Nucleic Acids
Prepared by-Dr Payal Adwani
Index
● Introduction of nucleic acids
● DNA and its structure
● RNA and its structure
● Catabolism of purine
● Gout
Introduction
Introduction
● Life continues because living things can
make copies of themselves.
● This ability requires having a set of
detailed instructions or a "blueprint."
● Replication is also fundamental for
various aspects of life such as
1. Growth and Development: enabling to grow
from simple unicellular to complex
multicellular.
2. Continuation of Species:the transfer of
genetic traits and adaptations essential
for survival.
Introduction
● Nucleic acids are biological
macromolecules responsible for storing,
transmitting, and expressing genetic
information in living organisms.
● There are 2 types of Nucleic acids:
1. DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid:Holds the
genetic code and instructions necessary
for an organism's development, traits,
and overall function.
2. RNA (Ribonucleic Acid):Acts as a
messenger, carrying genetic information
from DNA to guide protein synthesis
Introduction
● The monomeric unit of Nucleic
acid is Nucleotide.
● These nucleotides serve as the
basic building blocks, forming
the structure of different types
of nucleic acids.
● Nucleotides are composed of a
nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar
and a phosphate.
● Nucleoside on the other hand, are
composed of nitrogenous base and
a pentose sugar
Introduction
Functions of nucleotides:
1-Nucleotides are monomeric 2-Nucleotides are structural
units of nucleic components of coenzymes. These
acids-Nucleotides serve as coenzymes are derived from B-complex
the basic building blocks vitamins and are important for
of DNA and RNA, the metabolic reactions in the
carriers of genetic [Link]-From niacin,NAD is derived.
information in living It is used for kreb’s cycle.
organisms.
Introduction
Functions of nucleotides:
3-In energy reactions- 4-Control metabolic
Nucleotides, particularly reactions-Some nucleotides such
ATP (adenosine as cyclic form of AMP act as a
triphosphate), function as secondary messenger in
the primary energy currency intracellular signaling pathways
within cells. thus regulating metabolic
pathways.
COMPONENTS OF NUCLEOTIDE
● Nitrogen bases or nucleobases
found in nucleotides are
aromatic heterocyclic
compounds.
● These bases are of 2
types-Purines and
Pyrimidines.
● Major purines found in
nucleic acids are adenine and
guanine.
● Major pyrimidines found in
nucleic acids are
cytosine,thymine and uracil.
COMPONENTS OF NUCLEOTIDE
● The atoms in the purine ring
are numbered 1 to 9 with ● The atoms in the pyrimidine
nitrogen present on position ring are numbered as 1 to 6
1,3,7 and 9. with nitrogen on position 1
● Purines are numbered in the and 3.
anticlockwise direction. ● Pyrimidines are numbered in
the clockwise direction.
COMPONENTS OF NUCLEOTIDE
● Sugars-RNA
contains ribose
sugar and DNA
contains
Deoxyribose sugar.
● These differ in
structure at C2.
COMPONENTS OF NUCLEOTIDE
● Phosphate group is
attached to 5th carbon
of the pentose sugar .
● The phosphate group
connects the sugars in
DNA and RNA thus
providing a backbone.
The binding of nucleotide
components
● The carbon of pentose sugar is
covalently bound to nitrogen of
nitrogenous base by
N-glycosidic bond.
● The formation of this covalent
bond between the two molecules
occurs because of removal of a
hydroxyl group (-OH) from the 1'
carbon of the sugar and a hydrogen
atom from the nitrogenous base.
The binding of nucleotide
components
● In purine nucleoside, N9 of base
forms a covalent bond with C1’ of
pentose sugar.
● In pyrimidine nucleoside, N1 of
base forms covalent bond with C1’
of pentose sugar.
● If the sugar is ribose,
ribonucleosides or ribonucleotides
are formed.
● If the sugar is a deoxyribose,
deoxyribonucleosides or
deoxyribonucleotides are produced
Nucleotide
7
1
3
9
H
STRUCTURE OF DNA
Nucleotide 1
Nucleotide 2
STRUCTURE OF DNA
FORMATION OF LINEAR CHAIN
● DNA is formed when many
deoxyribonucleotides link
together to form a polymer.
● One deoxyribonucleotide is
connected to another by
Phosphodiester bond.
● This bond leads to linkage of
additional phosphate group on C3’
of deoxyribose sugar.
● When many nucleotides are linked
together by Phosphodiester bond,
it forms linear polymer chain.
DNA is formed of 2 such chains.
Linear Polymer chain-Portion
of DNA Helix
DNA DOUBLE HELIX
COMPLEMENTARY BASE PAIRING
● Complementary base pairing is a fundamental
principle in the structure and function of
DNA.
● It refers to the specific pairing of
nitrogenous bases.
● This pairing occurs between purine of one
linear chain and pyrimidine of another linear
chain.
● The rule of thumb is that adenine (A) pairs
with thymine (T) and cytosine (C) pairs with
guanine (G).
● These pairs combine through formation of
Hydrogen bonds.
● If two purines face each other, they would not
fit into the allowable space.
● If two pyrimidines face each other they would
be too far to form hydrogen bonds.
DNA DOUBLE HELIX
COMPLEMENTARY BASE PAIRING
● These pairs combine through formation of
Hydrogen bonds.
