Essentials of Molecular Biology

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Essentials of Molecular Biology

Malacinski, George M.; Freifelder, David
Jones & Bartlett Publishers, Inc.
0867208600
9780867208603
9780585223780
English
Molecular biology.
1998
QH506.M368 1998eb
572.8
Molecular biology.
cover
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Essentials of Molecular Biology

Third Edition
George M. Malacinski
Indiana University
David Freifelder
Late of the
University of California, San Diego
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Composition and Layout: BI-COMP, Inc.
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Cover Manufacture: Coral Graphic Services, Inc.
Book Manufacture: Courier Company
Copyright 1998 by Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without written permission from the copyright owner.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Malacinski, George M.
Essentials of molecular biology / George M. Malacinski, David
Freifelder.3rd ed.
p.
cm.
Freifelder's name appears first on the earlier edition.
Includes bibliographical references (p.
) and index.
ISBN 0-86720-860-0 (hardcover)
1. Molecular biology.
I. Freifelder, David, 1935II. Title.
QH506.M368
1998
572.8dc21
97-44023
CIP
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES
02 01 00 99
9 8 7 6 5
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This edition of Essentials of Molecular Biology is dedicated to

the memory of David Freifelder, who in his short lifetime, conveyed his love and appreciation of science to a wide range of
students.
It is better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.

Anatole France
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BRIEF CONTENTS
Prologue
Preface
xv
xvii
Introduction
Chapter 1
Welcome to Molecular Biology!
Part I
The Structure of Proteins, Nucleic Acids, and Macromolecular Complexes
21
Chapter 2
Macromolecules
23
Chapter 3
Nucleic Acids
39
Chapter 4
The Physical Structure of Protein Molecules
67
Chapter 5
Macromolecular Interactions and the Structure of Complex Aggregates
87
Part II
Function of Macromolecules
107
Chapter 6
The Genetic Material
109
Chapter 7
DNA Replication
131
Chapter 8
Transcription
163
Chapter 9
Translation
187
Chapter 10
Mutations, Mutagenesis, and DNA Repair
213
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Part III
Coordination of Macromolecular Function in Cells
249
Chapter 11
Regulation of Gene Activity in Prokaryotes
251
Chapter 12
Bacteriophage
281
Chapter 13
Regulation of Gene Activity in Eukaryotes
311
Part IV
Experimental Manipulation of Macromolecules
349
Chapter 14
Plasmids and Transposons
351
Chapter 15
Recombinant DNA and Genetic Engineering: Molecular Tailoring of Genes
381
Chapter 16
Molecular Biology is Expanding its Reach
409
Appendix Chemical Principles Important for Understanding Molecular Biology
442
List of Essential Concepts of Molecular Biology
471
Glossary
475
References for Further Reading
491
Answers to Questions and Problems
497
Index
515
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CONTENTS
Prologue
Preface
xv
xvii
Introduction
Chapter 1
Goals of Molecular Biology
The Early Years
Model Biological Systems
Methodology of Molecular Biology
Rapid Progress in Molecular Biology
Putting the Details of Molecular Biology in Perspective
Concepts of Molecular Biology
Progression Diagram
Rewards from Studying Molecular Biology
12
14
16
17
17
Part I
The Structure of Proteins, Nucleic Acids, and Macromolecular Complexes
21
Chapter 2
Macromolecules
23
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Chemical Structures of the Major Classes of Macromolecules
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Noncovalent Interactions that Determine the Three-dimensional Structures of Proteins and Nucleic Acids
Macromolecule Isolation and Characterization

Chapter 3
Nucleic Acids
Robert Cedergren
Physical and Chemical Structure of DNA
Alternate DNA Structures
Circular and Superhelical DNA
Renaturation
Hybridization
The Structure of RNA
Hydrolysis of Nucleic Acids
Sequencing Nucleic Acids
Synthesis of DNA
A Future Practical Application?

Chapter 4
Alexandra Cynthia Newton
Basic Features of Protein Molecules
The Folding of a Polypeptide Chain
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The Helix and Structures
73
Protein Structure
76
Proteins with Subunits
79
Enzymes
82
A Future Application
Chapter 5
87
88
A Complex DNA Structure: The E. Coli Chromosome
91
Chromosomes and Chromatin
96
Interaction of DNA and Proteins that Recognize a Specific Base Sequence
99
Biological Membranes
Cytoskeletal Elements
102
103
Part II
Function of Macromolecules
107
Chapter 6
Robert L. Sinsheimer
109
Early Observations on the Mechanism of Heredity
Identification of DNA as the Genetic Material
Identification of RNA as the Genetic Material of Certain Viruses
110
112
120
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Properties of the Genetic Material
RNA as the Genetic Material

Chapter 7
DNA Replication
Kenneth Marians
Semiconservative Replication of Double-Stranded DNA
Untwisting of Highly Coiled DNA Is Required for DNA Replication
Initiation of DNA Replication
Unwinding of DNA for Replication
Elongation of Newly Synthesized Strands
DNA Polymerase III Consists of Multiple Subunits
Antiparallel DNA Strands and Discontinuous Replication
The Complete DNA Replication System
Replication of Eukaryotic Chromosomes

Chapter 8
Transcription
John Richardson
Enzymatic Synthesis of RNA
Transcription Signals
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127
131
132
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Classes of RNA Molecules
Transcription in Eukaryotes
Means of Studying Intracellular RNA

Chapter 9
Translation
Joseph Ilan
Outline of Translation
The Genetic Code
The Wobble Hypothesis
Polycistronic mRNA
Overlapping Genes
Polypeptide Synthesis
Stages of Polypeptide Synthesis in Prokaryotes
Complex Translation Units
Antibiotics

Chapter 10
Philip C. Hanawalt
Types of Mutations
Biochemical Basis of Mutants
171
174
180
182
187
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194
196
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200
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208
208
213
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216
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Mutagenesis
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Spontaneous Mutations and Their Repair
Induced Mutations
Reversion
Reversion as a Means of Detecting Mutagens and Carcinogens
DNA Repair Mechanisms
Repair by Direct Reversal
Excision-Repair
Recombinational Repair
The SOS Response
Future Practical Applications?
220
223
229
234
236
236
237
238
240
243
Part III
Coordination of Macromolecular Function in Cells
249
Chapter 11
Sankar L. Adhya
251
Principles of Regulation
Transcriptional Regulation
Post-Transcriptional Control
Feedback Inhibition and Allosteric Control
252
253
272
274
276
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Chapter 12
Bacteriophage
David Parma and Larry Gold
281
283
Stages in the Lytic Life Cycle of a Typical Phage
286
Specific Phage
304
Transducing Phage
307

Chapter 13
Hans-Peter Mller and Walter Schaffner
311
Important Differences in the Genetic Organization of Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes
313
The Regulation of Transcription Initiation
324
The Regulation of RNA Processing
330
Regulation of Nucleocytoplasmic mRNA Transport
331
Regulation of mRNA Stability
334
Regulation of Translation
335
Regulation of Protein Activity
Gene Rearrangement: Joining of Coding Sequences in the Immune System
340
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Part IV
Experimental Manipulation of Macromolecules
349
Chapter 14
Barry Polisky
351
Plasmid-Borne Genes
Plasmid Transfer
Plasmid DNA Replication
Transposable Elements
Transposable Elements in Eukaryotes

Chapter 15
Dorothy M. Skinner and Christie A. Holland
Plasmids Act as Nature's Interlopers
Restriction Enzymes Function as Nature's Pinking Shears
Genetic Interlopers: Vectors Function as Vehicles for Transferring Genes
Detection of Recombinant DNA Molecules
Applications of Genetic Engineering

Chapter 16
Molecular Biology Is Expanding Its Reach
Pamela L. Hanratty
Uses of Recombinant DNA Technology in Research
353
354
361
364
374
375
381
382
382
392
399
403
409
410
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Uses of Recombinant DNA Technology in Medicine
427
Uses of Recombinant DNA Technology in Agriculture
430
Other Commercial and Industrial Applications
Molecular Biology: On the Front Line of the Battle Against AIDS
431
433
Social and Ethical Issues

Appendix
Chemical Principles Important for Understanding Molecular Biology
Judith A. Jaehning
443
444
Structure of the Atom
444
Chemical Bonds
450
The Ionization of WaterThe pH Scale
453
Organic Chemistry
469
Concluding Note
List of Essential Concepts
471
Glossary
475
References for Further Reading
491
Answers to Questions and Problems
497
Index
515
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PROLOGUE
The remarkable growth being experienced by the discipline of molecular biology is unprecedented for any of the areas
of science. Indeed, several commentators have stated that molecular biology is perhaps the fastest progressing of all
human endeavors! Initially, most efforts in the early days of this discipline were devoted to characterizing the physical
and chemical properties of biological macromolecules such as DNA, RNA, and protein. Once those parameters were
generally understood attention was given to elucidating the manner in which those macromolecules function in the
living cell. Recently, the pyramiding of that knowledge has led to the development of a robust biotechnology industry,
one that regularly heralds advances in molecular medicine.
As successes accumulated, molecular biologists developed high levels of confidence that problems that only a decade or
so ago were considered ''formidable" could now be solved. Their efforts have contributed to an ever increasing
understanding of the origin of the human species; to the creation of genetically engineered new drugs; and to the
sequencing of the entire genome of a variety of species, including disease-causing micro-organisms, agriculturally
important plants, and of course the human organism itself.
The scope of molecular biology is now so broad as to have an impact on virtually all areas of biology, from the more
traditional disciplines of taxonomy and systematics, to the more contemporary courses of study such as gene function.
To ensure that Essentials of Molecular Biology captures the distinctive features of this field, a distinguished group of
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contributors was enlisted to edit the second and third editions of this book. They bring to this textbook project high
levels of personal research achievement and perspectives that validate the winnowing-down processes necessary to
derive essential features, key concepts, and general principles. I gratefully acknowledge them for their effortsa complete
listing of contributors can be found on page xxi.
Because of the broad extent to which the concepts of molecular biology have been integrated into most of the other
disciplines of biology (including cell biology, developmental biology, genetics, and even evolutionary biology), the
faculty at Indiana University, where I teach, revised its basic curriculum to position Molecular Biology as the first
course beyond the freshman level. To provide an effective learning experience for entry-level biology majors, an
appropriate textbook was requiredone that would not intimidate students by its depth, or overpower them with its extent
of detail. Essentials of Molecular Biology was selected because it emphasizes the fundamental features of various
aspects of DNA, RNA, and protein structure, function, and expression without delving into an inordinate amount of
detail of the relevant molecular processes.
The first and second editions of Essentials of Molecular Biology were hailed by students as very successful texts, both
at Indiana University and at a variety of other institutions. One of the key features of these editions is their "layering"
approach to knowledge construction. Complexity is developed chapter by chapter, rather than presented all at once as a
series of detail-laden descriptions. Students appreciate this approach. Recently, increased emphasis on a "critical
thinking" approach to the undergraduate biology learning experience at Indiana University encouraged the revisions
included in this third edition.
The following preface explains how this edition differs from the previous editions and, I hope, improves on it. Each of
the new features was designed with the help of undergraduate students, in order to ensure that this textbook is "user
friendly."
GMM
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PREFACE
This third edition of Essentials of Molecular Biology represents the second revision of David Freifelder's highly
successful original edition. It is intended to serve as the textbook for a short first course in molecular biology. Given the
broad extent to which the concepts of molecular biology have been integrated into most of the other disciplines of
biology (including cell biology, developmental biology, genetics, and even evolutionary biology), the faculty at Indiana
University revised its basic curriculum to position Molecular Biology as the first course beyond the freshman level. As a
result, this textbook is used by several hundred students at I.U. each year.
To the Instructor
Following suggestions of professors who use this text at other universities, this third edition maintains the brevity of
presentation and emphasis on fundamentals that characterized prior editions. The expert editors deserve thanks for once
again revising the text in an "anti-encyclopedic" fashion, avoiding the temptation to cram too much information into a
single sentence or paragraph. This task was not an easy one, as molecular biology, spurred on by rapid technological
advances such as nucleotide sequencing and protein characterization, is in a comprehensive data-collection mode. They
also adhered to the use of "stick diagrams" as illustrations. Those illustrations are the type a professor would draw on
the blackboard or on
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an overhead transparency and are therefore easy to comprehend, for they communicate only the essential points. That is,
of course, what this book is all about.
Essentials of Molecular Biology differs from the "mega-books" in purpose, in scope, and in depth. Since the big books
contain more background information and substantially more detail, they are, by nature, not well-suited for beginning
undergraduate courses that emphasize intellectual development (the main goal of an undergraduate education). These
"mega-books" not only intimidate beginning students with their level of detail, overdrawn illustrations, and complex
prose, but they also give students the erroneous impression that science is about facts, when indeed, scientists generally
agree that science is really about evidence.
Among the features that have been added to this third edition are the following:
__ The prose has been improved, by having undergraduate students edit each chapter.
__ The factual content has been updated, and included, in one instance, as a new chapter (Chapter 16, "Molecular
Biology Is Expanding Its Reach").
__ The text has been somewhat reorganized and divided into four parts:
Part I. The Structure of Proteins, Nucleic Acids, and Macromolecular Complexes
Part II. Function of Macromolecules
Part III. Coordination of Macromolecular Function in Cells
Part IV. Experimental Manipulation of Macromolecules
__ Progression diagrams have been added to each chapter to serve as a "road map" for the student.
__ Highlighted Key Concepts have been woven into each chapter.
__ Boldfaced terms in the margins are included in the Glossary.
Note to Instructors
A home page on the Internet for the Indiana University course that uses Essentials of Molecular Biology (L211Molecular Biology) will soon be established. Instructors can have ready access to the examinations and
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weekly worksheets that are used in the collaborative learning format we employ in this course. You will be able to
reach the site directly or through the publisher's home page at www.jbpub.com.
Acknowledgments
Dr. Pam Hanratty (Indiana University Biology Department) and Mr. Robert Battistini (doctoral candidate in literature at
Columbia University, former L211 student, and former L211 teaching assistant) participated in all phases of the
development of this third edition. They read and re-read the text, and helped reorganize the chapters into the four parts
comprising this revision. They also offered suggestions concerning the design of the progression diagram. GMM
expresses to them his fullest appreciation!
Susan Duhon of the I.U. Axolotl Colony is gratefully thanked for guiding the preparation of the index.
Several graduate students and various undergraduates who organize our collaborative learning groups for the L211
Molecular Biology course at Indiana University carefully read each revised chapter and suggested editorial changes that
enhanced the readability of the text. They are hereby heartily acknowledged.
To the Student
It is safe to say that no discipline in biology has ever experienced the explosion in growth and popularity that molecular
biology is enjoying. Most scholars acknowledge that the discipline began its rapid growth in the early 1950s with the
simple yet elegant descriptions of the structure of the DNA double helix. Intense intellectual curiosity provided the
initial driving force for progress. Then a series of technological advances propelled the discipline to the point where its
horizons now appear to be virtually unlimited.
During the early years, the focus was on the purification and characterization of the key macromolecules involved in
DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis. From information on the biochemical and physical properties of the key
macromolecules, functional roles were deduced. Aided by discoveries in microbial genetics, the general blueprint for
gene structure and expression was elucidated in a remarkably short time. More recently, success with gene isolation
(recombinant DNA technology or genetic engineering) has provided all the confidence molecular biologists needed to
believe that a complete molecular understanding of virtually any biological phenomenon is within reach. That attitude,
right or wrong, has in turn spawned an unprecedented interest in the commercial applications of biology. Molecular
biology has led to the establishment of novel ties between universities and industries and has powered the development
of new disciplines such as molecular medicine.
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Molecular Biology is, by its very nature, reductionist. That is, it deals with ever smaller pieces (i.e., molecules) of the
whole (i.e., cell). In order to provide an effective learning experience for a biology student like yourself, an experience
that does not intimidate you with depth or overpower you with detail is desirable. This textbook strives to enhance your
learning experience by providing you with a reasonable amount of detail, as well as an overview of the importance of
various macromolecules to the function of living cells. It is designed to guide you through a rewarding learning
experience.
The content and format of this book has been extensively "field tested" by the hundreds of undergraduates who use it
each year at Indiana University. This third edition has additional features that should help you avoid getting lost in a sea
of details:
__ The text is divided into sections (Parts IIV), which should help you focus your learning strategies and more
efficiently gain an understanding of the subject matter.
__ The relationship of the "parts" to the "whole" should more easily be grasped with the "progression diagram" and the
list of specific aims that begin each chapter.
__ Key concepts are highlighted in each chapter, so the generalization or principle being developed is stated in
"nutshell" form.
One of the key features of this text is the "layering" approach to knowledge construction. Complexity is developed
chapter by chapter, rather than presented all at once as a series of detail-laden descriptions. Students at Indiana
University appreciate this approach! Indeed, several hundred of our biology undergraduates have been surveyed in order
to ascertain how they think, and consequently how they learn. Results have clearly demonstrated that our biology
students are "linear thinkers," and therefore the "layering" approach is much appreciated.
In order to improve your critical thinking (i.e., analytical) skills, graphs and tables of data are interspersed throughout
the text. Together with the questions and problems at the end of each chapter, suitable opportunities are thereby readily
available to accelerate your intellectual development.
Please welcome yourself to Molecular Biology by reading Chapter 1. Enjoy your learning experience! Molecular
Biology offers a myriad of opportunities for your personal gain: intellectual development; new knowledge; and a
stepping stone for further study in other areas of biology.
GEORGE M. MALACINSKI
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA
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List of Contributors
Sankar L. Adhya
Developmental Genetics Division
National Cancer Institute
Robert Cedergren
Department of Biochemistry
University of Montreal
Larry Gold
Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
University of Colorado
Philip C. Hanawalt
Department of Biological Sciences
Stanford University
Pamela L. Hanratty
Department of Biology
Indiana University
Christie A. Holland
Department of Radiation Oncology
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Joseph Ilan
Department of Anatomy
Case Western Reserve University
Judith A. Jaehning
Department of Biochemistry
University of Colorado
Department of Biology
Indiana University
Kenneth Marians
Department of Molecular Biology
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute
Hans-Peter Mller
Institute of Molecular Biology (II)
University of Zurich
Department of Pharmacology
University of California, San Diego
David Parma
Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Division
NeXstar Pharmaceuticals
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Barry Polisky
Research Division
NeXstar Pharmaceuticals
John Richardson
Department of Chemistry
Indiana University
Walter Schaffner
Institute of Molecular Biology (II)
Department of Biological Sciences
University of California, Santa Barbara
Dorothy M. Skinner
Biology Division
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
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Page 1
INTRODUCTION
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Chapter 1
Professor of Biology
Indiana University
Bloomington, Indiana
Undergraduate Degree:
Boston University
Majors: Biology and Chemistry
1962
Graduate Degree
Indiana University
Ph.D. 1966, Bacteriology and
Biochemistry
Postdoctoral Training:
University of Washington
19661968, Biochemistry
Skeletal muscle is one of the first tissues to differentiate in early ver tebrate embryogenesis. Because muscle is so highly
specialized and contains such high concentrations of the contractile proteins actin and myosin, it is an excellent model
system for investigating the mechanisms that regulate gene expression. Accordingly, my research program focuses on
elucidating the structure, transcription, and translation of the myosin-heavy chain genes. The amphibian embryo
provides a convenient model system because of its large size, external development, and ready availability, so it is used
as the experimental organism.
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Rather than containing a single myosin gene, however, the genome contains a family of up to a dozen or, in some
animals, even more numerous closely related myosin genes, each coding for a unique myosin-heavy chain protein.
Some of the genes are expressed only in skeletal muscle, while others are expressed in other muscles as well. Several of
the genes appear to beexpressed only at certain times in development (e.g., embryo, larva, adult).
By isolating and characterizing the genes at the nucleotide sequence level, and using recombinant DNA techniques to
generate novel combinations of coding sequence/upstream sequence, my research program seeks to elucidate the
mechanisms that act to control when and where individual myosin genes are expressed.
What advice can you offer to undergraduates who want to become scholars of molecular biology?
Develop your analytical thinking skills. Prospective molecular biologists should take every opportunity during their
undergraduate training to (1) engage in problem solving exercises; (2) become proficient in analyzing data (e.g., graphs,
charts, etc.); and (3) learn to design experiments. So much of the day-to-day "goings on" in contemporary molecular
biology is data oriented (versus concept oriented). To be successful, one needs to become highly competent in those
aspects of intellectual activity, and come to feel comfortable when engaged in those sorts of endeavors.
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Goals of Molecular Biology

