30431 Introduktion til Bioinormatik
 
Introduction to Bioinformatics
DNA Structures and Information
David Ussery
8 September, 1998
 
 
Gene Expression & Regulation
 
Brief Outline
 
1. DNA is the Genetic Material
2. The flow of Genetic Information
3. Synthesizing Proteins from the Instructions of DNA
4. The Genetic Code
5. RNA: Intermediary in Protein Synthesis
6. Protein Synthesis
7. Mutations in DNA and Their Effects
8. Gene Regulation
 

 Freiz22.gif

 

1. DNA is the gentic material
The First demonstration of bacterial transformation.
Experiments done by Frederick Griffith (in London) in 1928 found there were two different types of the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae:

An "S" or SMOOTH coat strain, which is lethal to mice.
Figure 11_1a from Griffiths et al., 1996
An "R" or rough strain, which will not hurt the mouse.
Figure 11_1b from Griffiths et al., 1996
Griffith found that he could heat inactivate the smooth strain.
Figure 11_1c from Griffiths et al., 1996
However, if he were to take a mixture of the heat-inactivated S strain,
mixed with the R strain, the bacteria would die.  Thus there was some
Material in the heat-killed S strain that was responsible for "transforming"
the R strain into a lethal form.
Figure 11_1d from Griffiths et al., 1996
 
Fred Griffith (and a lab co-worker) was killed in their laboratory in 1940 from a German bomb.  However, their work continued on in the U.S., and in 1944, Oswald Avery, C.M. MacLeod, and M. McCarty carefully demonstrated that the ONLY material that was responsible for the transformation was DNA - thus, DNA was the "Genetic material" - however, many scientists were still not sure that it was REALLY DNA (and not proteins) that was the genetic material.
 

In 1952, Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase (she was an UNDERGRADUATE at the time!) demonstrated clearly that DNA must be the genetic material, using bacteriophage T2.
 

 

 

 

2. The flow of Genetic Information:
 

DNA -> RNA -> protein
 
 
 
This is known as:
The Central Dogma of Molecular Biology


 
 
 

The Relationship between Genes and Proteins

Sense Strand figure
 
 
Shown below is an Illustration of the transcription of DNA to RNA to protein which forms the backbone of molecular biology.
Central Dogma of Molecular Biology

LEGEND

Or in the words of Francis Crick:
Once information has passed into protein, it cannot get out again.
 
This was taken from Genetech's homepage:
Link to Genetech's Access Excellence site
 
 

However, the "Central Dogma" has had to be revised a bit.  It turns out that you CAN go back from RNA to DNA, and that RNA can also make copies of itself.  It is still not possible to go from Proteins back to RNA or DNA, and no known mechanism has yet been demonstrated for proteins making copies of themselves.

New (revised a bit) Central Dogma
 


 

Try it for youself on the "DNA Workshop" (from PBS).
 


 

Click HERE for a link to nice historical review of The Central Dogma.
 

Link to MIT Hypertext on Central Dogma
 


 

3. Synthesizing Proteins from the Instructions of DNA

DNA ->RNA-> Protein
Figure 13_47 from Griffiths et al., 1996
 
 
 
 
4. The Genetic Code
Figure 10_36 from Hartl & Jones, 1998

Figure 10_37

The Genetic Code
 
 
 
 
5. RNA: Intermediary in Protein Synthesis
Figure 13-11 from Griffiths et al. Table 13_2 from Griffiths et al., 1996
 
 
Figure 1_07 from Hartl & Jones, 1998
 
 
 

 
 

6. Protein Synthesis

Peptide bond formation Click "Reload" to see the animation

Proteins are made from the "N" (amino) side to the "C" terminus (carboxyl end).


Figure 10_21a from Hartl & Jones, 1998
 
 

 
 

7. Mutations in DNA and Their Effects


Figure 10_29 from Hartl & Jones
 
8a. Gene Regulation in Prokaryotes (bacteria)
Figure 13_48a from Griffiths et al, 1996
 
8b. Gene Regulation in Eukaryotes
Figure 13:48b from Griffiths et al., 1996
 

 

 
 
Figure 1_10 from Griffiths et al., 1996
 
 

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