Both of these lines of evidence were used to conclude that DNA consist of polynucleotide chains wrapped around each other to form in helix . Hydrogen bonds between bases on opposite chains determine the alignment of helix. The paired bases lie in a planes perpendicular to the Helix . The sugar phosphate backbone in the outer part of the Helix . The chains run in antiparallel directions one 3’to 5’ and other 5’to3’. Important features of the Watson and Crick model are : 1.The base pairing is complementary, meaning that adenine pairs with thymine and guanine pairs with cytosine . This complementary base pairing occurs along entire double Helix, the two chains are also referred as complimentary chains. And adenine-thymine(A-T) base pair has to hydrogen bonds between them whereas a guanosine-cytosine(G-C) pair has three.
    [Show full text]
  • The Enzymatic Phosphorylation of Nucleic Acids and Its Application To
    The Enzymatic Phosphorylation of Nucleic Acids and Its Application to End-Group Analysis Downloaded from http://rupress.org/jgp/article-pdf/49/6/81/1243914/81.pdf by guest on 02 October 2021 CHARLES C. RICHARDSON and BERNARD WEISS From the Department of Biological Chemistry, Harvard Medical School, Boston ABSTRACT Polynucleotide kinase catalyzes the transfer of a phosphate group from ATP to the 5'-hydroxyl termini of polynucleotides. Selective labeling of the 5'-hydroxyl termini of DNA with polynucleotide kinase has been used to study the number and the identity of the 5'-terminal residues of bacteriophage DNA's, and to examine the nature of the phosphodiester bond cleavages pro- duced by endonucleases and by sonic irradiation. The intact strands of T7 DNA bear 5'-phosphoryl end-groups; only deoxyadenylate and deoxythy- midylate are present as 5'-terminal residues. The intact strands of native X-DNA bear 5'-hydroxyl end-groups. M13 DNA, a circular molecule, cannot be phos- phorylated. End-group labeling of DNA provides a method for determination of molecular weight; calibration against other DNA preparations is not re- quired. The molecular weight of a single strand of T7 DNA, determined by end-group labeling, is 13.1 X 106; the molecular weight of a single strand of X-DNA is 6.0 X 106. These values are in agreement with molecular weight estimates by sedimentation analysis and electron microscopy. Sonic irradiation of DNA has been shown to favor the production of polynucleotides terminated by 5'-phosphomonoester groups. All four deoxyribonucleotides are present as 5'-terminal residues of sonicated DNA.
    [Show full text]
  • Synthesis and Physicochemical Properties of Polynucleotide Analogues Containing Pyrimidine Bases
    Synthesis and Physicochemical Properties ofPolynucleotide Bull. Korean Chem. Soc. 2000, Vol. 21, No. 3 321 Synthesis and Physicochemical Properties of Polynucleotide Analogues Containing Pyrimidine Bases Man Jung Han,* Ki Ho Kim, Kyung Soo Yoo, Young Dong Park,f and Ji Young Chang* Department of Molecular Science and Technology, and ^Department of Chemistry, Ajou University, Suwon 442-749, Korea ^Department of Fiber and Polymer Science, College of Engineering, Seoul National University, Kwanak-Ku, Seoul 151-742, Korea Received January 16, 2000 Polynucleotide analogues containing pyrimidine (uracil and thymine) bases, poly[( 1 '-j3-uracil-1 -yl-2',5'-dideoxy- D-g4,^ra-Pent-4'-enofiiranose)-6t^-(maleic acid)] (12) and poly[(l,-^-thymin-l-yl-2',5,-dideoxy-D-g4;cero_ pent-4'-enofuranose)-(a//-(maleic acid)] (15), were synthesized by the alternating copolymerization of relevant nucleoside derivatives and maleic anhydride, and the subsequent hydrolysis. The polymers had quite similar structures to the natural polymers and were soluble in water. They showed high hypochromicities up to 49% and excimer fl니 orescence due to the base stacking, and polyelectrolyte behavior. Since the polymers had com­ pact structures, depyrimidinations, the release of pyrimidine bases from the polymer backbone, occurred in aqueous sohitions with higher rates compared with those of the natural polymers. Introduction Resets and Discussion Considerable attention has been devoted to the synthesis Monomer Synthesis. Iodination of 2'-deoxyuridine (1) of polynucleotide analogues (PNA) as model compounds for with triphenyl phosphine and iodine gave 2',5'-dideoxy-5'- natural ones over the last decade in an effort to elucidate the iodouridine (2) and 2\3,,5'-trideoxy-3',5,-diiodouridine 0).