The ultimate goal of molecular biology is ambitious: to understand the five basic cell behavior patterns (growth,
division, specialization, movement, and interaction) in terms of the various molecules that are responsible for them.
That is, molecular biology wants to generate a complete description of the structure, function, and inter relationships of
the cell's macromolecules, and thereby to understand why living cells behave the way they do.
This goal might appear overly zealous. Yet the rate at which progress is being made often astonishes even the most
optimistic scientists. One might, in fact, consider these years to represent a golden era for biology, with the field of
molecular biology providing the main driving force.
Significant discoveries are emerging from research laboratories nearly every day and the front pages of national
newspapers frequently
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herald exciting announcements of the identification of disease-causing genes, or promising biotechnology products, or
new agricultural processes.
A few decades ago the most important discoveries in molecular biology were made using the simplest organisms (e.g.,
viruses and bacteria). Nowadays, however, equally important findings are regularly reported for both plants and
mammals. A few key discoveries and the efforts of a small group of pioneering scientists have set the stage for the
present era.
The Early Years
The term molecular biology was first used in 1938 by Warren Weaver. As Director of the Natural Sciences Section of
the Rockefeller Foundation, he advocated that financial support be given to this ''new branch of sciencea new
biologyMolecular Biology." By that time, biochemists began to discover many fundamental intracellular chemical
reactions, and to appreciate the importance of specific reactions and of protein structure in defining the numerous
properties of cells. However, the development of molecular biology itself could not begin until this realization was
reached: The most productive advances would be made by studying "simple" systems such as bacteria and
bacteriophages (bacterial viruses). Although bacteria and bacteriophages are still quite complicated, they are far simpler
than animal cells. In fact, they enabled scientists to identify DNA as the molecule that contains most, if not all, of the
genetic information of a cell.
Although DNA was first described in 1869 by F. Miescher, its significance to cell function and the definitive proof that
it is responsible for inherited traits did not come until almost a century later. The experimental evidence that led to the
assignment of genes to DNA depended heavily on the use of bacteria and their viruses (described in Chapter 6).
Once it became clear that DNA contains the chemical basis of heredity, it was not long before J. D. Watson and F. H. C.
Crick offered a model for the physical structure of DNA. That model (described in Chapter 3) also proposed a
mechanism for DNA replication and the spontaneous origin of mutations. Shortly thereafter, RNA was revealed to be an
intermediate for the synthesis of enzymes and other proteins.
Following these discoveries, the new field of molecular genetics progressed rapidly in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It
provided new concepts at a rate matched only by the development of quantum mechanics in the 1920s. The initial
success and the accumulation of an enormous body of information enabled researchers to apply the techniques and
powerful logical methods of molecular genetics to a variety of subjects: muscle and nerve function, membrane structure,
the mode of action of antibiotics, cellular differentiation and development, immunology, and others. Faith in the basic
uniformity of life processes was an important factor in this rapid growth. That is, it was believed that the fundamental
biological
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principles that govern the activity of simple organisms, such as bacteria and viruses (organisms that lack an organized
nucleus), must apply to more complex cells; only the details should vary. This faith has been amply justified by
experimental results.
In this book prokaryotes and eukaryotes will be discussed separately and compared and contrasted. Usually prokaryotes
will be discussed first, because they are simpler. In keeping with this practice, we begin by briefly reviewing the
properties of several model living systems, including bacteria and their viruses.
Model Biological Systems
The simplest living organism is of course the virus. As a minimalist life form, it consists of a DNA (or, in some cases,
an RNA) inner core surrounded by a protein coat. The key to the virus's simplicity is its parasitic nature. It borrows
functions from its host cell. The host is, for some kinds of viruses, a bacterial cell, while for others it is a plant cell, and
for yet others it is an animal cell. Of these hosts, the bacterial cell is the simplest. We will review its general features
here briefly, then return to viruses.
Bacteria are free-living unicellular organisms. They have a single chromosome, which is not enclosed in a nucleus (they
are prokaryotes), and, compared to eukaryotes, they are simple in their physical organization. For all practical purposes,
a bacterium can be thought of as consisting of several thousand chemicals and a few organized particles, all in liquid
solution, enclosed in a rigid cell wall.
Bacteria have many features that make them suitable objects for the study of fundamental biological processes. For
example, they can be grown easily and rapidly and, compared to cells in multicellular organisms, they are relatively
simple in their needs. The bacterium that has served the field of molecular biology best is Escherichia coli (usually
referred to as E. coli), which divides every 20 minutes at 37C under optimal conditions. Thus, a single cell becomes
109 bacteria in about 20 hours!
Bacteria can be grown in a liquid growth medium or on a solid surface. A population growing in a liquid medium is
called a bacterial culture. If the liquid is a complex extract of biological material, it is called a broth.If the growth
medium is a simple mixture containing no organic compounds other than a carbon source, such as a sugar, it is called a
minimal medium. A typical minimal medium contains each of the ions Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+,
and a source of carbon (such as glucose, glycerol, or lactate). If a bacterium can grow in a minimal
Cl-,
mediumthat is, if it can synthesize all necessary organic substances such as amino acids, vitamins, and lipidsthe
bacterium is said to be a prototroph. If any organic substances other than a carbon source must be added for growth to
occur,the bacterium is termed an auxotroph.
Bacteria are commonly grown on solid surfaces. The earliest surface
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used for growing bacteria was a slice of raw potato. This was eventually replaced by agar, a jelling agent obtained from
seaweed. It is resistant to the action of bacterial enzymes and hence is considered biologically inert. Figure 1-1
illustrates growth of bacteria on an agar surface.
Metabolism in bacteria is precisely regulated. Thus, bacteria represent the most efficient free-living organisms yet
discovered. They rarely synthesize substances that are not needed. For example, the amino acid tryptophan is not
formed if tryptophan is present in the growth medium, but when the tryptophan in the medium is used up, the
tryptophan-synthesizing enzymatic system will be quickly activated. The systems responsible for utilization of various
energy sources are also efficiently regulated. A well-studied example is the metabolism of the sugar lactose as an
alternate carbon source to glucose. Control of both tryptophan synthesis and lactose degradation are two examples of
metabolic regulation. This very general phenomenon will be explored extensively throughout the book, especially in
Chapter 11. Both simple and complex regulatory systems will be described, all of which act to determine how much of a
particular compound is utilized and how much of each intracellular compound is synthesized at different times and in
different circumstances. We will learn about the lengths to which the so-called simple cells go to utilize limited
resources efficiently and to optimize their metabolic pathways for efficient growth.
The ease with which bacteria can be grown in the laboratory on agar surfaces or even in liquid growth medium in large,
industrial-scale tanks has facilitated rapid progress in the physical and chemical characterization of macromolecules.
For example, the original descriptions of nucleic acids (Chapter 3) and proteins (Chapter 4) were largely made with
components fractionated and isolated from mass quantities of bacterial cells. And knowledge of metabolic regulation,
discussed in Chapters 11 and 13, can be traced back to early studies of bacteria, and more recently to plant and animal
cells, grown under conditions similar to those illustrated in Figure 1-1.
Figure 1-1
A glass dish displaying colonies of
E. coli grown on the surface of an
agar-containing growth medium. Each
colony contains a cluster, or clone, of cells
that represents the progeny of a single
cell that divided many times. For instance,
if 100 cells were spread on the agar surface,
100 colonies would appear the next day.
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Figure 1-2
An E. coli T4 phage. The DNA is contained in
the head. Tail fibers come from the pronged plate
at the tip of the tail and serve to attach the virus
to the host bacterium's surface.
Bacteriophage
Once the culture conditions for growing bacteria were established and many of the metabolic processes of normal
bacterial life were known,bacterial viruses (bacteriophage, or the shortened form phage) were studied in earnest. Being
much simpler than bacteria (unlike bacteria, they are not "free-living"), they could be studied in a relatively
straightforward fashion. Since they indeed represent the simplest form of life, as their biochemical features became
known, several physicists began to study them in the hopes of discovering new laws or first principles of physics!
Figure 1-2 illustrates a bacteriophage that is relatively complex. It contains a protein coat, or phage head, to which is
attached a tail. Some phages are simpler yet, and lack well-defined tail structures.
Molecular biologists have utilized viruses as simple model systems for many kinds of studies. One of the most
significant used the minimalist protein coat/DNA core composition of phage to establish whether protein or DNA
carries heredity information. Chapter 6 will explain the life cycle of a typical bacteriophage and review how phage, like
the one illustrated in Figure 1-2, were used in pioneering experiments that helped prove that DNA rather than protein
contains genetic information.
Yeasts
Another favorable model system that shares many of the advantages of bacteria is yeast [Figure 1-3 (a, b)]. They are,
however, eukaryotes. Having a true nuclear membrane surrounding their chromosomes, they represent a higher level of
organization than bacteria. That level approaches the complexity of animal (e.g., human) cells. Yet being a
microorganism, yeast can be grown and manipulated much like E. coli.
Yeasts have been used for millennia for producing wine and beer. A great deal of early biochemical research was
carried out with yeasts rather
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(a)
(b)
Figure 1-3
(a) A light micrograph of the yeast Saccharomyces
cerevisiae. Many cells are budding by outgrowth from
the cell wall of the mother.
(Courtesy of Breck Byers).
(b) A fluorescence micrograph of a single cell stained with
a fluorescent dye that binds to nucleic acids. The bright spot
is the nucleus. The dark region is the vacuole, a liquid-filled
sac that is free of nucleic acids.
than bacteria, work stimulated mainly by interest in understanding and improving beer.
In contemporary molecular biology, mutant strains of yeast are often employed to discover genes which control growth,
division, and cell behavior patterns. As well, yeasts are presently employed as tools for producing large numbers of
copies of human chromosome fragments. So-called "yeast artificial chromosomes" represent miniature chromosomes
that contain foreign (e.g., human) DNA. They are propagated within yeast cells, providing the molecular biologist with
opportunities for genetic engineering.
Animal Cells (and Embryos)
Many types of animal cells, including several kinds of human cells, can be cultured using methods based on bacteria
and yeast culture techniques. Primary cell cultures represent normal animal tissue that is usually derived from either
skin cells (Figure 1-4) or embryos. They grow well initially, but eventually die off. Tumor cells, however, grow
indefinitely, and are
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Figure 1-4
A microcolony of Chinese hamster fibroblasts that
have been growing for a few days on a glass surface.
(Courtesy of Theodore Puck.)
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often easier to propagate in culture. Such tumor (or "transformed") cells are therefore frequently used for routine
laboratory experimentation.
Cells from early-stage mammalian (e.g., mouse) embryos provide an especially versatile model system. When cultured
in an appropriate medium, they specialize in various ways that can be conveniently studied by the molecular biologist. It
is also possible to introduce foreign genes into these so-called embryonic stem cells and reintroduce those cells into a
growing embryo. Often, the foreign genes will be expressed as the embryo develops.
More recently molecular biologists have succeeded in injecting foreign genes directly into animal eggs and thereby
generating transgenic animals. This experimental procedure will be described in detail in Chapter 16. In the case of
some animals, improved agricultural productivity such as enhanced milk production from dairy cows has been achieved.
Some scientists speculate that similar procedures will one day be applicable to humans. Attempts will be made to inject
foreign genes into human cells in order to correct genetic defects. Such gene therapy strategies are also briefly discussed
in Chapter 16.
Plant Cells
The discovery that the cells of many plants can be nurtured and cultivated into whole, complete plants expanded the
horizons of molecular biologists. Studies on the mechanism of action of plant hormones such as auxin were given a
tremendous boost when cultivation methods for plant cells were perfected.
More recently, a small simple plant, the common wall cress (Arabidopsis), which can be grown in a test tube, is being
established as a tool for molecular genetics. It has a small amount of nuclear DNA, and exhibits several advantageous
features (such as the ease with which genetic variants can be produced) that will be exploited by molecular biologists to
learn about gene function in higher plants.
Methodology of Molecular Biology
For certain, the choice of appropriate research organisms was important for advancing the knowledge base of molecular
biology. Especially advantageous was the fact that, despite the vast array of bacteria, viruses, and animal cells that were
potentially available for laboratory experimentation, a consensus among researchers quickly emerged. A limited
selection, which included E. coli, its bacteriophages, and only a small number of animal cell lines were chosen as focal
points. Thus, during the early years researchers were able to conveniently exchange information and collaborate on
achieving common goals, such as preparing genetic maps and understanding metabolic regulation.
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Physical and Chemical Characterization Methods

The development of a vast array of laboratory methods was, however, equally important. The application of those
methods provided, in several cases, great leaps in the research scientist's ability to discover new features and functions
of macromolecules. The originators of several of those break-through methods were awarded Nobel Prizes. Many of
those methods will be described in this textbook as we encounter the phenomena to which they have been applied. For
now, a summary of many of them is included in Table 1-1.
In the review of those methods, it should quickly become apparent that they provide ways to learn mainly about
physical and chemical features of macromolecules. Most of them represent procedures for measuring or visualizing eversmaller quantities or tinier features of molecules, or parts of macromolecules.
Especially when applied in combination, the application of these methods has led to enormous advances in
understanding the structural features of proteins and nucleic acids. For example, electrophoresis of nucleic acids and
hybridization have been coupled (e.g., Southern blotting described in Figure 8-13) to learn about gene expression
patterns in cells which are undergoing specialization. The polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing are often
coupled to gain knowledge about the structure of a particular gene. From this knowledge, researchers can investigate the
way cells regulate genes during growth.
Genetic Methods for Molecular Biology
Many of the most significant advances in molecular biology have come about through the application of genetic
analysis to molecular phenomena. Initially, genetics provided an abstract, logical system for deducing relationships
between specific genes and the metabolic processes for which they are responsible. Mutant organisms have traditionally
provided the tools which allowed geneticists to develop models or schemes to explain how a metabolic process works,
or how a structural component contributes to cell function.
In some cases mutants have allowed the molecular biologist to recognize processes previously not known to exist (e.g.,
steps in DNA replication that are reviewed in Chapter 7). In other instances mutants have helped scientists unravel a
complex metabolic pathway (e.g., carbohydrate metabolism, reviewed in Chapter 11). And perhaps most important,
mutants often allow scientists to establish a direct correlation between an identified gene and its previously unknown
function (e.g., termination step in protein synthesis, described in Chapter 9).
More recently, with the availability of pure genes prepared using methods described in Table 1-1, nucleotide sequences
can be altered. Those alterations can be directed to specific nucleotides, either through
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TABLE 1-1 HISTORICAL REVIEW OF SEVERAL IMPORTANT LABORATORY METHODS FOR

