Complementary double-helical structur

While the complementary double helical structure explained how particular sequences of bases could be used to store a genetic instruction it was not immediately clear how replication occurred or, indeed, how these instructions were used. Later work by Gamow linked DNA base pair sequences to protein synthesis [15] but it was not until 1961, when Nirenberg and Matthaei demonstrated that cell-free protein synthesis relied upon synthetic or natural polynucleotides [16], that the final link was made. The information held within the linear DNA sequence is replicated every time a cell divides. Replication is possible because of the unique double helical structure of DNA as shown in Fig. 2.7. 

The DNA isolated from different cells and viruses characteristically consists of two polynucleotide strands wound together to form a long, slender, helical molecule, the DNA double helix. The strands run in opposite directions that is, they are antiparallel and are held together in the double helical structure through interchain hydrogen bonds (Eigure 11.19). These H bonds pair the bases of nucleotides in one chain to complementary bases in the other, a phenomenon called base pairing. 

The nucleic acids are among the most complex molecules that you will encounter in your biochemical studies. When the dynamic role that is played by DNA in the life of a cell is realized, the complexity is understandable. It is difficult to comprehend all the structural characteristics that are inherent in the DNA molecules, but most biochemistry students are familiar with the double-helix model of Watson and Crick. The discovery of the double-helical structure of DNA is one of the most significant breakthroughs in our understanding of the chemistry of life. This experiment will introduce you to the basic structural characteristics of the DNA molecule and to the forces that help establish the complementary interactions between the two polynucleotide strands. 

Double helical structures may be constructed from complementary single-stranded polynucleotide chains sharing a common helical axis according to the procedure outlined below. The two strands of the complex are assumed to be regular helices defined by a common set of backbone and glycosyl torsion angles. The data presented here are limited to model poly(dA) poly(dT) double helices stabilized by Watson-Crick base pairs between anti parallel strands. 

Fig. 18 Supramolecular chiral aggregates based on bis-guanidinium functional groups A chiral tetra-guanidinium units self-assemble around sulfate anions into a left-handed double helical structure B chiral bis-guanidinium unit associates with a complementary bis-anionic counterpart leading to a left-handed double helix...

Answer The double-helical structure is stabilized by hydrogen bonding between complementary bases on opposite strands and by base stacking between adjacent bases on the same strand. Base stacking in nucleic acids causes a decrease in the absorption of UV light (relative to the non-stacked structure). On denaturation of DNA, the base stacking is lost and UV absorption increases. 

During the past half a century, fundamental scientific discoveries have been aided by the symmetry concept. They have played a role in the continuing quest for establishing the system of fundamental particles [7], It is an area where symmetry breaking has played as important a role as symmetry. The most important biological discovery since Darwin s theory of evolution was the double helical structure of the matter of heredity, DNA, by Francis Crick and James D. Watson (Figure 1-2) [8], In addition to the translational symmetry of helices (see, Chapter 8), the molecular structure of deoxyribonucleic acid as a whole has C2 rotational symmetry in accordance with the complementary nature of its two antiparallel strands [9], The discovery of the double helix was as much a chemical discovery as it was important for biology, and lately, for the biomedical sciences. 

The key to DNA s functioning is its double-helical structure with complementary bases on the two strands. The bases form hydrogen bonds to each other, as shown in Fig. 22.38. Note that the structures of cytosine and guanine make them perfect partners for hydrogen bonding, and they are always found as pairs on the two strands of DNA. Thymine and adenine form similar hydrogen-bonding pairs. 

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) a huge nucleotide polymer having a double-helical structure with complementary bases on the two strands. Its major functions are protein synthesis and the storage and transport of genetic information. (22.6) Desalination the removal of dissolved salts from an aqueous solution. (17.6)... 

A Pair of Nucleic Acid Chains with Complementary Sequences Can Form a Double-Helical Structure... 

The simplest and most common stmctural motif formed is a stem-loop, created when two complementary sequences within a single strand come together to form double-helical structures (Figure 5.19). In many cases, these double helices are made up entirely of Watson-Crick base pairs. In other cases, however, the stmctures include mismatched or unmatched (bulged) bases. Such mismatches destabilize the local structure but introduce deviations from the standard double-helical stmcture that can be important for higher-order folding and for function (Figure 5.20). 

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