● If two purines face each other, they would not
fit into the allowable space.(Example-1)
● If two pyrimidines face each other they would
be too far to form hydrogen bonds.(Example-2)
Example-1
Example-2
3’ and 5’ ends of DNA
● phosphate group
attached to the
5' carbon of the
sugar
molecule-5’ END
● hydroxyl (-OH)
group attached
to the 3' carbon
of the sugar
molecule-3’ END
DNA DOUBLE HELIX
Formation of Hydrogen Bonds
● Hydrogen bonds form between
complementary base pairs in the
DNA molecule. Adenine (A) forms
hydrogen bonds with thymine (T),
and guanine (G) forms hydrogen
bonds with cytosine (C).
● Hydrogen bonds occur between the
hydrogen atom of one nucleotide
base and the oxygen or nitrogen
atom of the complementary
nucleotide base on the opposite
strand.
● Many Hydrogen bonds provide
collective strength and stability
to the DNA structure.
DNA DOUBLE HELIX
Formation of Hydrogen Bonds
DNA DOUBLE HELIX
● Proposed by the Austrian-American biochemist
Erwin Chargaff, is Chargaff's rule of DNA
composition.
● This rule states that in DNA, ratio of A to T
and of C to G are 1:1.
● This means that the two strands of the DNA
double helix are complementary to each other
and have consistent base pairing, i.e the
sequence of bases on one strand determines the
sequence of bases on the complementary strand.
● As consistent pairing is present, DNA
molecules can maintain integrity and
stability.
● During DNA replication, Chargaff's rule
ensures that the new strands have the correct
sequence of bases.
DNA DOUBLE HELIX
● The genetic information resides on one of the two strands known
as the template strand. The opposite strand is the non-template
strand or coding strand.
DNA Structure: DOUBLE HELIX
● The double helical structure of DNA was proposed by
James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953.
● DNA contains 2 polynucleotide chains twisted around
each other to form a double helix structure.
● This double helix resembles a twisted ladder, with two
long strands spiralling around a central axis.
● The sugar-phosphate backbones of the two strands are
located on the outside of the helix, while the
nitrogenous bases are paired together in the interior.
DNA DOUBLE HELIX
● The width (or diameter) of a
double helix is 20 A°
● Each turn of the helix is 34
A° with 10 pairs of
nucleotides.
● Distance between 2 base pairs
is 3.4 A°.
Organisation of DNA in a cell
● The double-stranded DNA helix in each chromosome has a length that is
thousands of times the diameter of the nucleus.
● In prokaryotic cells such ● In eukaryotic cells, the DNA double helix is
as bacteria, the DNA is wrapped around the core proteins namely histones.
organized into single ● Each core with two turns of DNA wrapped around it
chromosome in the form of is termed a nucleosome, the basic unit of
double-stranded circles, chromatin.
● Chromatin is then further condensed and
also known as nucleoid.
supercoiled to form chromosomes
[Link]
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na-packaging-animation
ribonucleic acid(rna)
● RNA is a polymer of ribonucleotides
held by 3’-5’ phosphodiester bridges.
● Differences between RNA and DNA are-
1. Pentose sugar: In RNA, the sugar is
ribose while in DNA it is deoxyribose.
2. Pyrimidine: Uracil is present in RNA
instead of thymine in DNA.
3. Single strand: RNA is single stranded
polynucleotide.
4. Chargaff’s rule is not obeyed as there
is no specific relation between purine
and pyrimidine.
● Types of RNA and cellular composition-
1. mRNA-5-10%
2. tRNA-10-20%
3. rRNA-50-80%
Catabolism of purine-AMP
Purine catabolism involves a series of enzymatic reactions that
convert purine bases(adenine and guanine) into uric acid, which
is then excreted from the body through urine.
(AMP)
Step-1 AMP is converted to
Adenosine by nucleotidase
enzyme.
Catabolism of purine
Adenosine Inosine
Step-2 Adenosine is converted into
Step-3 Inosine is converted into
inosine by the enzyme adenosine
Hypoxanthine by the enzyme
deaminases.
nucleoside phosphorylase.
Catabolism of purine
Step-5 Oxidation of xanthine
leads to formation of uric acid
Step-4 Oxidation of hypoxanthine by the enzyme Xanthine Oxidase.
leads to formation of xanthine by ● Uric acid is the excretory
the enzyme Xanthine Oxidase. end-product of purine
metabolism in humans.
Catabolism of purine
NH3
● Step-1 GMP(Nucleotide) is converted to
guanosine(Nucleoside) by the enzyme nucleotidase.
● Step-2 Guanosine is converted into guanine by the
enzyme nucleoside phosphorylase.
● Step-3 Guanine is converted to Xanthine by enzyme
guanase.
● Step-4 Xanthine is oxidised to form uric acid by the
enzyme Xanthine Oxidase.
Disorders of uric acid metabolism
Hyperuricemia and gout
● Uric acid is the end and excretory product
of purine metabolism in humans.
● Uric acid dissolves in the blood and is
excreted from the body through urine.
● The normal concentration of uric acid in
the serum of adults is in the range of 3-7
mg/dl.
● Overproduction will increase concentration
of uric acid in blood which is known as
Hyperuricemia.
● Along with overproduction, the body's
ability to excrete uric acid is reduced.
Disorders of uric acid metabolism
Hyperuricemia and gout
● As uric acid is not excreted, it is
converted to urate crystals which
typically accumulate in joints and
[Link] condition is known as
gout.
Disorders of uric acid metabolism
Hyperuricemia and gout
● In gout, there is intense pain,
swelling, redness, and warmth
over the affected joints.
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