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
METHOD
APPROXIMATE
INTRODUCTION
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
SAMPLE
TEXTBOOK
REFERENCE
Ultracentrifuge*
1920s
Estimation of size and

shape of molecule in
centrifugal field
Figure 3-5
Electrophoresis*
1930s
Separation of proteins or
nucleic acids based on
size and /or charge in
electric field
Figure 2-11
Electron microscope
1930s
Direct visualization of
cell ultra-structure,
including nucleic acids
Figure 1-2
Radioisotope tracers*
1940s
Tracking flow of
molecule through a
metabolic pathway
Figure 7-17
Column chromatography
1940s
Separation of macromolecules through a

resin column
X-ray diffraction*
1950s
Provides precise
measurement of 3-D
structure of protein or
nucleic acid
Amino acid analysis*

(and sequencing)
1950s
Determination of order
of amino acids in
proteins
Nucleic acid
hybridization
1960s
Quantitative assessment
of similarity of RNAs or
DNAs
Figure 3-11
Nucleotide sequencing*
1970s
Determination of
sequence of bases in
DNAs
Figure 3-18
Recombinant DNA
technology*
1970s
Genetic engineering of
novel genes
Figure 15-9
DNA synthesis
1980s
Custom synthesis of
desired nucleotide
sequences
Figure 3-21
"Monoclonal" antibody
histochemistry*
1980s
Highly specific reagents

for detecting proteins
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Polymerase chain
reaction*
1980s
Production of large
numbers of copies of
small amount of DNA
starting material
Figure 15-5
* Denotes associated Nobel Prize
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simple pin-point substitutions or through deletion. In these ways the role particular nucleotide sequences play in
determining protein structure and/or function can be directly tested. No longer is it necessary to rely exclusively on
naturally-occurring or laboratory-induced mutations in whole organisms. Beginning with a pure gene, a researcher can
work back to a function in the intact organism ("reverse genetics").
Rapid Progress in Molecular Biology
Direct experimentation using the model systems and laboratory methods just described has proven to be a powerful
driving force in molecular biology. A variety of thought processes has emerged as the discipline has matured, and they
guide today's molecular biologist. Although certainly not exclusive to molecular biology, these thought processes are
employed by most molecular biologists on an almost daily basis as data are collected, interpretations are formulated,
conclusions are drawn, and additional experiments are designed. The following are examples of what constitutes the
logic of molecular biology.
The Efficiency Argument
During the hundreds of millions of years that living organisms have been evolving, the rigors of competition for
survival in an environment where resources are limited has led to a natural selection for efficiency. Accordingly, when
attempting to understand how a mechanism or process works, molecular biologists intuitively favor the simplest, most
efficient scheme over more complex, contrived, or cumbersome schemes. This approach has been especially useful for
understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in regulating bacterial metabolism, RNA, DNA, and protein
synthesis, as well as phage life cycles. However, analogous processes in the cells of higher plants and animals lack this
intense competitive pressure between individual cells for survival. Simple, efficient mechanisms, therefore, do not
always exist in the cells of higher organisms.
Phylogenetic History
When attempting to explain why a particular mechanism works the way it does, researchers often make comparisons
with similar mechanisms in organisms which are either more or less advanced on the evolutionary scale. Species
divergence is often due to changes in molecular processes. By comparing these processes among evolutionarily diverse
species, biologists frequently gain a deeper understanding of molecular mechanisms.
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Quantitative Assessment
The molecular biologist is constantly searching for quantitative relationships. In the process of unraveling a molecular
mechanism, an assessment of the timing, chemical balance, and flow of components in space is routinely made in order
to establish whether a proposed mechanism or hypothesis is feasible. Often, proposed pathways or schemes can be
either approved or disregarded based on quantitative assessments.
Model Building
Models attempt to explain complex hypotheses by casting them in a readily understandable form (often in the form of a
diagram or cartoon). In this context, they often represent conceptual entities rather than the 3-D hardware associated
with molecular model kits for constructing larger-than-life representations of the structure of one or another
macromolecule (e.g., a protein). For example, models have been developed to explain how an antigen stimulates the
immune system to produce antibodies that react specifically with the challenge antigen.
Models are generally regarded as being good only if they can be subjected to a direct experimental test. That situation
generally applies to the usefulness of almost any hypothesis. Molecular biologists are, therefore, constantly revising and
refining their models as the interpretations of new experimental results call for modification.
Parallelism
Molecular biologists have great faith in the universality of basic biological processes. As a starting point in an attempt
to understand a molecular mechanism or process, explanations that are satisfactory for simple systems (e.g.,
bacteriophages) are often scaled up to fit similar phenomena in more complex systems (e.g., mammalian cells). This
approach does not always work, as has been demonstrated for messenger RNA processing, which is inherently different
in eukaryotic cells. Nevertheless, newly discovered phenomena in molecular biology are often initially explained in
terms of similar processes that had been analyzed earlier.
Strong Inference
Like all scientific enterprises, molecular biology is a human endeavor. Accordingly, intuition, which we might define
here as a sort of comprehension based more on experience and common sense than on a conscious and elaborate line of
logic argument, is often employed to develop a set of explanations or possible models for a particular molecular event.
Strong inference is based on the exclusion of all but one final alternative explana-
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tion for a phenomenon. Initially, one states all the reasonable explanations for a particular phenomenon. Then, by direct
experimentation, various possible explanations are ruled out, one by one. The final alternative, which cannot be ruled
out, and which satisfies our common sense, is considered most likely to be correct. This strong inference approach
accounts for the relatively common use of the phrase ''it is likely that" when experimental data are being interpreted.
Despite the importance of intuition in "strong inference," do not forget the critical role played by experimental evidence!
Optimism
Molecular biology thought processes enthusiastically endorse "optimism" as a key feature. That the use of the
reductionist approach, which breaks a process down to its simplest components (e.g., molecules), will continue to be
productive is a basic tenet of the discipline. Indeed, many molecular biologists believe that not only cellular functions
but also increasingly higher-order biological phenomena (including perhaps even human behavior) will be
comprehended in terms of molecular processes.
Rapid progress in molecular biology has generated literally thousands of volumes of detailed information about the
structure and function of cellular components. Organizing those details in a comprehensive way represents a challenge
for both the beginning student and the accomplished professional scientist. In order to develop a working knowledge of
the discipline, details about molecular structure and function require attention, and generalizations need to be made.
Putting the Details of Molecular Biology in Perspective
Molecular biology has profited greatly from the use of the so-called "reductionist" approach to the study of biological
phenomena. That is, many molecular researchers believe the whole (organism) can only be fully understood when it is
dissected and analyzed. Eventually, the lowest common denominators, such as the nature of the bonding between DNA
and proteins, are revealed and general theories are constructed. Often, the analysis of one or another aspect of a single
molecule (e.g., the enzyme lysozyme) has provided the focus of a large number of research laboratories, each following
a similar reductionist theme.
That approach represents a sharp contrast to the "holistic" approach, which gives special emphasis to interactions
between components. The old adage"the whole is greater than the sum of its parts"applies to the holistic approach. This
approach emphasizes the integration of various biological phenomena into higher-order systems. In some cases those
sys-
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tems are represented by individual types of organisms (e.g., the physiology of amphibia; the human embryo), while in
other cases several organisms are integrated into even higher orders of organization, such as the disciplines of animal or
plant ecology.
Because of the spectacular success of the reductionist approach in molecular biology, modern researchers instinctively
favor reductionist strategies. However, beginning students need to appreciate the fact that individual molecules do not
function in a vacuum. They function rather as components of complex gene expression mechanisms, in metabolic
pathways, or as structural elements, always in concert with other molecules.
Those various mechanisms, pathways, and structural elements themselves also operate in the context of other systems,
which are themselves usually organized into cells. In eukaryotic organisms those cells cluster to form tissues or organs
that in turn comprise a single whole organism. Finally, whole organisms interact with one another and their environment
to form an ecosystem.
Individual molecules are of course the basis of all living activities. Nevertheless, in order to fully comprehend the
function and significance of any single molecule, an excursion beyond the test tube and perhaps even out of the
laboratory and on to biological field stations will eventually be necessary.
In several instances such a "vertical" integration of knowledge has generated spectacular results. One classic example is
the protein hormone prolactin found in virtually all vertebrates. It was first discovered to stimulate the growth of the
cells which line the crop in the pigeon. Later it was found to stimulate milk secretion in mammals. Then it was
discovered to promote tail growth in aquatic amphibia. More recently, it was discovered to regulate salt balance in fish.
The boundaries of the holistic approach are even being extended. For example, data generated in the molecular biology
laboratory from isolation and characterization procedures have been integrated into the research activities of other
disciplines. Mitochondrial DNA research provides an interesting caseit has been discovered that mitochondrial DNA is
inherited separately from chromosomal (nuclear) DNA. It also evolves quickly, since mitochondria lack DNA repair
enzymes and therefore mutations arise relatively often. The nucleotide sequence of mitochondrial DNA thus changes
rapidly. Molecular biologists and anthropologists have joined forces to use mitochondrial DNA sequence variation to
trace lineages within human populations. Their studies have pinpointed Africa as the location where the human species
originated. Since mitochondrial DNA is inherited only through the egg (sperm contribute no mitochondria to the
embryo), recent research has revealed that in all likelihood each member of the human race (including you and I!) can
be traced back to a single ancestral mother.
In order to keep the rapidly increasing volume of molecular biology
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details in proper perspective, Essentials of Molecular Biology will endeavor to highlight the various concepts which
unify the various subdisciplines of the field.
Concepts of Molecular Biology
As the discipline of molecular biology has grown and matured, numerous notions, ideas, or general understandings have
emerged. These represent the so-called "concepts of molecular biology." These concepts are valuable to beginning
students, for they serve to unify the numerous details that often overwhelm a novice. These concepts also provide the
beginner with touchstones for connecting or interrelating the disparate aspects of the structure and function of large
numbers of seemingly different molecules.
For the accomplished, professional molecular biology research scientist these same concepts are still useful, providing a
starting point for developing higher levels of understanding. As scientists attempt to formulate unifying theories to
account for such phenomena as rates of genetic change within large populations, or as they endeavor to devise rules or
principles to understand issues such as the origin of life, scientists constantly evaluate the conceptual underpinnings of
the discipline of molecular biology.
Summarized below are a few examples of concepts that will emerge from a review of the information included in the
chapters comprising Part I of Essentials of Molecular Biology.
The "Biopolymer" Concept: Polymers of small molecules such as amino acids (proteins) or nucleotides (nucleic acids),
are extraordinarily versatile, and hence have evolved in complexity to generate the diverse functional repertoires of
living cells (p. 28).
The "Shape/Size" Concept: The specific function a macromolecule is best suited to perform is largely dictated by its
size and shape. Size and shape set distinct limits on the number and types of interactions and relationships in which
macromolecules can participate (p. 76).
In Part II other concepts will emerge. Two examples are:
The "Gene" Concept: Genes contain all the information for the synthesis and functioning of cellular components (p.
128).
The "RNA Processing" Concept: Eukaryotic mRNAs are extensively processed (edited) prior to functioning as
templates for protein synthesis (p. 180).
In Parts III and IV more concepts will be presented. Five examples follow:
The "Regulation" Concept: A multitude of regulatory mechanisms function in cells to insure that the supply of various
macromolecules matches up with the cell's ever-changing needs (p. 253).
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The "Simple Genome" Concept: Viral genomes are extraordinarily simple, in part because viruses borrow functions
from their host cells (p. 286).
The "Levels of Sophistication" Concept: Prokaryotes, such as viruses and bacteria, under heavy natural selection
pressure, have evolved more highly streamlined mechanisms for controlling gene expression than higher organisms (e.
g., humans) (p. 307).
The "Instability Flexibility" Concept: The inherent instability of most macromolecules (e.g., proteins and RNAs)
insures that living cells are in a constant state of flux, and therefore amenable to rapid change (p. 338).
The "Changing Genome" Concept: The sequence or arrangement of nucleotides in genes is constantly evolving, either
by random mutation, by occasional recombination events, or from the action of transposable elements (p. 375).
In the Appendix additional concepts are presented, including:
The "Surface Interaction" Concept: Interactions between surfaces, facilitated by a variety of complementary weak
forces, permit macromolecules to serve as templates for ordering and/or synthesizing other cellular components (p. 468).
In several chapters, additional concepts will be highlighted, to help students construct a "big picture" understanding of
the meanings and relationships of the details, methods, and thought processes dominating the field of modern molecular
biology.
Progression Diagram
In addition to presenting key concepts throughout the text, a "progression diagram," illustrated in Figure 1-5, will be
referred to from time to time to help students construct a knowledge framework that incorporates these various concepts
and their underlying details into an integrated whole. Using this diagram as a guide, students should be able to develop a
broad understanding of the discipline, and be more prepared to cope with the increasing complexity of the later chapters.
Rewards from Studying Molecular Biology
Serious and diligent attention to learning molecular biology from this textbook offers several rewards to the beginning
student. First, the use of the "layering approach" to constructing a knowledge base which is used in this textbook (see
the Preface) provides a learning tool that, once mastered, can be applied to other disciplines ranging from poetry to phys-
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Figure 1-5
Summary of the use of a progression diagram to construct a unified and integrated understanding
of the molecular components of a living cell: (a) represents the basic diagram;
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Figure 1-5
(b) includes highlights in red indicating the topical details reviewed in one or another part of the textbook. In this case,
Part II (Macromolecular Function) details are highlighted. Concepts presented in Part II are indicated by the shaded
patches. At the beginning of each chapter the progression diagram will be presented. The processes reviewed and
concepts discussed in that chapter will be highlighted.
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ics. Second, studying molecular biology provides an excellent opportunity for enhancing one's analytical thought
processes (so-called "critical thinking skills"). From time to time, experimental data are encountered. Learning how to
interpret it usually involves analyzing entries in tables or graphs, and thereby improves problem-solving skills. Third, by
learning the concepts and details of molecular biology the beginning biology student is provided a gateway to virtually
all other disciplines in biology, ranging from cell biology to genetics to population biology.
Finally, should you, the beginning student, develop an interest in molecular biology, you might consider choosing a
career in a field related to this discipline. The accompanying Student Manual can be consulted for advice on preparing
for lifelong work in this field.
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PART 1
THE STRUCTURE OF PROTEINS, NUCLEIC ACIDS, AND MACROMOLECULAR COMPLEXES
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Chapter 2
Macromolecules
A unique feature of Essentials of Molecular Biology is the layering approach used for presenting subject matter. This
chapter exemplifies that strategy. The chemical structure of macromolecules is reviewed briefly, then explained in more
detail in the following two chapters. This layering approach to learning complex phenomena such as molecular biology
is highly regarded by education specialists, and used widely by scientists when they attempt to enhance their knowledge
about subjects that are outside of their area of expertise.
In this chapter macromolecules are conceptualized in terms of representing chemical polymers (of either amino acids or
nucleotides). Emphasis is therefore placed on the nature of their chemical structures. The covalent bonds linking the
amino acids or nucleotides together to form long polymers are reviewed. In addition the weak forces responsible for
generating the folding and twisting of proteins and nucleic acids are reviewed. Just the essential features are, however,
described. Additional information about those chemical bonds can be found in the Appendix.
Although the shape of most macromolecules is due to weak bonds between the chemical groups, which extend off of
their back-bone structures, the additive effect of hundreds or thousands of such weak bonds is sufficient to maintain
macromolecules in their biologically active configurations!
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in this chapter you will learn