    [Show full text]
  • Class Outline 1. Understanding Polynucleotide Structure (Read) 2. Why Polynucleotides Are Important (Read) • Central Dogma- Tr
    Class Outline 1. Understanding polynucleotide structure (Read) 2. Why polynucleotides are important (Read) • Central dogma- transcription and translation • HIV and Reverse transcription 3. Antiretroviral drug development 4. Structural biology e.g. NMR spectroscopy (also X-ray crystallography) I have compiled these Wikipedia excerpts for you to read in preparation to the class. Reading these at home will allow us more time to talk about even more interesting things while in class. I will post any other information that I think will be useful. Please email me at [email protected] with any questions. POLYNUCLEOTIDE STRUCTURE Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a molecule that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and many viruses. DNA along with RNA and proteins, is one of the three major macromolecules(large complex molecules) essential for all known forms of life. Genetic information is encoded as a sequence of nucleotides (guanine, adenine, thymine, and cytosine) recorded using the letters G, A, T, and C. Most DNA molecules are double-stranded helices, consisting of two long polymers of simple units called nucleotides, molecules with backbones made of alternating sugars (deoxyribose) and phosphate groups (related to phosphoric acid), with the nucleobases (G, A, T, C) attached to the sugars. DNA is well-suited for biological information storage, since the DNA backbone is resistant to cleavage and the double- stranded structure provides the molecule with a built-in duplicate of the encoded information. This figure shows how the backbone is formed-the arrangement of the sugar, phosphate and base in a DNA molecule These two strands run in opposite directions to each other and are therefore anti-parallel, one backbone being 3′ (three prime) and the other 5′ (five prime).
    [Show full text]
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
    Molecular Terms Glossary Adapted from Glossary in the “Primer on Molecular Genetics” US Dept of Energy. Portions of the glossary text were taken directly or modified from definitions in the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment document: Mapping Our Genes The Genome Projects: How Big, How Fast? OTA-BA-373, Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, April 1988. Alleles: Alternative forms of a genetic locus; a single allele for each locus is inherited separately from each parent (e.g., at a locus for eye color the allele might result in blue or brown eyes). Amino acid: Any of a class of 20 molecules that are combined to form proteins in living things. The sequence of amino acids in a protein and hence protein function are deter-mined by the genetic code. Amplification: An increase in the number of copies of a specific DNA fragment; can be in vivo or in vitro. See cloning, polymerase chain reaction. Anti-Parallel: The two complementary strands of DNA that make up the Double stranded DNA molecule run in opposite directions with regard to their phosphate-sugar backbone 3’-5’ or 5’-3’. Autoradiography: A technique that uses X-ray film to visualize radioactively labeled molecules or fragments of molecules; used in analyzing length and number of DNA fragments after they are separated by gel electrophoresis. Autosome: A chromosome not involved in sex determination. The diploid human genome consists of 46 chromosomes, 22 pairs of autosomes, and 1 pair of sex chromosomes (the X and Y chromosomes). Base pair (bp): Two nitrogenous bases ( adenine and thymine or guanine and cytosine) held together by weak bonds.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 28: Nucleosides, Nucleotides, and Nucleic Acids
    Chapter 28: Nucleosides, Nucleotides, and Nucleic Acids. Nucleic acids are the third class of biopolymers (polysaccharides and proteins being the others) Two major classes of nucleic acids deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA): carrier of genetic information ribonucleic acid (RNA): an intermediate in the expression of genetic information and other diverse roles The Central Dogma (F. Crick): DNA mRNA Protein (genome) (transcriptome) (proteome) The monomeric units for nucleic acids are nucleotides Nucleotides are made up of three structural subunits 1. Sugar: ribose in RNA, 2-deoxyribose in DNA 2. Heterocyclic base 3. Phosphate 340 Nucleoside, nucleotides and nucleic acids phosphate sugar base phosphate phosphate sugar base sugar base sugar base phosphate nucleoside nucleotides sugar base nucleic acids The chemical linkage between monomer units in nucleic acids is a phosphodiester 341 174 28.1: Pyrimidines and Purines. The heterocyclic base; there are five common bases for nucleic acids (Table 28.1, p. 1166). Note that G, T and U exist in the keto form (and not the enol form found in phenols) NH2 O 7 6 N 5 1 N N N 8 N NH 2 9 N 4 N N N N N NH H 3 H H 2 purine adenine (A) guanine (G) DNA/RNA DNA/RNA NH2 O O 4 H3C 5 N 3 N NH NH 6 2 N N O N O N O 1 H H H pyrimidine cytosine (C) thymine (T) uracil (U) DNA/RNA DNA RNA 28.2: Nucleosides. N-Glycosides of a purine or pyrimidine heterocyclic base and a carbohydrate. The C-N bond involves the anomeric carbon of the carbohydrate.
