Introduction into

Genetic

by Dr. Solachuddin J. A. Ichwan, PhD Kulliyyah of Dentistry- IIUM

Inheritance
Late last century, a young and beautiful actress proposed marriage to the Nobel Laureateplaywright, George Shaw. We will have children who are not only pretty like me but also clever like you, the actress said George Shaw replied, but my dear, what if they get my face and your brain.
George Shaw 1856-1950

Objectives:
Basic concepts of: Nucleic Acids: DNA & RNA The Central Dogma Chromosome Genetic code.

Genetic is becoming an increasingly important part of our lives

Clone

Dolly, 1996

Snuppy, 2005

DNA as legal evidence (Forensic DNA)

Paternity test
Who is the biological father?

including the promise of medical treatments. Genetic testing (diagnosis) Genetic engineering & gene therapy

Tissue regeneration

Nucleic acid
The term "nucleic acid" is the generic name for a family of biopolymers, named for their role in the cell nucleus. Nucleic acids are universal in living things, as they are found in all cells and viruses. In biochemistry these molecules carry genetic information or form structures within cells. The most common nucleic acids are: deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) ribonucleic acid (RNA). The monomers from which nucleic acids are constructed are called nucleotides.

Each nucleotide consists of three components:

1. a nitrogenous heterocyclic base (either a purine or a pyrimidine) 2. a pentose sugar 3. a phosphate group.

DNA
The main role of DNA is the long-term storage of genetic information (DNA as genetic material)

Double helix, Double strands,

this structure was proposed in 1953 by two Nobel prize winners:

Figure 1-2a Molecular Biology of the Cell, Fifth Edition ( Garland Science 2008)

Major
groove

Minor
groove

Figure 1-2d,e Molecular Biology of the Cell, Fifth Edition ( Garland Science 2008)

each helix is a chain of nucleotides held together by phosphodiester bonds.

The strands are connected by Four nitrogen bases:

Adenin (A) Purine Guanine (G) Cytosine (C) Pyrimidine Thymine (T)

Base pairing rules Purines are always connected by Pyrimidine through hydrogen bonds

GC bond is stronger than AT bond

ATTGCGCTAC TAACGCGATG
Antiparallel
Two backbones run in opposite direction

The two strands of DNA are complimentary,

that means if one strand has the sequence GCATG, the other strand would be CGTAC

one helix to 5!3 direction, while another one into 3!5

The DNA is further compacted by twisting the DNA in each domain around itself, called supercoiling

The DNA structure

The total length of all the strands of DNA in a cell (human) is 2 meters, all of which to be packed into a nucleus a few micrometers in diameter. This is achieved by the formation of mixture DNAprotein complex called chromatin. Chromatin makes chromosomes. up

GENOMIC DNA IN Eukaryotic Cells

Where is the mitochondrial DNA?

How the DNA is packed

GENOMIC DNA IN Eukaryotic Cells

Eukaryote
vs

Prokaryote
Where is the DNA?

RNA
Messenger RNA (mRNA): is transcribed from DNA (transcription), carrying information for protein synthesis. Transfer RNA (tRNA): mediates recognition of the codon and provides the corresponding amino acid Ribosomal RNA (rRNA): the central component of the ribosome's protein manufacturing machinery (translation).
Small nuclear RNA (snRNA): They are found within the nucleus of eukaryotic cells and involved in a variety of important processes such as DNA replication, RNA splicing etc. Other Non-coding RNA: microRNAs, siRNAs, piRNAs, long ncRNAs

Differences with DNA

Location (in eukaryotes): Cytoplasm (except snRNA) The pentose sugar unit is ribose. Less stable than DNA

Uracil replaces thymine. It is single strand polymer

The human chromosomes

The Central Dogma

DNA is transcribed to RNA
Transcription Translation

is translated to PROTEIN

During replication, DNA is copied to DNA NOTE:

Protein is never back-translated to RNA or DNA DNA is never directly translated to protein.

DNA is long-term storage of genetic information. Stable, packaged, and inert.

Proteins are the 'programs' of the cells. They are the physical manifestations of the abstract information recorded in the genome.

Genetic code
Gene: unit (segment) of DNA strand within the
chromosomes that can be inherited. It carries the instruction for a specific function (protein synthesis).
For example, the globin gene contains instructions for making the hemoglobin protein. There are more than 50000 different genes in human body arranged on the 23 chromosomes.

 The sequence of bases in a DNA molecule carries the information that specifies the order of amino acids.

 The genetic code describes how base sequences are converted into amino acid sequences during protein synthesis (translation). The DNA sequence of a gene is divided into a series of units of three bases. Each set of three bases is called codon, which encode a particular amino acid. The four bases in DNA can combine as a total of 64 codons, which specify the 20 amino acids found in proteins.

Since we have 20 amino acids, this mean a single amino acid can be encoded by more than one codon

The codons that specify the same amino acid are called synonyms.

The triplet code: Codon

TO BE CONTINUED