1. The nature of the components of nucleic acids and
proteins, and the chemical linkages by which they are
joined to form larger molecules.
2. The role that noncovalent interactions play in
determining the three-dimensional structure of
macromolecules.
A typical cell contains 104105 different kinds of molecules. Roughly half of these are small moleculesnamely, inorganic ions and
organic compounds whose molecular weights usually do not exceed several hundred. The others are polymers so massive (molecular
weights from 104 to 1012) that they are called macromolecules. These molecules are of three major classes: proteins, nucleic acids, and
polysaccharides. They are polymers of amino acids, nucleotides, and sugars, respectively.
Our approach in these introductory chapters is to review the general properties of macromolecules. Macromolecules represent good
examples of the axiom "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." The properties of macromolecules, we will soon realize, are very
different from the properties of their component amino acids, nucleotides, and sugars. Whereas these individual components alone
contribute little to the functioning of the living cell, their polymers have extraordinary functions. Some of them (e.g., proteins) catalyze
chemical reactions, while others (e.g., nucleic acids) store information and transfer it from one generation to the next. Indeed, a living
cell's inventory of macromolecules gives it its identity. Cells differ from one another in size, shape, and function. Those features are
largely generated by macromolecules.
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Knowledge of the properties of macromolecules is essential for understanding living processes. This chapter and the
next two chapters will emphasize nucleic acids and proteins. Information about other types of macromolecules will be
given as needed in other chapters. The Appendix includes additional information about basic chemistry, which serves as
a background for Chapters 3 and 4.
Chemical Structures of the Major Classes of Macromolecules
In this section we examine the chemical structure of proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharidesin particular, the
monomers and the chemical linkages by which they are joined. Physical properties of these macromolecules and the
interactions that exist between various parts of a single macromolecule are described in later sections.
Proteins
A protein is a polymer consisting of several amino acids (a polypeptide). Each amino acid can be thought of as a single
carbon atom (the carbon) to which there is attached one carboxyl group, one amino group, and a side chain denoted R
(Figure 2-1). The side chains are generally carbon chains or rings to which various functional groups may be attached.
The simplest side chains are those of glycine (a hydrogen atom) and alanine (a methyl group). The complete chemical
structures of each amino acid are given in Figure 2-2. The ionization state each would have within a living cell is shown.
To form a protein the amino group of one amino acid reacts with the carboxyl group of another; the resulting chemical
bond is called a peptide bond (Figure 2-3). Amino acids are joined together in succession to form a linear polypeptide
chain (Figure 2-4). When the number of peptide bonds exceeds about 15 (the number is arbitrary), the polypeptide is
called a protein.
The two ends of every protein molecule are distinct. One end has a free NH2 group and is called the amino terminus;
the other end has a
Figure 2-1
Basic structure of an -amino acid. The NH2 and COOH groups are used
to connect amino acids to one another. The red OH of one amino acid and
the red H of the next amino acid are removed when two amino acids are
linked together (see Figure 2-3).
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Figure 2-2
Chemical structures of the amino acids. In this illustration (and also in Figure 2-4) they arer shown at physiological
pH (approx. 7.27.6). Thus, the -amino and -carboxyl groups are charged.
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Figure 2-3
Formation of a dipeptide from two amino
acids by elimination of water (shaded circle)
to form a peptide group (shaded rectangle).
Figure 2-4
A tetrapeptide showing the alternation of -carbon atoms
(unshaded) and peptide groups (shaded). The four amino
acids are numbered below.
free COOH group and is the carboxyl terminus. The ends are also called the N (or NH2) and C termini, respectively.
The amino-acid side chains usually do not engage in covalent bond formation; an exception is the SH group of cysteine,
which often forms a disulfide (S S) bond by reaction with a second cysteine in the vicinity (within either the same or
different polypeptide chain).
Nucleic Acids
A nucleic acid is a polynucleotidethat is, a polymer consisting of nucleotides. Each nucleotide has the three following
components (Figure 2-5):
1. A cyclic five-carbon sugar. This is ribose, in the case of ribonucleic acid (RNA), and deoxyribose, in
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The difference in the structure of ribose and 2'-deoxyribose is shown in Figure 2-5.
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Figure 2-5
Structure of a mononucleotide.
(The carbon atoms in the sugar ring are numbered.)
The OH in RNA at the 2'C position facilitates chemical
breakdown of RNA. Thus, DNA is more stable than RNA.
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Figure 2-6
The bases found in nucleic acids. The weakly charged groups are shown in red.
2. A purine or pyrimidine base attached to the 1'-carbon atom of the sugar by an N-glycosylic bond. The bases, which
are shown in Figure 2-6, are the purines, adenine (A) and guanine (G), and the pyrimidines, cytosine (C), thymine (T),
and uracil (U). DNA and RNA contain A, G, and C; however, T is found only in DNA and U is found only in RNA.
3. A phosphate attached to the 5' carbon of the sugar by a phosphoester linkage. This phosphate is responsible for the
strong negative charge of both nucleotides and nucleic acids.
A base linked to a sugar is called a nucleoside; thus a nucleoside is a nucleoside phosphate.
The nucleotides in nucleic acids are covalently linked by a second phosphoester bond that joins the 5'-phosphate of one
nucleotide and the 3'-OH group of the adjacent nucleotide (Figure 2-7). Thus the phosphate is esterified to both the 3'and 5'-carbon atoms; this unit is often called a phosphodiester group (see Appendix).
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Figure 2-7
The structure of a dinucleotide. The vertical arrows show the bonds in
the phosphodiester group about which there is free rotation. The horizontal
arrows indicate the N-glycosylic bond about which the base can freely rotate.
A polynucleotide would consist of many nucleotides linked together by
phosphodiester bonds.
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Polysaccharides
Polysaccharides are polymers of sugars (most often glucose) or sugar derivatives. These are very complex molecules
because sometimes covalent bonds occur between many pairs of carbon atoms. This has the effect of allowing one sugar
unit to be joined to more than two other sugars, which results in the formation of highly branched macromolecules.
These branched structures are sometimes so enormous that they are almost macroscopic. For example, the cell walls of
many bacteria and plant cells are single gigantic polysaccharide molecules.
The brief review included in the preceding section, which emphasized the basic chemical features of macromolecules,
provides an opportunity to present the first of many concepts which will be featured through the text:
Key Concept
The ''Biopolymer" Concept

Polymers of small molecules such as amino acids (proteins) or nucleotides (nucleic acids) are extraordinarily versatile,
and hence have evolved in complexity to generate the diverse functional repertoires of living cells.
Noncovalent Interactions That Determine the Three-Dimensional Structures of Proteins and Nucleic Acids
The biological properties of macromolecules are mainly determined by activating interactions that result in each
molecule acquiring a unique three-dimensional structure. These noncovalent interactions are much weaker than typical
covalent bonds, and for any given type of macromole cule several of these weaker interactions may play a role in
determining three-dimensional structure. In this section the noncovalent interactions that are important and the chemical
groups responsible for them are described. The Appendix should be consulted for further information on noncovalent
bonds.
The Random Coil
Linear polypeptide and polynucleotide chains contain several bonds about which there is free rotation. In the absence of
any intrastrand interactions* each monomer would be free to rotate with respect to its adjacent mono mers; this is
limited only by the fact that more than one atom cannot
* An intrastrand interaction is an interaction between two regions of the same strand. An inter strand
interaction is between different strands. It is important to remember the distinction between these similar
words.
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occupy the same space. The three-dimensional configuration of such a chain is called a random coil; it is a somewhat
compact and globular structure that changes shape continually, owing to constant bombardment by solvent molecules.
Few, if any, nucleic acid or protein molecules exist in nature as random coils because there are many interactions
between elements of the chains. These interactions are hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, ionic bonds, and van
der Waals interactions.
Hydrogen-Bonding
The most common hydrogen bonds found in biological systems are shown in Figure 2-8. In RNA, intrastrand hydrogen
bonds cause the polynucleo tide strand to be folded. Thus it is more compact than would be expected for long, singlestranded molecules. In DNA, interstrand hydrogen bonds are responsible for the double-stranded helical structure. In
proteins, intrastrand hydrogen-bonding occurs between a hydrogen atom on a nitrogen adjacent to one peptide bond and
an oxygen atom adjacent to a different peptide bond. This interaction gives rise to several particular polypeptide chain
configurations, which will be discussed shortly.
The Hydrophobic Interaction
A hydrophobic interaction is an interaction between two molecules (or portions of molecules) that are somewhat
insoluble in water. These two molecules (which may be different) are poorly soluble in water, which tends to repulse
them. In response to that natural repulsion, they tend to associate.
Many components in nucleic acids and proteins have the hydrophobic property just described. For example, the bases of
nucleic acids are planar organic rings carrying localized weak charges (Figure 2-6). The localized charges are sufficient
to maintain solubility, but the large, poorly soluble organic ring portions of the bases tend to cluster, minimizing the
contact with water molecules. The most efficient kind of clustering is one in which the faces of the rings are in contact,
an array known as base-stacking (Figure 2-9). Note that since the bases are adjacent in the chain, stacking gives some
rigidity to single polynucleotide strands. Therefore, instead of
(a)
(b)
c
Figure 2-8
Structures of three types of hydrogen bonds (indicated by three dots).
(a) A type found in proteins and nucleic acids.
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(b) A weak bond found in proteins.

(c) A type found in DNA and RNA.
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(a)
(b)
(c)
Figure 2-9
The meaning of stacking.
(a) Three stacked bases.
(b) and (c) Structures of stacked and unstacked polynucleotides.
The stacked polynucleotide is more extended because the stacking
tends to decrease the flexibility of the molecule.
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a random coil forming, the strands are extended. In the following chapter we will see how stacking is of major
importance in determining nucleic acid structure. Many amino-acid side chains are very poorly soluble, and this causes
(1) the benzene ring of phenylalanine to stack and (2) the hydrocarbon chains of alanine, leucine, isoleucine, and valine
to form tight unstacked clusters. Since these amino acids are not necessarily adjacent hydrophobic interactions tend to
bring distant hydrophobic parts of a polypeptide chain together. Figure 2-2 indicates the hydrophobic amino acids.
Ionic Bonds
An ionic bond is the result of attraction between unlike charges. At physio logical pH several amino-acid chains are
ionized: negatively charged car boxyl groups (aspartic and glutamic acids) and positively charged amino groups (lysine,
histidine, and arginine). These five amino acids thus can form ionic bonds.
Ionic bonds tend to bring together distant parts of the chain. Ionic interactions can also be repulsivenamely, between
two like charges; it would therefore be unlikely for a polypeptide chain to fold in such a way that two aspartic acids are
very near each other. Ionic bonds are the strongest of the noncovalent interactions. However, they are destroyed by
extremes of pH, which can change the charge of the groups, and by high concentrations of salt, the ions of which shield
the charged groups from one another.
Van der Waals Attraction
Van der Waals forces exist among all molecules and are a result of both permanent dipoles and the circulation of
electrons. The dependence of the attractive force between two atoms is proportional to 1/r6, in which r is the distance
between their nuclei. The attraction is a very weak force and is significant only if two atoms are very near one another
(1 to 2 apart).
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Figure 2-10
A hypothetical polypeptide chain showing attractive (black) and repulsive (red) interactions.
Since van der Waals forces are very weak, they are easily overcome by thermal motion; in general, the force between
two atoms will not keep them in proximity. However, if interactions of several pairs of atoms are combined, the
cumulative attractive force can be great enough to withstand being disrupted by thermal motion. Two molecules thus
can attract one another if several of their component atoms can mutually interact. However, because of the 1/r6dependence, the intermolecular fit must be nearly perfect. This means that two molecules can bind to one another by
van der Waal forces if their shapes are complementary. This is true also of two separate regions of a polymerthat is, the
regions can hold together if their shapes match. Sometimes the van der Waals attraction between two regions is not
large enough to cause this; however, it can significantly strengthen other weak interactions (such as the hydrophobic
interaction) if the fit is good.
Summary of the Effects of Noncovalent Interactions
The effect of noncovalent interactions is to constrain a linear chain to fold in such a way that different regions of the
chain, which may be quite distant from each other in a chain (if the chain were linear), are brought together. An
example of a molecule showing the four kinds of noncovalent folding that have been described is shown in Figure 2-10.
In Chapters 3, 4, and 5 we will discuss the specific structures brought about by these interactions and the physical
properties of nucleic acids and proteins.
Macromolecule Isolation and Characterization
Several methods for studying macromolecules are practically standard in molecular biology laboratories. Proteins are
usually isolated from extracts of living cells with molecular sieves and chromatography on supports that
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are either positively or negatively charged. The former method takes advantage of the heterogeneity in molecular weight
displayed by different proteins. The latter exploits the fact that most proteins differ from one another in the charge they
carry, which is due of course to the unique amino-acid composition of individual proteins.
The most convenient and widely employed method for monitoring the protein purification scheme, and also for initial
characterization studies, is electrophoresis. This method consists of setting the protein sample on a solid support
(usually a gel) and establishing an electric field. Depending on the net charge of specific proteins, positively charged
proteins will migrate toward the cathode (negative pole), and negatively charged proteins toward the anode (positive
pole). The gel consists of a semisolid sheet with pores through which the migrating proteins pass on their way toward
either pole. Acrylamide, an inert synthetic polymer, is most commonly employed as the gel. By formulating the gel so
as to have relatively small pores, smaller proteins will migrate much faster than larger proteins. In fact, the most
sophisticated gel electrophoresis methods for proteins employ a sequence of charge and size separation methods, as
shown in Figure 2-11.
Other protein isolation and characterization methods include ultracentrifugation, amino acid sequencing. X-ray
crystallography, and occasion-
Figure 2-11
Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of proteins. A protein solution (e.g., crude extract
of cells) is first subjected to electrophoresis in a tube with a semisolid gel inside it. The
gel contains a pH gradient. This first step separates proteins according to their net
charges (isoelectric focusing). Next, that gel isset on top of a rectangular slab containing
an acrylamide gel which includes the anionic detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS).
SDS molecules interact with amino acids (one SDS molecule/amino acid) to give all
proteins a similar charge-to-mass ratio. In this second dimension, once an electric field is
applied proteins are separated during electrophoresis solely according to their molecular
size. Using this method, several hundred of the proteins in a crude extract of cells can be
identified as individual spots on the rectangular second dimension gel.
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Figure 2-12
Procedure for cloning foreign DNA
in a plasmid vector.
ally, for larger proteins, electron microscopy (see Table 1-2 in Chapter 1).
For nucleic acid isolation prior to characterization, gene cloning methods are routinely employed. The simplest protocol
is illustrated in Figure 2-12. Pieces of DNA are inserted into a plasmid that is then replicated
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Figure 2-13
Gel electrophoresis of nucleic acids. Double-stranded
DNA is shown. RNA (normally single stranded) can also
be characterized on agarose gels.
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Figure 2-14
A gel electrophoregram of six fragments of E. coli: phage
DNA. The direction of movement is from top to bottom.
The DNA is made visible by the fluorescence of bound
ethidium bromide.
(Courtesy of Arthur Landy and Wilma Ross.)
inside a bacterial host. The duplicated plasmid is then harvested, and the replicated foreign DNA is isolated from the
plasmid.
Due to the unusually large size of most nucleic acids, a molecular sieve with larger pores than normally used for
electrophoresis of proteins is employed (Figure 2-13). Agarose, a plant polysaccharide with various desirable qualities,
is commonly employed to make the semi-solid gel support. After electrophoresis, the location of the nucleic acids is
easily visualized by soaking the gel in an appropriate dye solution (see Figure 2-14).
Additional nucleic acid isolation and characterization methods include ultracentrifugation, nucleotide sequencing, and
electron microscopy. Tech nological developments associated with these isolation and characteriza tion methods have
been the driving force behind the recent rapid accumula tion of information on macromolecule structure. From this
information on structure, ideas about cellular function of specific macromolecules can often be developed.
Summary
About half of all molecules found in living cells can be termed macromolecules because of their massive molecular
weights. The linear structure of
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the three major classes of macromoleculesproteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharidesis determined by polymerization
of specific monomers.
Proteins are built from amino acids joined by peptide bonds that result from the reaction of the carboxyl group of one
amino acid with the amino group of another amino acid. Nucleic acids are formed by phosphoester bonds linking the 5'phosphate of one nucleotide to the 3'-OH group of another. Sugars and their derivatives are the building blocks forming
highly balanced polysaccharides. The three-dimensional molecular properties of these macromolecules, however, are
determined by noncovalent interactions including hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interaction, ionic bonds, and van der
Waals attractions. The joining of cysteine residues through the formation of disulfide bonds also affects molecular
properties of proteins. All of these intrastrand interactions act to constrain a chain so that regions that are often distant
from one another in the linear chain can be brought together.
Electrophoresis, a standard method used for studying macromolecules in molecular biology laboratories, allows charged
macromolecules to be separated in an electric field while traveling on a solid support such as an acrylamide or agarose
gel. In the case of protein separation, sequential electrophoresis can be performed. The first electrophoretic run
separates proteins on the basis of their differing net charges, while the second run causes a separation by size. Nucleic
acids are also routinely separated using gel electrophoresis followed by visualization using appropriate dyes.
Drill Questions
1. What are the monomers of which proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharides are composed?
2. What groups in an amino acid become linked in forming a polypeptide chain? What is the linkage called?
3. What chemical groups are at the ends of a protein molecule or a polypeptide chain? Do polypeptide chains or proteins
contain these groups at positions other than their termini?
4. Which nucleic acid base is unique to DNA? to RNA?
5. What chemical groups on nucleotides become covalently linked to form a nucleic acid? What is the linkage created
called?
6. What is the difference between a nucleoside and a nucleotide?
7. In simple terms, what is the nature of a hydrophobic interaction?
8. What is the strongest and the weakest noncovalent force involved in stabilizing macromolecules?
9. All DNA molecules move in the same direction when electrophoresed. Why? Is this generally true of proteins also?
Explain.
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10. In SDS-electrophoresis of proteins, what features of the technique cause protein molecules to move in a single
direction?
Problems
1. A mixture of different proteins is subjected to electrophoresis in three polyacrylamide gels, each having a different
pH value. In each gel five bands are seen. (a) Can one reasonably conclude that there are only five proteins in the
mixture? Explain. (b) Would the conclusion be different if a mixture of linear DNA fragments were being sized?
2. Name the kinds of bonds in proteins in which each of the following amino acids might participate: cysteine, lysine,
isoleucine, glutamic acid?
3. (a) If a particular macromolecule that is very compact in 0.01 M NaCl expands considerably in 0.5 M NaCl, what
forces are probably important in determining the overall size and shape of the molecule? (b) If a macro-molecule that is
a near-random coil in 0.2 M NaCl becomes very extended and rigid in 0.01 M NaCl, what forces are probably involved
in the extension?
4. A protein consisting of one polypeptide chain contains four cysteines. If all were engaged in disulfide bonds and if all
possible pairs of cysteines could be joined, how many different theoretical structures would be possible? What would
determine which was the naturally occurring structure?
5. Amino acids can be separated by electrophoresis on paper. A pH is chosen to make some amino acids positively
charged and others negatively charged. Thus, some amino acids will move toward the anode and others toward the
cathode, their charge principally determining the direction and rate of movement. Often amino acids having the same
charge (such as alanine and valine) also separate; in other words, they move at different rates, though in the same
direction. What determines the difference in rate, and would alanine or valine move faster?
Conceptual Questions
1. With an understanding of the various types of noncovalent interactions that determine protein three-dimensional
structure, predict which of these interactions would be most prevalent in proteins located in different body tissues. For
example, what noncovalent interactionswould most likely be found in proteins spanning lipid cell membranes? In
proteins that transport iron throughout the body?
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2. When studying a protein one can gain information on (a) the protein's three-dimensional structure and the interactions
that determine it, as well as (b) the order of amino acids comprising the protein. How could each set of information be
used to determine an unknown protein's function?
3. Upon isolating a new microorganism, what information might you gain from studying its macromolecules that would
help you compare it with previously known microorganisms? How could you discover this information?
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Chapter 3
Nucleic Acid
Robert Cedergren
Professor of Biochemistry,
University of Montreal,
Quebec, Canada
Undergraduate Degree::
University of Minnesota
Major: Chemistry 1961
Graduate Degree:
Cornell University,
Ph.D. 1966, Organic Chemistry
Cornell University
1966, Biochemistry and MolecularUniversity of Toronto
1967, Chemistry
Two key issues in molecular biology guide our research efforts: how long polymers, such as proteins and nucleic acids,
perform their biological roles and how they evolved to perform these roles. One function that preoccupies us at the
present time is the relation between the structure and the function of catalytic and other domains of RNA. The discovery
of catalytic RNA, the ribozymes, shattered the traditional belief that only enzymes could have a catalytic activity. The
ribozymes thus offer new and unique opportunities to study the activity of biological polymers. In addition ribozymes
have revived interest in the origin of life on this planet. The RNA world hypothesis, based on the catalytic and
information-car rying potential of RNA, proposes the existence of cellular life without proteins and DNA.
In order to fully understand the subtleties of RNA structure, we are actively pursuing the use of computer-aided RNA
modeling. Finally, the primary sequence comparison of RNAs from a variety of organisms allows predictions about the
structural motifs required for different biological activities. Sequence comparisons also provide a probe of evolutionary
relationships between organisms. Our studies make use of a wide variety of chemical, informatic, and genetic
techniques.
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In what direction is the field of molecular biology moving?