    [Show full text]
  • Specific Enzymatic Amplification of DNA in Vitro: the Polymerase Chain Reaction
    Specific Enzymatic Amplification of DNA In Vitro: The Polymerase Chain Reaction K. MULLIS, F. FALOONA, S. SCHARF, R. SAIKI, G. HORN, AND H. ERLICH Cetus Corporation, Department of Human Genetics, Emeryville, California 94608 The discovery of specific restriction endonucleases DNA molecule or, with a minor modification in the (Smith and Wilcox 1970) made possible the isolation of technique, it could have been an RNA molecule. In any discrete molecular fragments of naturally occurring case, the product of the reaction will be a discrete dou­ DNA for the first time. This capability was crucial to ble-stranded DNA molecule with termini correspond­ the development of molecular cloning (Cohen et al. ing to the 5' ends of the oligonucleotides employed. 1973); and the combination of molecular cloning and We have called this process polymerase chain reac­ endonuclease restriction allowed the synthesis and iso­ tion or (inevitably) PCR. Several embodiments have lation of any naturally occurring DNA sequence that been devised that enable one not only to extract a spe­ could be cloned into a useful vector and, on the basis cific sequence from a complex template and amplify of flanking restriction sites, excised from it. The avail­ it, but also to increase the inherent specificity of this ability of a large variety of restriction enzymes (Rob­ process by using nested primer sets, or to append se­ erts 1985) has significantly extended the utility of these quence information to one or both ends of the se­ methods. quence as it is being amplified, or to construct a se­ The de novo organic synthesis of oligonucleotides quence entirely from synthetic fragments.
    [Show full text]
  • Nucleotides, Oligonucleotides,And Polynucleotides
    Molecular Biology Problem Solver: A Laboratory Guide. Edited by Alan S. Gerstein Copyright © 2001 by Wiley-Liss, Inc. ISBNs: 0-471-37972-7 (Paper); 0-471-22390-5 (Electronic) 10 Nucleotides, Oligonucleotides, and Polynucleotides Alan S. Gerstein Nucleotides . 268 Nomenclature: De facto and Du jour . 268 What Makes a Nucleotide Pure? . 269 Are Solution Nucleotides Always More Pure Than Lyophilized Nucleotides?. 269 Are Solution Nucleotides More Stable Than Lyophilized Nucleotides? . 270 Does Your Application Require Extremely Pure Nucleotides? . 272 How Can You Monitor Nucleotide Purity and Degradation?. 272 The author would like to thank Anita Gradowski of Pierce Milwaukee for contributing such thorough and helpful information regarding the preparation of nucleotide solutions. Special thanks also to Cica Minetti and David Remeta of Rutgers University for discussing a method to calculate the extinction coefficient of an oligonucleotide. The contributions to this chapter by Howard Coyer and Thomas Tyre, also of Pierce Milwaukee, are too numerous to list. 267 How Should You Prepare, Quantitate, and Adjust the pH of Small and Large Volumes of Nucleotides? . 273 What Is the Effect of Thermocycling on Nucleotide Stability?. 275 Is There a Difference between Absorbance, A260, and Optical Density? . 275 Why Do A260 Unit Values for Single-Stranded DNA and Oligonucleotides Vary in the Research Literature? . 278 Oligonucleotides . 279 How Pure an Oligonucleotide Is Required for Your Application?. 279 What Are the Options for Quantitating Oligonucleotides? . 279 What Is the Storage Stability of Oligonucleotides?. 280 Your Vial of Oligonucleotide Is Empty, or Is It? . 281 Synthetic Polynucleotides. 281 Is a Polynucleotide Identical to an Oligonucleotide?.
    [Show full text]