Molecular biology is still in its ''information gathering" stage. The future must therefore involve the bringing together of
information, data, facts, and figures into coherent theories on structure-function relationships, for it is only when
detailed molecular mechanisms are known that the promise of the biological sciences can be fully realized. This
gathering phase will give way to the comprehension phase due in large part to emerging computer technologies in
modeling macromolecules, pattern recognition, experimental design, and the analysis of DNA sequences of entire
genomes.
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1. The nature of the components of nucleic acids and
proteins, and the chemical linkages by which they are
joined to form larger molecules.
2. The role that noncovalent interactions play in
determining the three-dimensional structure of
macromolecules.
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Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the single most important molecule in living cells and contains all of the information that a cell needs to
live and to propagate itself. In this chapter its remarkable structure and many of its physical and chemical properties are described together
with those of ribonucleic acid (RNA), a class of molecules intimately linked to the use or expression of genetic information.
We will focus in this chapter on the structural properties of nucleic acids. Realizing that genes consist of simple polymers of nucleotide
sequences, we will first learn how the individual atoms in DNA are covalently linked to form the double helix. Our study of the structural
properties of DNA will then reveal how nucleic acids store information and convert that information into the functional units (i.e., proteins)
that give various cells their individual characteristics.
Along the way, we will learn several modern techniques that are routinely used in molecular biology laboratories to study nucleic acids.
Soon we will appreciate why such spectacular advances have been made in understanding gene structure and function. Not only is it
possible to establish the nucleotide sequence of virtually any gene, it is possible to biochemically synthesize genes using special chedmical
methods.
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The development of those methods is in large part responsible for such sensational breakthroughs as the gene cloning
and transgenic animals described later in this textbook.
Physical and Chemical Structure of DNA
In the previous chapter the structure of nucleotides and how they are
joined to form a polynucleotide, or a nucleic acid, were described. In this section we show how nucleotides in a
polynucleotide chain interact with one another to produce complex three-dimensional structures.
In early physical studies of DNA many experiments indicated that the molecule is an extended chain having a highly
ordered structure. The most important technique was x-ray diffraction analysis, by which information
was obtained about the arrangement and dimensions of various parts of the molecule. The most significant observations
were that the molecule is helical and that the bases of the nucleotides are stacked with their planes separated by a
spacing of 0.34 nanometers (nm).
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Figure 3-1
Diagrammatic model of the DNA
double helix in the common B form.
Parallel lines represent the base pairs,
of which there are 10 per complete
turn. The base pairs are perpen
dicular to the axis of the helix.
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Chemical analysis of the molar content of the bases (generally called the base composition) adenine, thymine, guanine,
and cytosine in DNA molecules isolated from many organisms provided the important fact that [A] = [T] and [G] = [C],
in which [ ] denotes molar concentration, from which followed the corollary [A + G] = [T + C] or [purines] = [pyrimi
dines].
James Watson and Francis Crick combined chemical and physical data for DNA with a feature of the x-ray diffraction
diagram that suggested that two helical strands are present in DNA and showed that the two strands are coiled about one
another to form a double-stranded helix (Figure 3-1). In this model the sugar-phosphate backbones follow a helical path
at the outer edge of the molecule and the bases are in a helical array in the central core. The bases of one strand are
hydrogen-bonded to those of the other strand to form the purine-to-pyrimidine base pairs A . T and G . C (Figure 3-2).
The two bases in each base pair lie in the same plane and the plane of each pair is perpendicular to the helix axis. The
base pairs are rotated 36 with respect to each adjacent pair, so that there are ten pairs per helical turn. The diameter of
the double helix is 2.0 nm and the molecular weight per unit length of the helix is approximately 2 106 Daltons per
micrometer.
The helix creates two external helical grooves, a deep wide one (the major groove) and a shallow narrow one (the minor
groove); both of these grooves are large enough to allow protein molecules to come in contact with the bases.
Figure 3-2
The two common base pairs of DNA.
Note that hydrogen bonds (dotted lines)
are between the weakly charged polar
groups noted in Figure 2-6.
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Figure 3-3
A diagram of a DNA molecule showing com
plementary base-pairing of the individual strands.
The light lines represent hydrogen bonds. The
numbers orient the strands.
The double helix shown in Figure 3-1 is a right-handed helix. A righthanded helix is the arc described by your right
hand when you touch your nose with your thumb; a left-handed helix is that described by your left hand. Naturally
occurring DNA molecules are generally right-handed helices.
Base-pairing is one of the most important features of the DNA struc ture because it means that the base sequences of the
two strands are complementary (Figure 3-3); thus an A in one strand is paired with a T in the other. Likewise a C in one
strand is paired with a G in the other. This has deep implications for the mechanism of DNA replication because, in this
way, the replica of each strand has the base sequence of its comple mentary strand, and from one strand, the other can
be made.
Key Concept
The "Evolution of Structure" Concept

Natural selection has favored the evolution of double-stranded DNA, for with its tight helical structure and ease of
unwinding, the bases are protected, but also available for replication.
The two polynucleotide strands of the DNA double helix are antiparal lelthat is, the 3'-OH terminus of one strand is
adjacent to the 5'-P (5'-phosphate) terminus of the other (Figure 34). The significance of this is twofold. First, in a linear
double helix there is one 3'-OH and one 5'-P terminus at each end of the helix. The second and generally more
significant point is that the orientations of the two strands are different. That is, if two nucleotides are paired, the sugar
portion of one nucleotide lies upward along the chain, whereas the sugar of the other nucleotide lies downward. We will
see in Chapter 7 that this structural feature poses an interesting constraint on the mechanism of DNA replication.
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Figure 34
A stylized drawing of a segment of
a DNA duplex showing the antiparallel
orientation of the complementary chains. The arrows
indicate the 5' to 3' direction of each
strand. The phosphates (P) join the 3' carbon of
one deoxyribose (horizontal line) to the 5' carbon on the
adjacent deoxyribose. The dots between the pairs indicate
the number of hydrogen bonds between the bases.
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Figure 3-5
The distribution of DNA isolated from the bacterium E. coli and the crab Cancer
borealis after densitygradient centrifugation. Analysis of the curves shows that (1)
in common with other bacteria, E. coli DNA has a narrow density range; (2) crab DNA
consists of two discrete fractions of DNA: one with a higher density than E. coli DNA
(and therefore with a higher G-C content) and one with a lower density. This minor band
is called satellite DNA.
(From N. Sueoka, J. Mol. Biol., 3:3140. Copyright 1961: Academic Press Inc. [London] Ltd.)
Because the strands are antiparallel, a convention is needed for stating the sequence of bases of a single chain. The
convention is to write a sequence with the 5'-P terminus at the left; for example, ATC denotes the trinucleotide 5'-P
ATC3'-OH.
It is always true that [A] = [T] and [G] = [C], but there is no rule governing the relationship between the concentrations
of guanine and cytosine and those of adenine and thymine in a DNA molecule; in fact, there is enormous variation in
this ratio. The usual way that the base composition of the DNA molecule from a particular organism is expressed is not
by a ratio, but by the percent of all bases that are G . C pairs; that is ([G] + [C]) 100/[all bases]. This is termed the G +
C content, or percent G + C. The base composition of hundreds of organisms has been determined. Generally speaking,
the percent of G + C content is near 50% for most complex organisms and has a very small range from one species to
the next. For instance, for most plants and animals, the extremes are 48% and 52%, with 49%51% for primates. The
percent G + C varies widely, however, from one genus to another in single-cell organisms. For example, in bacteria the
extremes are 27% for the genus Clostridium and 76% for the genus Sarcina; E. coli is around 50% G + C.
Because the density of DNA is linearly related to base composition, a convenient way to measure the mean base
composition is by density gradient centrifugation. When DNA of prokaryotes is broken randomly into about 1000
fragments, the bands that result after centrifugation are usually very narrow. This indicates that the mean base
composition does not vary much from fragment to fragment (Figure 35, top).
However, when the DNA of the crab is examined, two discrete bands are observed (Figure 35, bottom). The main band
accounts for 70% of the total DNA and is 52% G + C. The smaller band, having 3% G + C, is called satellite DNA.
The phenomenon of satellite DNA has been observed often during the analysis of the DNA from eukaryotes; the G + C
content, however, can be higher or lower than that of the main fraction. Analysis has shown that satellite DNA is
usually highly repetitive, consisting sometimes of 106 copies of a single sequence.
Alternate DNA Structures
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DNA structure is very rich in variety. Although the double-stranded B helix is the predominant form, other helical and
some completely unexpected forms can be found. Among these structural variants is the A helix (the predominant form
of double-stranded RNA), which has 11 bases per turn rather than 10, and has the plane of the bases tilted 30 with
respect to the helical axis. This helix, favored under conditions of dehydration, is wider and shorter than the B helix, and
the distinction between the major and minor grooves is reduced.
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The Z helix (so-named because the backbone has a zig-zag shape) is a more radical departure from the B helix theme.
Although double stranded, the Z helix is left-handed (Figure 36) and has 12 base pairs per turn. Since the length of a
turn is 4.5 nm rather than 3.4 nm (B helix), Z DNA appears longer and slimmer-looking than the B helix. In the very
long DNA molecules found in cells, different conformations can coexist in the same molecule. Regions of the Z
conformation can be found interspersed among regions of essentially B conformation; this fact raises the question of
what determines the conformation of DNA. In the case of Z DNA, a primary structure or sequence of G alternating with
C favors the Z DNA conformation. The presence of regions of Z DNA near genes on the same molecule can influence
their expression.
Further variations of DNA structure involve the "strandedness" of the DNA. For example, single-stranded DNA occurs
in some viruses. In these DNA molecules the rule of double-stranded complementarity [G] + [A] = [C] + [T], does not
hold. The structure of this DNA is much more irregularthe single strand folds back on itself. Short, double-stranded
helical regions are formed between complementary regions of
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Figure 36
Space filling models of Z DNA and B DNA. The dark
spheres are the phosphate groups, and the heavy lines
link adjacent phosphates. The zig-zag shape of the Z DNA
backbone is clearly visible. To verify if the helices are rightor left-handed, rotate the book 180 and look at the helices.
(From Rich et al. Am. Rev. Biochem. 53:795. Copyright 1984:
Annual Reviews Inc. [Palo Alto])
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the molecule. These duplexes are separated by loop structures, and residual single-stranded regions. Single-stranded
DNA is more dense than double-stranded DNA as a result of its more contorted and compacted structure. Alternating
helixloop structures are also a feature of single-stranded RNA molecules.
Triple- and even four-stranded DNA helices have also been observed. Triple-stranded helices are found in regions of
DNA that have repeating stretches of purines alternating with stretches of pyrimidines complementary to the purine
stretches. Under these circumstances, one strand of a repeating unit folds back into the major groove of the preceding
repeating unit. This conformation leaves one strand of the repeating unit unpaired. The four-stranded helix is
characterized by G-rich regions of DNA. This structure is often found at the end of chromosomes in the telomeres, and
may be important in the process of meiosis.
DNA structure can thus be best described as a number of variations on the B helix theme. Quite clearly the structure
adopted by a particular region of a DNA molecule depends on the base sequence in that region. This is simply another
example where the primary sequence influences the three-dimensional structure of a biological polymer.
Circular and Superhelical DNA
The rather crude techniques originally used to isolate and study DNA suggested that DNA had the form of a linear
double helix. The overall length of DNA makes it extremely sensitive to shear forces during preparation. Typical DNA
preparations are often fragmented (both strands broken) or nicked (single strand broken). However, as improvements in
technique were made, it became clear that many DNAs are actually circular, with the ends of the helix covalently
joined. This observation raised novel topological questions concerning the effect of the circular state on the helical
structure.
Because of the polarity of the strands, the 5' terminus of one strand can only join its own 3' end to close the circle. Thus,
circular, double-stranded DNA is two circles of single-stranded DNA twisted around each other. You might imagine
this as pieces of twine joined to their own ends.
However, consider the result of giving the double-helix exactly one 360 twist before joining the ends. (Keep in mind
that the double helix already has a complete turn every 1011 bases.) If the twist is in the same direction as the helix, it
would have the effect of tightening the double helix. Alternatively, a twist in the opposite direction of the helix would
loosen the helix. Circular DNA that has incorporated one or more twists to increase the number of times one strand
crosses the other is said to be positively supercoiled or superhelical. A negative superhelix results from decreasing the
number of times the strands cross.
Be sure to realize that DNA's "natural" one turn per 1011 bases is
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not supercoiling. Supercoiling is additional twists (whether in the "tightening" or the "loosening" direction). Also, note
that "positive" and "negative'' supercoiling can refer to different directions of twisting under different DNA
conformations. In a right-handed helix (B and A conformation), "positive" supercoiling would add additional righthanded twists. However, in a left-handed helix (Z conformation), "positive" supercoiling would entail left-handed
twists. DNA compensates for the higher energy state of supercoiling by modifying the dimensions or the preferred
conformations of the double helix.
One major structural effect of positive or negative supercoiling is that the helical axis curves slightly to maintain the 10base periodicity of the B helix, which would otherwise be modified. The bent helical axis can in fact be observed by
electron microscopy (Figure 37). Other effects are more dramatic: highly negatively-superhelical DNA can be
accommodated by conformational changes in the molecule. The ultimate accommodation is the Z DNA structure that
can compensate for two negative turns per left-handed turn.
The formation of short bubbles of unpaired, single-stranded DNA from severe negative supercoiling can be further
stabilized by cruciform structures (Figure 38). Cruciforms are conformations which can be adopted by highly
symmetrical regions of DNA. Because of the 5' to 3' polarity of the strands and the complementarity of bases,
cruciforms occur in regions of palindromic (inverted repeat) DNA. Supercoiling thus favors large, local deviations from
the standard conformation. However, since DNA structures are dynamic, many regions undergo a constant
conformational flux between a normal B helix and other forms.
Figure 3-7
Circular and supercoiled DNA of phage PM2 as
imaged by an electron microscope.
(Courtesy of K. G. Murti)
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(a)
(b)
(c)
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Figure 3-8
(a) A nonsupercoiled covalent circle of DNA;
(b) A negatively supercoiled circle of DNA. The single-stranded bubble
allows the remainder of the molecule to adopt the standard B helix;
(c) A cruciform structure of DNA existing in a palindromic region (an
inverted repeat). Region A is complementary to A', so, due to the symmetry
of an inverted repeat, A can base-pair with A' of the second strand or with
the A' sequence of its own strand.
The existence of superhelical DNA suggests that the structural variations discussed above have some biological
function. One of the first surprising research developments was the discovery of enzymes called topoisomerases that
modify the superhelicity of DNA. Of course, the only way to modify the superhelicity of closed circular DNA is to
break one or both strands and twist the ends with respect to each other before linking them together again;
topoisomerases are able to accomplish this.
In addition, considerable information is accumulating that relates the presence of DNA palindromes to protein binding
sites. Since most DNA in its natural state is negatively supercoiled, it is likely that some palindromes normally exist in
the cruciform conformation, and are therefore accessible to binding by other molecules. Likewise, single-stranded
bubbles generated by negative supercoiling can serve as regions for protein binding.
Denaturation of DNA
The helical structure of nucleic acids is determined by thermodynamically-favored stacking between adjacent bases in
the same strand, and the double-stranded structure of the helix is maintained by hydrogen-bonding between the bases of
the base pairs. This conclusion has come from studies of the thermal stability of DNA molecules.
The free energies of the noncovalent interactions described in Chapter 2 are not much greater than the energy of thermal
motion at room temperature. Thus, at elevated temperatures the three-dimensional structures of both proteins and
nucleic acids are disrupted. A macromolecule in a disrupted state, in which the molecules are in a nearly random
conformation, is said to be denatured; the ordered state, which is presumably that
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originally present in nature, is called native. A transition from the native to the denatured state is called denaturation.
When double-stranded DNA or native DNA is heated, the bonding forces between and within the strands are disrupted,
and the two strands can separate; thus, denatured DNA is single stranded.
A great deal of information about structure and stabilizing interactions has been obtained by studying nucleic acid
denaturation. This is done by measuring some property of the molecule that changes as denaturation proceedsfor
example, the absorption of ultraviolet light. For DNA, denaturation can be detected by observing the increase in the
ability of a DNA solution to absorb ultraviolet light at a wavelength of 260 nm. A standard measure of such absorption
is a logarithmic ratio of transmitted light and incident light called the absorbance A; at 260 nm, this is written A260.
Nucleic acid bases absorb 260-nm light strongly, and the amount of light absorbed by a given number of bases depends
on their proximity to one another. When the bases are highly ordered (very near one another), as in double-stranded
DNA, A260 is lower than that for the less ordered state in single-stranded DNA. In particular, if a solution of doublestranded DNA has a value of A260 = 1.00, a solution of single-stranded DNA at the same concentration has a value of
A260 = 1.37. This relation is often described by stating that a solution of double-stranded DNA becomes hyperchromic
when heated. The corresponding value for free bases is 1.60, so that absorbance can also be used to measure
degradation of nucleic acids.
If a DNA solution is slowly heated and the A260 is measured at various temperatures, a melting curve such as that
shown in Figure 3-9 is obtained. The following features of this curve should be noted:
1. The A260 remains constant up to temperatures well above those encountered by most living cells in nature.
Figure 3-9
A melting curve of DNA showing Tm and possible
molecular configurations for various stages of melting.
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2. The rise in A260 occurs over a relatively narrow range of 68C.

3. The maximum A260 is about 37% higher than the starting value.
The state of a DNA molecule in different regions of the melting curve is illustrated in Figure 3-9. Before the rise begins,
the molecule is fully double-stranded. In the rise region, base pairs in various segments of the molecule are broken; the
number of broken base pairs increases with temperature. In the initial part of the upper plateau a few base pairs remain
to hold the two strands together until a critical temperature is reached at which the last base pair breaks and the strands
separate completely. Please note that during melting all covalent bonds, including phosphodiester bonds, remain intact.
Only hydrogen bonds and stacking interactions are disrupted. A convenient parameter to characterize a melting
transition is the temperature at which the rise in A260 is half complete. This temperature is called the melting
temperature; it is designated Tm.
A great deal of information is obtained by observing how Tm varies with base composition and experimental
conditions. For example, it has been observed that Tm increases with percent G + C, which has been interpreted in
terms of the greater number of hydrogen bonds in a G C pair (three) than in an A T pair (two). That is, a higher
temperature (more energy) is required to disrupt a G C pair than an A T pair because the double-stranded structure is
stabilized, at least in part, by hydrogen bonds. In addition, reagents that increase the solubility of the bases and therefore
decrease hydrophobic interactions, such as base stacking, also lower Tm. These results imply that a polynucleotide
would tend to have a three-dimensional structure that maximizes the contact of the highly soluble phosphate group with
water and minimizes contact between the hydrophobic bases and water. This explains why, in DNA, the sugarphosphate chain is on the outside in contact with water, and the bases are on the inside in a stacked array. Clearly,
stacked bases are more easily hydrogen-bonded, and correspondingly, hydrogen-bonded bases, which are oriented by
the bonding, stack more easily. Thus, the two interactions act cooperatively to form a very stable structure. If one of the
interactions is eliminated, the other is weakened: This explains why Tm drops so markedly after the addition of a
reagent that destroys either type of interaction.
A very effective denaturant is NaOH, for the net charge of several groups engaged in hydrogen-bonding is changed at
high pH; and a base bearing such a group loses its ability to form these bonds. At a pH greater than 11.3 all hydrogen
bonds are eliminated and DNA is completely denatured. Since the phosphodiester backbone of DNA is quite resistant to
alkaline hydrolysis, this procedure is the method of choice for denaturing DNA because high temperatures often
promote phosphodiester bond cleavage. Recall that denaturation is designed to break hydrogen bonds, while leaving
covalent bonds intact.
A repulsive force is also present in DNAnamely, that between the negatively charged phosphate groups in
complementary strands. These
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charges are neutralized by bound cations such as Na+ and Mg2+. As a result, the repulsion is so great that when DNA is
placed in distilled water that strand separation occurs.
Renaturation
A solution of denatured DNA can be treated in such a way that native DNA re-forms. The process is called renaturation
or reannealing and the reformed DNA is called renatured DNA. Renaturation proved to be a valuable tool in molecular
biology since it can be used to demonstrate genetic relatedness between different organisms, to detect particular species
of RNA, to determine whether certain sequences occur more than once in the DNA of a particular organism, and to
locate specific base sequences in a DNA molecule.
Two requirements must be met for renaturation to occur:
1. The salt concentration must be high enough that electrostatic repulsion between the phosphates in the two strands is
eliminatedusually a concentration in the range of 0.15 to 0.50 M NaCl is used.
2. The temperature must be high enough to disrupt the random intrastrand hydrogen bonds present in single-stranded
DNA. However, the temperature cannot be too high, or stable interstrand base-pairing will not occur and be maintained.
The optimal temperature for renaturation is 2025 below the value of Tm.
Since strands can separate during denaturation, renatured DNA does not contain its own original single strand;
renaturation is thus a random mixing process. For example, if DNA labeled with the nonradioactive isotope 15N is
mixed with DNA containing the normal isotope 14N and then denatured and renatured, three kinds of double-stranded
DNA molecules will result: 25% will have 14N in both strands, 25% will have 15N in both strands, and 50% will have
one 14N strand and one 15N strand.
Let us now consider how renaturation actually takes place. After denaturation, the DNA solution is composed of a
mixture of essentially single-stranded fragments. In order to renature, a fragment must find its complementary partner in
the solution. If the concentrations of the fragment and its partner are low, they will take much more time to find each
other than if the two fragments are in high concentration. The process of finding a partner, or renaturation, can be
followed by observing the absorption of the solution at 260 nm (A260), since during renaturation the bases order
themselves and the A260 will decrease with time. The rate of decrease is the rate of renaturation, which is related to the
concentration of individual fragments in the solution. The value of A260 in the solution can be used to estimate the
overall concentration of DNA. Renaturation
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kinetics offers a powerful tool for the analysis of the presence of repeated sequences in a DNA sample.
A hypothetical 100 base pair DNA molecule is shown in Figure 3-10. The sequence ABC/A'B'C' represents 3% of the
total number of base pairs in the sample; however, since it is repeated five times this sequence makes up 15% of the
total weight of the DNA sample. When the molecule is broken into smaller pieces, there are five times more of the
fragments originating from the repetitive sequence than from the remainder of the DNA that is not repetitive. Because
of its higher concentration in the solution, the repetitive DNA renatures faster than single copy DNA. Such a
hypothetical DNA molecule would have a renaturation curve such as that shown in Figure 3-10(b). Thus, this curve,
which is obtained with DNA from a single organism, contains two components. The more rapidly renaturing component
accounts for 15% of A260, from which one can conclude that 15% of the DNA (by weight) contains a repeating
sequence. From the kinetics one can determine the number of bases in the repeating sequence (called its complexity),
and thus the number of copies of this sequence and the number of bases in a single nonrepeating sequence.
Repeated sequences are found in most eukaryotes but not generally in unicellular organisms. These sequences do not
always show up as satellite bands (see Figure 3-5) because their base compositions may not be very different from the
average base composition of the bulk of the DNA. Nevertheless, most eukaryotes chromosomes are composed of
regions of
(a)
(b)
Figure 3-10
(a) A hypothetical DNA molecule having a base sequence that is 3% of the
total length of the DNA and is repeated five times. The dashed lines represent
the nonrepetitive sequences; they account for 85% of the total length.
(b) A renaturation curve for the DNA shown in (a). Time is logarithmic in order to
keep the curve on the page. The y axispercent unrenatured DNAis equivalent
to the unit, relative value of A260, used in previous figures with A260 = 1.37
equal to 100% (percent unrenatured-percent single stranded).
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Figure 3-11
Renaturation curves for E. coli and mouse DNA. The sequences are unique
in E. coli, so the curve has a single step. In mouse DNA 10% consists of
about one million copies of a 300-base-pair sequence, 30% consists of
103104 copies of several sequences, and 60% consists of unique sequences.
varying levels of repetitiveness. Distinctions of "repetitiveness" can be made to renaturation analysis. Figure 3-11 shows
a comparison between the renaturation kinetics of a bacterial and mouse DNA. Close examination of these curves from
many species shows that there are four classes of sequences: unique (single copy), slightly repetitive (1 to 10 copies),
middle repetitive (10 to several hundred copies), and highly repetitive (several hundred to several million copies). The
boundaries of these classes are arbitrary, so one must be careful when making generalizations about the classes.
The unique sequences account for most of the genes of the cell, but often for only a few percent of the DNA. This is
because most eukaryote DNA is made up of highly-repetitive sequences that do not code for proteins. The slightly
repetitive class consists of genes that exist in a few copies; in some cases the sequences are not perfectly repetitive: the
gene products may have slight differences in amino acid compositionfor example, the various forms of hemoglobin. The
middle-repetitive sequences are of two types: clustered and dispersed. The clustered sequences usually represent genes
that exist in multiple copies in order to increase the amount or the rate of synthesis of the gene product. Some of the
dispersed sequences may have a function in regulating gene expression. However, the major fraction consists of 2060
copies of sequences, containing 2,0007,000 nucleotide pairs that are able to move from one location to another in a
chromosome and between chromosomes. These are called transposable elements and are discussed in detail in Chapter
14. The highly repetitive sequences include the short sequences in satellite DNA and sequences of normal length in
certain genes that exist in very large numbers, such as those making ribosomal RNA, which is needed for all protein
synthesis. There are in fact very few different highly repetitive sequences, but the
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number of copies is so great that these sequences may account for 20% or more of the mass of the DNA. Generally, the
highly repetitive sequences are relatively short in length.
Hybridization
The technique wherein renatured DNA is formed from separate single-stranded samples is called hybridization. This
renaturation technique can be done on thin paper filters (membrane filters) made of nitrocellulose, which bind singlestranded DNA very tightly but fail to bind either double-stranded DNA or RNA. They provide an important technique
for measuring hybridization.
Renaturation is carried out on a filter as shown in Figure 3-12. A sample of denatured DNA is filtered. The single
strands bind tightly to the filter along the sugar-phosphate backbone, but the bases remain free. The filter is then placed
in a vial with a solution containing a small amount of radioactive denatured DNA and a reagent that prevents additional
binding of single-stranded DNA to the filter. After a period of renaturing, the filter is washed. Radioactivity is found on
the filter only if renaturation has occurred.
Renaturation has been combined with the technique of electron microscopy in a procedure that allows the localization of
common, distinct, and missing sequences in DNA. This procedure is called heteroduplexing. Consider the DNA
molecules number 1 and number 2 shown in Figure 3-13(a). If these molecules differ in sequence only in one region (A
and A'), then when a mixture of the two molecules is denatured and renatured, hybrid molecules are produced having a
single-stranded region, as shown in Figure 3-13(b). Figure 3-14 shows an actual electron micrograph of a heteroduplex.
Measurement of the lengths of the single- and double-stranded regions yields the endpoints of the regions of
nonhomology.
Figure 3-12
Method of hybridizing DNA to nitrocellulose filters containing bound, single-stranded DNA.
In the final step the filter is treated with DNase to remove unhybridized DNA and washed.
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Figure 3-13
(a) Three DNA molecules to be heteroduplexed. Sequences A
and A' of molecules 1 and 2 differ. Neither sequence is present
in molecule 3. The dashed lines indicate reference points.
(b) Heteroduplexes resulting from renaturating molecules 1 and
2 or 2 and 3. Hybridization of 1 and 2 shows the regions A and
A' as a single-stranded bubble. Hybridization of 2 and 3 shows
that sequence 3 has a deleted region with respect to 2.
Another important use of filter hybridization is the detection of sequence complementarity between a single strand of
DNA and an RNA moleculethis is called either DNA-RNA hybridization or Northern hybridization, and it is the method
of choice to detect an RNA molecule that has been copied from a particular DNA molecule. In this procedure, a filter to
which single strands of DNA have been bound, as above, is placed in a solution containing radioactive RNA. After
renaturation the filter is washed and hybridization is detected by the presence of radioactive RNA on the filter.
(a)
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(b)
Figure 3-14
An electron micrograph of a portion of a heteroduplex
between two E. coli phage molecules imm434 and
imm, which have two noncomplementary regions on
either side of a short complementary region.
(a) The micrograph;
(b) An interpretive drawing. The arrow points to
the common sequence.
(Courtesy of W. Szybalski and B. West-moreland.)
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The Structure of RNA

A typical cell contains about ten times as much RNA as DNA. The high RNA content is due mainly to the large variety
of roles played by RNA in the cell. There are three primary types of RNAribosomal RNA (rRNA), by far the most
abundant, transfer RNA (tRNA), and messenger RNA (mRNA). Each of these general classes is actually composed of
several unique species: 3 or 4 rRNAs, up to 50 tRNAs, and over 1,000 mRNAs.
RNA has many of the structural characteristics of DNA. That is, both molecules are linear polynucleotide chains.
However, RNA has the following distinctions: ribose replaces deoxyribose, U replaces T; and with the exception of
some viruses, RNA is single-stranded. Most RNAs therefore resemble the conformation of single-stranded DNA, that is,
they have stem-loop or hairpin structures because the chains fold back on themselves, creating loops and small basepaired stretches between complementary regions (Figure 3-15). RNA is defined in terms of its primary structure (the
order of the nucleotides in the chain), its secondary structure (the pattern of base-pairing), and its tertiary structure (the
conformation of the molecule in three dimensions).
Due to the essential relationship of RNA structure to its functions, considerable research has been devoted to the
prediction of the base-pairing pattern. This is a necessary step in determining its three-dimen-
Figure 3-15
The proposed secondary structure of a tRNA. D, T, Y, and are
modified nucleotides often found in tRNA.
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Figure 3-16
Compensatory base changes that support secondary structure. In
sequences from organisms 1and 2, it was found that potential base-pairs
U-A and G-C occupy similar positions. The fact that the sequences are
different at these positions but the bases are complementary supports the
hypothesis that these are indeed paired positions.
sional form. Since the techniques involved in prediction are empirical, secondary structures, although extremely useful,
should only be considered as a model. Two methods of prediction (available as computer programs) maximize either (1)
the number of base-pairs in the molecule or (2) the overall free energy of the molecule using assigned energy values for
different base-pairs. The fact that G-C base pairs are held together by three hydrogen bonds favors their presence in the
model over the presence of A-U pairs. Another approach is based on the availability of sequences of the same molecule
from several organisms. Base-pairs are proposed between positions in sequences that have undergone compensatory
base changespotential base-paired positions in one sequence must be base paired in a second, even though the identity
of the nucleotides at these positions are different (Figure 3-16).
Hydrolysis of Nucleic Acids
With few exceptions (e.g., tRNA), the structure of nucleic acids are of such large size that they are difficult to
characterize. The strategy that has emerged to circumvent this problem involves breaking down the polymers into
smaller fragments. The phosphodiester bonds of both DNA and RNA can be broken by hydrolysis (addition of a H2O
molecule) either chemically or enzymatically.
At very low pH (1 or less), phosphodiester bond hydrolysis of both
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DNA and RNA occurs. This is also accompanied by breakage of the N-glycosylic bond between the base and the sugar
(see Figure 2-5) so that free bases are produced. At high pH the behavior of DNA is strikingly different from that of
RNA. DNA remains very resistant to hydrolysis at pH 13 (about 0.2 phosphodiester bonds broken per million bonds per
minute at 37C), whereas the presence of the 2'-OH groups renders RNA very sensitive to alkaline hydrolysis; at 37C
free ribonucleotides are produced within minutes at pH 11.
A variety of enzymes called nucleases hydrolyze nucleic acids. They usually show chemical specificity and are
classified as either deoxyribonucleases (DNase) or ribonucleases (RNase). Many DNases act only on single-stranded or
only on double-stranded DNA, although some act on both kinds. Furthermore, nucleases which act only at the end of a
nucleic acid, removing a single nucleotide at a time, are called exonucleases, and they may also be specific for the 3' or
5' end of the strand. Most nucleases act within the strand and are endonucleases; some of these are even more specific,
in that they cleave only between particular bases.
The availability of base specific endonucleases opened the door to the determination of the primary structure of many
RNAs. RNase T1, which cleaves an RNA chain 3' to a G, and pancreatic RNase, which cleaves 3' to a U or C, were
particularly useful. Since the tertiary structures of many of these ribonucleases are now known, these enzymes also
provide valuable insight into how proteins interact with nucleic acids (Figure 3-17).
In contrast, work on DNA structures lagged far behind RNA structures because of a lack of base-specific DNases. This
situation has dramatically changed, however. As we shall see in the next section, it is now much easier to determine the
sequence of DNA than RNA. The breakthrough for DNA occurred when restriction endonucleases were discovered.
Restriction nucleases cleave double-stranded DNA at specific sequences that are several nucleotides long. They are also
largely responsible for the development of the genetic engineering techniques discussed in Chapter 15.
One of the most remarkable and unexpected discoveries of recent years is that some RNAs have a transphosphorylation,
catalytic activity. Previously, the dogma of biochemistry was that only proteins could have the catalytic activity for
making or breaking bonds. The RNA enzymes, called ribozymes, are able to cleave and form specific phosphodiester
bonds in a manner analogous to protein enzymes. An example is provided later (see Chapter 8, Figure 8-9).
Figure 3-17
Hydrolysis of RNA. The position of digestion by T1 RNase and pancreatic
RNase are shown. The sequence includes a ''p" for the phosphate between
nucleosides to illustrate which bond is cleaved.
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Key Concept
The "RNA Enzyme" Concept

Although most exzymes are proteins, some RNAs are catalytically active.
Sequencing Nucleic Acids
Throughout this book, nucleotide sequences of DNA molecules will be described as a means of understanding the kinds
of physical and chemical signals that are used by cells. This section describes how these sequences are determined.
DNA sequence determination is based on the high resolution separation of polynucleotide fragments on polyacrylamide
gels (Chapter 2). In the Sanger procedure, which is outlined here, polynucleotide fragments are produced by an
ingenious use of the enzyme DNA polymerase. Since the activity of DNA polymerase is detailed in Chapter 7, only a
superficial description of the process is given here.
DNA polymerase uses triphosphate derivatives of deoxyribonucleotides to construct polynucleotides. This enzyme also
requires the presence of a short primer polynucleotide and a longer single-stranded template fragment (the DNA to be
sequenced) (Figure 3-18a). Normally, double-stranded DNA is made continuously in this solution until all the
nucleotide triphosphates are consumed. Consider the same reaction where a dideoxyribonucleotide (a nucleotide
derivative lacking hydroxyl groups at both the 2' and 3' carbons) is added; these nucleotide analogs are incorporated into
the growing nucleotide chain, but the resulting chain can not be extended, since there is no 3' terminal hydroxide upon
which the following nucleotide is attached (Figure 3-18b). When dideoxy G is used at 1/100
b
Figure 3-18
(a) DNA polymerase reactions. ATP-adenosine triphosphate,
GTP-guanosine triphosphate, TTP-thymidine triphosphate,
CTP-cytidine triphosphate.
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(b) The same reaction

with added dideoxy G. Chain termination takes place
at each position where dideoxy G is incorporated.
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of the concentration of G, an average of one analog is incorporated into the newly-synthesized strand for every 100 Gs.
If three new reactions are prepared where each contains one of the remaining dideoxy nucleotides (i.e., A, T, or C), then
four reaction mixtures would existone for each nucleotideand each would contain a complex mixture of polynucleotide
fragments differing in length, depending upon the point at which a dideoxynucleotide was incorporated. After the
reactions, each mixture could be analyzed by gel electrophoresis. The fragments would separate based on their
lengthsthe shortest migrating the farthest. As can be seen in Figure 3-19, each lane has a different pattern that represents
the positions of the nucleotide whose dideoxy derivative was used. In this example, the G lane has the shortest
fragment, and therefore the first position in the newly-made sequence is G. The second fastest moving band is in the A
track, so A is the second nucleotide. Continuation of this reading allows the definition of the entire sequence of the
DNA. A word of caution: The determined sequence is the complement of the template sequencea G in the template
directs the incorporation of a C in the growing chain, and the determined sequence has the opposite 3', 5' orientation
from the template sequence, so that when the gel pattern tells us that there is a G at the 5' terminus of the newly
synthesized strand, we know that there is a C at the 3' terminus of the DNA strand we are sequencing.
In a typical experiment, many copies of an isolated single strand of DNA are divided into four samples. Primers, the
four types of nucleotide triphosphates, and one type of dideoxy nucleotide, are added to each sample. In order to
analyze the very small amounts that are generally available, either radioactive nucleotides or primers are used; analysis
is then done with x-ray films, an example of which is shown in Figure 3-20. This technique is obviously limited by the
capacity of a gel to separate fragments differing in length by one nucleotide; however, with care, a sequence of over 600
nucleotides can be determined on one gel. This method has provided complete sequences of DNA from viruses,
mitochon-
Figure 3-19
The gel pattern of DNA sequencing
reactions. The bottom of the gel
contains the 5' end of the synthesized sequence.
That is because the shortest fragments
are closest to the 5' end of the sequence.
Recall, polymerization always goes 5'
3'. The determined sequence is
5'GAACTTGCT3'. This means that the template
sequence (which is what we are
interested in knowing) is 5'AGCAAGTTC3'.
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Figure 3-20
Sequences of DNA are stored and freely available
from DNA Databanks in Europe, the United States,
and Japan via international computer networks.
dria, and chloroplasts. The complete sequencing of E. coli bacterial DNA (4.5 106 nucleotides) has been
accomplished, and the biological project of the century is underwaythe sequencing of human DNA!
Synthesis of DNA
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One of the techniques responsible for the explosive progress made in molecular biology in recent years is the chemical
synthesis of DNA. Years of research on the optimal way to synthesize DNA have produced a method now available in
most laboratories. The technique is based on two chemical principles: the activation of the phosphate group so that it
will combine with another nucleotide at a reasonable speed, and the
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protection of reactive groups on the nucleotide to prevent unwanted side reactions (Figure 3-21). Activation is accomplished
using the condensing agent tetrazole on highly reactive nucleoside phosphoramidites.
Protection is the process wherein a chemical group is temporarily added to critical positions of the nucleotide to ensure that
during the formation of the internucleotide bond only the correct 3'5' phosphodiester bonds are made. Amino groups on the
bases, for example, react under conditions of phosphoramidite activation so they must be made chemically inert. In addition 5'OH groups must be modified to insure that it is the 3'OH atoms that are used for the phosphodiester bond. Later in the synthesis,
protecting groups need to be removed to produce the desired unmodified DNA. In addition, the example in Figure 3-21 makes
use of an insoluble support to facilitate purification of intermediates and harvesting of the final product.
The synthesizing strategy starts when the first nucleotide is added to an insoluble support generally made of porous glass via its
3'-OH. To ensure that only this OH reacts, the 5'-OH is protected with a trityl group (MMT in Figure 3-21). This group is acidsensitive so that it can be removed easily to make the 5'-OH available for subsequent steps. The resin is a porous glass
preparation; the trityl group is generally the mono- or dimethoxy-derivative, and resins for all four nucleosides are commercially
available.
After removal of the trityl group by an acid wash, the next nucleotide (in the form of its protected phosphoramidite derivative) is
added in the presence of tetrazole. The internucleotide bond formation is virtually
Figure 3-21
Chemical synthesis of DNA. The first protected nucleoside is linked to the insoluble support via the 3'-OH.
Acid hydrolysis of the monoethoxytrityl group (MMT) is done in 5% trichloroacetic acid (TCA). The next
nucleotide in the sequence is added as its phosphoramidite derivative (R = mythyl; R1 and R2 are isopropyl
groups). Iodine is used to oxidize the phosphite to phosphates. The process is repeated with a third
nucleoside, and a fourth, and so on to produce a long chain oligonucleotide. Eventually, methyl groups (R)
are removed at alkaline pH. Notice that this chemical synthesis is done in the 3'-to-5' direction, which is
opposite from the natural (biological) process.
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instantaneous; however, the product is a phosphite rather than a phosphate ester. The phosphite bond is then oxidized to
phosphate using iodine, the trityl group is removed, and the product is ready for the next cycle.
Now the advantage of the resin can be exploited. Since the product is insoluble in the reaction medium at all times
during the synthesis, purification is achieved by simple filtration of the support. The support can be packed into a
vertical column and various reagents can be passed through it, one after the other, creating a continuous process. At the
termination of the synthesis reaction, the DNA is cleaved from the support and all the remaining protective groups are
removed.
This process has now been completely automated. Reagents are stored in bottles connected to the column with tubing
and a series of valves. A computer controls which valves are opened and shutthe chemist simply keys in the desired
sequence. The cycle of nucleotide addition has been reduced to around five minutes, and the synthesizing machines (socalled "gene machines") are capable of producing oligonucleotides over 100 units long. The tedious work involved in
the optimization of each step must be fully appreciated, since unwanted side products accumulate very rapidly when
yields at each step fall below 99%. Recently a scheme for the chemical synthesis of RNA has been implemented. RNA
synthesis is complicated by the fact that RNA is much more chemically labile than DNA, and the additional 2'-OH must
be protected during the synthesis. More recently, phosphoramidites of not only ribo- and de-oxyribonucleotides, but
also of various modified nucleotides have become available to the researcher. By synthesizing nucleic acids that contain
such substituted, modified bases, it is possible to analyze which chemical groups of a nucleotide (such as the amino, 2hydroxyl, or oxo groups) are involved in a particular biological function.
Now that it is possible to sequence large pieces of DNA, several laboratories have joined forces to sequence the entire
genomes from plants, bacteria, and humans. Although the human genome consists of approximately three billion base
pairs, automation techniques are expected to reduce the time to complete this huge project substantially. With the
availability of immense data banks of sequence information, a new era of molecular biology and biochemistry will
emerge. Up until now a molecule was characterized by its biological activity, from which chemical and structural
studies could be analyzed in this context. In the future, this strategy will be turned around. That is, sequence databases
will be searched for structural domains or special features from which biological activity will eventually be inferred.
Progress in identifying new proteins and establishing relationships between specific genes and disease states will
therefore be greatly facilitated.
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Summary
DNA consists of deoxyribonucleotides linked together by phosphodiester bonds connecting the 5'-carbon of one
nucleotide with the 3'-carbon of the next nucleotide. DNA commonly exists as an antiparallel double strand. In doublestranded DNA, every base of one strand is hydrogen bonded to a base of the other strand, and since purines pair only
with pyrimidines, then the concentration of purines should equal that of pyrimidineswhich can be expressed as [A + G]
= [C + T]. Double-stranded DNA usually assumes the B form of a double helix, with ten base pairs per turn, 0.34 nm
between each adjacent base pair, and bases oriented perpendicular to the helical axis. In addition to the B form, DNA
also exists in an A form (a right-handed helix with 11 base pairs per turn, and bases tilted 30 with respect to the helical
axis), and a Z form (a left-handed helix with 12 base pairs per turn). DNA can also form a double-stranded, covalentlyclosed circle. These circular molecules are often coiled into a superhelix, the formation of which is catalyzed by
enzymes called topoisomerases. The hydrophobic properties and hydrogen-bonding abilities of the bases serve to hold
the double-stranded molecule together. However, this doublestranded conformation is sensitive to the temperature and
ion concentration of its environment. At a sufficiently high temperature, the hydrogen bonds between bases are broken
and the molecule is denatured. DNA made single stranded will spontaneously renature if the temperature is high enough
to disrupt any intrastrand base-pairing and if the salt concentration is sufficient to counteract the electrostatic repulsion
between the phosphates. Renaturation kinetics can be used to determine the number of bases in a sequence that is
repeated within a molecule and the number of copies of that sequence that are present.
Three primary classes of RNA exist: rRNA, mRNA, and tRNA. RNA is usually single stranded, although some
moleculestRNA, for examplehave extensive secondary structure. Enzymes called nucleases catalyze the hydrolysis of
phosphodiester bonds linking adjacent nucleotides. DNA molecules can be sequenced using the Sanger method, in
which synthesis of a copy of the strand to be sequenced is halted at specific positions by the incorporation of dideoxy
derivatives of specific nucleotides. The fragments are separated by gel electrophoresis, and the sequence is determined
from the banding pattern of the gel. Also, nucleic acid molecules can be synthesized to include virtually any nucleotide
sequence.
Drill Questions
1. The base composition of a double-stranded DNA molecule has been determined, and the [T] to [T] ratio was found to
be 0.2. What fraction of the bases is A?
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2. A new virus is discovered, the genome of which is found to be 28% A, 23% T, 24% C, and 25% G. What does this
tell you about the genome of the virus?
3. In a double-stranded DNA molecule, what is the relationship between [A] + [G] and [C] + [T], and between [A] + [T]
and [G] + [C]?
4. In what circumstances does a double-stranded DNA molecule form an A helix? a B helix? a Z helix?
5. Could a supercoiled DNA molecule be formed by:
(a) joining the ends of a linear DNA molecule and twisting the resulting circle?
(b) twisting the ends of a linear DNA molecule and then linking the ends together?
(c) linking together the ends of a linear DNA molecule?
6. What noncovalent interactions are involved in maintaining the doublehelical conformation of DNA?
7. Why are salt concentration and temperature important to the renaturation of DNA?
8. What would happen if double-stranded DNA were placed in distilled water?
9. A nonsupercoiled DNA molecule is composed of 4,800 base pairs. How many helical turns are present? How long is
the linear, doublehelical form of this molecule?
10. Could an exonuclease remove nucleotides from a circular DNA molecule?
Problems
1. The DNA molecules below are denatured and then allowed to reanneal. Which of the two is least likely to re-form the
original structure?
What would prevent that molecule from doing so?
(a) ATATGTATATATAGAT
TATACATATATATCTA
(b) GCCTATACGTGCACCA
CGGATATGCACGTGGT
2. Which of the two molecules shown above would have the highest Tm? Why? Which would require a higher
temperature for renaturation?
3. The following gel pattern was obtained in an attempt to sequence a DNA molecule using the Sanger method. What is
the sequence of the DNA molecule in question?
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4. A single-stranded DNA molecule is hybridized with a DNA molecule that is identical except that the central 10% of
the molecule has been deleted. What is the structure of the hetero-duplex that would result? What if that missing 10%
had been replaced with a segment of nonhomologous DNA of equal length?
5. DNA from one species of bacteria is labeled with 15N and is hybridized with an equal concentration of unlabeled
(14N) DNA from another species of bacteria. The result is that 15% of the TOTAL amount of renatured DNA has a
hybrid density. What fraction of base sequences are common to the two species?
6. The melting curve below was obtained from a solution of DNA. What does this curve tell you about the composition
of the solution?
1. What features of the DNA double helix facilitate its replication? What features might make its replication
complicated?
2. In what ways does RNA represent the ideal molecule for converting the information encoded in a nucleotide
sequence into the structural and catalytic macromolecules of a cell?
3. With modern DNA sequencing techniques it is now feasible to sequence all the DNA in a human cell. Social, moral,
and ethical considerations can, however, be raised. Should such a major sequencing endeavor nevertheless be
encouraged?
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Chapter 4
Professor of Pharmacology,
University of California,
San Diego
La Jolla, California
Simon Fraser University,
Canada
Major: Biochemistry 1980
Graduate Degree:
Stanford University, Ph.D. 1986
Berkeley, 19861988
Research in my laboratory is directed towards understanding how cells sense, respond, and adapt to extracellular
information. We are examining how signals are received at the cell surface, transferred across the plasma membrane
into the cell, and processed within the cell.
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We are examining the chemistry of signal transduction using fluorescence, biochemical, and molecular biological
techniques. One protein of interest to us is the Ca2+/ phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C. This unusual membrane
protein plays a critical role in the transduction of a wide variety of extracellular signals. This protein's ability to
covalently modify proteins and high concentrations in the brain suggests it may be involved in memory. Furthermore,
uncontrolled activation of the enzyme results in tumor promotion. We are examining how protein kinase C structure and
function are regulated. For example, experiments are aimed at elucidating the nature of the reversible interaction of the
kinase with the plasma membrane and determining how specific phospholipids regulate protein conformation and
protein function. Also of interest are the effects of ligand binding and protein phosphorylation on the interaction of
receptors with the plasma membrane. The insulin receptor is ideally suited to these studies: It is activated by ligand
(insulin) binding and its function is regulated by phosphorylation. A third area of research involves the role of protein
kinase C in phototransduction. When protein kinase C is activated in the retina, the phosphorylation state of rhodopsin,
the receptor for light, changes. We are examining the effect of phosphorylation by protein kinase C on rhodopsin
structure and function, with the goal of understanding how protein kinase C transduces the light signal.
What were the major influences or driving forces that led you to a career in molecular biology?
The major driving force that led me to a career in biochemistry has been a life-long curiosity about nature. Many
summers snorkeling in the Greek Islands convinced me that I wanted to become a marine biologist. However, my first
Chemistry courses introduced me to what was an even more delightful preoccupation: the molecular aspects of life. So
my present research on the chemistry of fundamental processes, such as vision and cancer, is really a continuation of a
life-long fascination with the biology and chemistry of life.
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1. About polypeptide folding and various configurations
proteins adopt.
2. How several polypeptides associate to form a larger
unit.
3. The formation and structure of enzymesubstrate
complexes and antibodies, and the models put forth to
represent them.
Like nucleic acids, all protiens are polymers, but instead of nucleotides, proteins are built from amino acids. Each species of protein
molecule has a unique three-dimensional structure determined principally by the amino acid sequence of that protein. This contrasts
sharply with DNA, which has a universal structurethe double helix. This makes the study of proteins very complex but, on the other
hand, the diversity of protein structures enables these molecules to carry out the thousands of different processes required by a cell and
makes proteins fascinating objects to study.
Proteins have been called the ''footsoldiers" of the living cell. Their functions are the most diverse of all types of macromolecules. As
we shall learn in this chapter, size, shape, and macromolecular composition vary tremendously among proteins. Those diverse features
generate a wide range of functional properties. Some proteins carry out structural functions (e.g., stabilize a living cell's shape), while
others speed up the rate of chemical reactions (e.g., enzymes).
In order to understand the manner in which proteins manage to carry out such diverse functions, we will learn how individual amino
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acids contribute a structural feature to a protein. Beginning with the amino acid sequence, we will review twisting,
folding, and aggregation, each of which contributes to a protein's function. Then we will examine several examples of
proteins that display widely different properties and hence carry out diverse functions.
The study of the detailed structure of proteins is beyond the scope of this book, being heavily dependent on a variety of
optical techniques, especially the mathematically complex technique of x-ray diffraction. For this reason the discussion
of proteins in this chapter will be a survey.
Basic Features of Protein Molecules
In Chapter 2 the basic chemical features of protein molecules were described. That is, a protein is a polymer of amino
acids in which carbon atoms and peptide groups alternate to form a linear polypeptide chain, while specific groupsthe
amino-acid side chainsproject from the -carbon atom (Figure 2-1). This linear sequence of amino acids is called the
primary structure of the protein. The term "linear" requires careful consideration, for, as will be seen in the following
sections, a polypeptide chain is highly folded and can assume a variety of three-dimensional shapes; each shape in turn
consists of several standard elementary three-dimensional configurations and other configurations that may be unique to
that molecule.
In Chapter 3, it was often seen that nucleic acid molecules are very large, having molecular weights often as high as
1010. Protein molecules are much smaller; in fact, the molecular weight of a typical protein molecule is comparable to
that of the smallest nucleic acid molecules, the transfer RNA molecules. The molecular weights of hundreds of different
proteins have been measured. Typical polypeptide chains have molecular weights ranging from 15,000 to 70,000. The
average molecular weight of an amino acid is 110, which means that typical polypeptide chains contain some 135 to
635 amino acids.
The length of a typical polypeptide chain, if it were fully extended, would be 1,000 to 5,000 . A few of the longer
fibrous proteins, such as myosin (from muscle) and tropocollagen (from tendon) are in this range, with lengths of 1,600
and 2,800 , respectively. Most proteins, however, are highly folded and their longest dimension usually ranges from
40 to 80 . This folding constitutes the secondary structure of a protein and is described in the next section.
The Folding of a Polypeptide Chain
A fully extended chain, if it were to exist, would have the configuration shown in Figure 4-1. This stretched out form
has no biological activity.
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Figure 4-1
The configuration of a hypothetical fully extended polypeptide chain.
The length of each amino acid residue is 3.61 the repeat distance is
7.23 . The -carbon atoms are shown in red. Side chains are denoted by R.
Rather, protein function arises because polypeptides fold in complex ways to yield precise three-dimensional structures.
The folded structure is stabilized by many noncovalent interactions (e.g., H-bonding, ionic interactions, van der Waals
attractions, described in Chapter 2 and the Appendix). Physical properties of the peptide bond and the amino acids in the
polypeptide chain govern the manner of this folding. Three rules based on these physical properties can be described:
1. The peptide bond has a partial double-bond character (Figure 4-2) and hence is constrained to be planar and rigid.
Free rotation occurs only between the carbon and the peptide unit. The polypeptide chain is thus flexible but is not as
flexible as would be the case if there were free rotation about all of the bonds.
2. The side chains of the amino acids cannot overlap, so the folding, therefore, can never be truly random because
certain orientations are forbidden.
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b
Figure 4-2
The planarity of the peptide group.
(a) Two forms of the peptide bond in resonance.
Owing to the resonance, the peptide group has a
partial double-bond character and is thus rigid.
(b)
The peptide groups in a protein molecule. They are
planar and rigid, but there is freedom of
rotation about the bonds (red arrows) that join
peptide groups to -carbon atoms (red).
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Figure 4-3
A polypeptide chain in which four cysteines
are engaged in two disulfide bonds.
3. Two charged groups having the same sign will not be very near one another. Thus, like charges tend to cause
extension of the chain.
However, in addition to these rules, folding behaves according to the following general tendencies:
1. Amino acids with polar side chains tend to be on the surface of the protein in contact with water.
2. Amino acids with nonpolar side chains tend to be internal. Very hydrophobic side chains tend to cluster. Figure 2-2 in
Chapter 2 indexes the nonpolar amino acids.
3. Hydrogen bonds tend to form between the carbonyl oxygen of one peptide bond and the hydrogen attached to a
nitrogen atom in another peptide bond.
4. The sulfhydryl group of the amino acid cysteine tends to react with an SH group of a second cysteine to form a
covalent S S (disulfide) bond. Such bonds pose powerful constraints on the structure of a protein (Figure 4-3).
These tendencies should not be considered invariable because there are many exceptions. Nevertheless they indicate
that the structure of a protein may be changed markedly by a single amino acid substitutionfor example, a polar amino
acid for a nonpolar one; similarly, the change in structure might be minimal if one nonpolar amino acid replaces another
nonpolar one. This notion will be encountered again in Chapter 10 when mutations are considered.
The three-dimensional shape of a polypeptide chain is a result of a balance between all of the rules and tendencies just
described and can be very complex. However, in examining many polypeptide chains, it has become apparent that
certain geometrically regular arrays of the chain are found repeatedly in different polypeptide chains and in different
regions of the same chain. These are the arrays resulting from hydrogen-bonding between different peptide groups.
These arrays are described in the next section.
KET CONCEPT
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The "Primary Sequence" Concept

The primary sequence of building blocks (amino acids in proteins and nucleotides in nucleic acids) dictates the folding
pattern and final shape, and therefore activity, of a macromolecule.
The Helix and Secondary Structures
In the absence of any interactions between different parts of a polypeptide chain, a random coil would be the expected
configuration. Hydrogen
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bonds, however, easily form between the H of the N H group and the O of the carbonyl group. This H-bonding between
atoms along the peptide backbone results in a variety of ordered structures of the polypeptide chain called secondary
structures. The most common of these secondary tructures are the helix and the structures elucidated by Pauling and
Corey in the early 1950s.
In an helix the polypeptide chain follows a helical path that is stabilized by hydrogen-bonding between peptide
groups. Each peptide group is hydrogen-bonded to two other peptide groups, one three units ahead and one three units
behind in the chain direction (Figure 4-4). All helices have a pitch of 5.4 , which is the repeat distance, a diameter of
2.3 , and contain 3.6 amino acids per turn. So it is a much tighter helix than the DNA helix. The side chains stick out
from the rod-shaped core of the helix.
In the absence of all interactions other than the hydrogen-bonding just described, the helix is the preferred form of a
polypeptide chain because, in this structure, all monomers are in identical orientation and each forms the same hydrogen
bonds as any other monomer. Polyglycine, which lacks side chains and hence cannot participate in any interactions
other than those just described, is an helix.
If all monomers are not identical or if there are secondary interactions that are not equivalent, the helix is not
necessarily the most stable structure. While some amino acid side chains can stabilize the helix,
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Figure 4-4
Properties of an helix.
(a) The two hydrogen bonds in which peptide group 4 (red) is engaged.
The peptide groups are numbered below the chain,
(b) An helix drawn in three dimensions, showing how the hydrogen bonds
stabilize the structure. The red dots represent the hydrogen bonds. The hydrogen
atoms that are not in hydrogen bonds are omitted for the sake of clarity.
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others are responsible for preventing -helicity. A striking example of the disruptive effect of a side chain on an helix
is evident with the synthetic polypeptide polyglutamic acid, a polypeptide containing only glutamic acid. At a pH below
about 5, the carboxyl group of the side chain is not ionized and the molecule is almost purely an helix. However,
above pH 6, when the side chains are ionized, electrostatic repulsion totally destroys the helical structure. (Please refer
to the Appendix (Table A-3) if you would like further discussion of the ionization behavior of amino acids at various
pH values.)
If the amino acid composition of a real protein is such that the helical structure is extended a great distance along the
polypeptide backbone, the protein will be somewhat rigid and fibrous (not all rigid fibrous proteins are helical,
though). This structure is common in many structural proteins, such as the -keratin in hair.
Another hydrogen-bonded configuration is the structure. In this form, the molecule is almost completely extended
(repeat distance = 7 ) and hydrogen bonds form between peptide groups of polypeptide segments lying adjacent and
parallel with one another (Figure 4-5(a)). The side chains lie alternately above and below the main chain.
Two segments of a polypeptide chain (or two chains) can form two types of structure, which depend on the relative
orientations of the segments. If both segments are aligned in the N-terminal-to-C-terminal direction or in the C-terminalto-N-terminal direction, the structure is parallel. If one segment is N-terminal-to-C-terminal and the other is
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c
Figure 4-5
structures.
(a) Two regions of nearly extended chains are hydrogenbonded (red dots) in
an antiparallel array (arrows). The side chains (R) are alternately up and down.
(b) Antiparalleland and parallel structures in a single molecule.
(c) A large number of adjacent chains forming a pleat.
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C-terminal-to-N-terminal, the structure is antiparallel. Figure 4-5(b) shows how both the parallel and antiparallel
structures can occur within a single polypeptide chain.
When many polypeptides interact in the way just described, a pleated structure results called the -pleated sheet (Figure
4-5(c)). These sheets can be stacked and held together in rather large arrays by van der Waals attractions and are often
found in fibrous structures such as silk.
Protein Structure
Few proteins are pure helix or structure; usually regions having each structure are found within a protein. Since
these configurations are rigid, a protein in which most of the chain has one of these forms is usually long and thin and is
called a fibrous protein. In contrast are the quasispherical proteins called the globular proteins in which helices and
structures are short and interspersed with randomly coiled regions and compact structures.
The fibrous proteins are typically responsible for the structure of cells, tissues, and organisms. Some examples of
structural proteins are collagen (the protein of tendon, cartilage, and bone), elastin (a skin protein), and spectrin (a
protein that contributes to cell shape). Some of the fibrous proteins are not soluble in waterexamples are the proteins of
hair and silk.
The catalytic and regulatory functions of cells are performed by proteins that have a well-defined but deformable
structure. These are the globular proteins, of which the catalytic proteins, or enzymes, are the most widely studied.
Globular proteins are compact molecules having a generally spherical or ellipsoidal shape. Large segments of the
polypeptide backbone of a typical globular protein are -helical. However, the molecule is extensively bent and folded.
Usually, the stiffer -helical segments alternate with very flexible randomly coiled regions, which permit bending of the
chain without excessive mechanical strain. Numerous segments of the chain, which might be quite distant along the
backbone, form short parallel and antiparallel structures (Figure 4-5(b)); these are also responsible in part for the
folding of the backbone (Figure 4-5(c)). The extensive folding of the backbone is usually called the tertiary structure or
tertiary folding.
A very important distinction can be made between secondary and tertiary structure; namely,
Secondary structure results from hydrogen-bonding between peptide groups that are close together in the
sequence of the polypeptide chain. Tertiary structures are formed from the folding of the secondary structures (
helices, sheets) to yield three-dimensional structures.
The most prevalent interactions responsible for tertiary structure are the following:
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1. Ionic bonds between oppositely charged groups in acidic and basic amino acids. For example, glutamic acid forming
an ionic interaction with lysine.
2. Hydrogen bonds between H-bond donors and acceptors in amino acid side chains. For example, the hydroxyl group
in tyrosine and a carboxyl group of aspartic or glutamic acids.
3. Hydrophobic clustering between the hydrocarbon side chains of nonpolar residues such as phenylalanine, leucine,
isoleucine, and valine.
4. Metal-ion coordination complexes between amino, hydroxyl, and carboxyl groups, ring nitrogens, and pairs of SH
groups.
Hydrophobic clustering (see preceding item 3) is the most important stabilizing feature (please refer to the Appendix).
Figure 4-6 shows a schematic diagram of a hypothetical protein (in two dimensions) in which several of these
interactions determine the structure. This figure should be examined carefully, for it indicates the role of different
features of a protein molecule in determining the overall
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Figure 4-6
A hypothetical globular protein having several types of side-chain interactions.
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conformation of the molecule. One can see the following:

1. Disulfide bonds bring distant amino acids together.
2. Hydrophobic interactions bring distant amino acids together.
3. Hydrogen bonds sometimes bring distant amino acids together, but usually a single hydrogen bond makes a more subtle change in
position.
4. Electrostatic interactions bring amino acids together or keep them apart, depending on the signs of the charges.
5. A structure brings distant segments of the polypeptide backbone together and creates rigidity.
6. An helix makes adjacent regions of a polypeptide backbone stiff and linear.
7. Van der Waals attractions produce specific interactions between clusters of amino acids that may or may not be nearby in the
polypeptide chain.
(a)
(b)
(c)
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Figure 4-7
Idealized drawings of the tertiary structures of several globular proteins.
(a) Myohemerythrin and tobacco mosaic coat protein are mostly helical.
(b) Prealbumin and the immunoglobulin V2 domain are predominantly sheet,
(c) Pyruvate kinase, domain 1, and hexokinase, domain 2, have helical and
sheet structures.
(Adapted and redrawn from Mathews and van Holde, Biochemistry. Menlo
Park, CA: Benjamin Cummings, 1990.)
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Figure 4-7 shows the structures of a number of globular proteins; some are predominantly -helical (a), some are
predominantly sheet (b), and some are mixed helix and sheet (c).
Key Concept
The "Shape/size" Concept

The specific function that a macromolecule is best suited to perform is largely dictated by its size, shape, and charge.
Those parameters set distinct limits on the number and types of interactions and relationships in which macromolecules
can participate.
Proteins with Subunits
A polypeptide chain usually folds so that nonpolar side chains are internalthat is, isolated from water. However, it is
rarely possible for a polypeptide chain to fold in such a way that all nonpolar groups are internal. It is thus often the
case that nonpolar amino acids on the surface form clusters in an effort to minimize contact with water. A protein
molecule having a large hydrophobic patch can further reduce contact with water by pairing with a hydrophobic patch
on another protein molecule. Similarly, if a molecule has several distantly located hydrophobic patches, a structure
consisting of several protein molecules in contact effectively minimizes contact with water. The protein is then said to
consist of identical subunits; this is in fact a very common phenomenon, with two, three, four, and six subunits
occurring most frequently. A multisubunit protein may also contain unlike subunits, and this is quite common. For
example, hemoglobin, the oxygen carrier of blood, consists of four subunits, two each of two different types; likewise,
RNA polymerase, which catalyzes synthesis of RNA, has five subunits of which four are different; and DNA
polymerase III, which synthesizes DNA in E. coli, consists of ten different subunits.
Multisubunit proteins have certain advantages, particularly with respect to economy of synthesis and regulation of
enzymatic activity. An example of a multisubunit protein, whose physical and biological properties are well known, is
immunoglobulin G. It will be described in some detail in the following paragraphs; its synthesis is discussed in Chapter
13.
The immunoglobulins (antibodies) are the proteins of the immune system. Their function is to interact with specific
foreign molecules (antigens) and thereby render them inactive. This interaction is called the antigen-antibody reaction.
The best-understood immunoglobulin is immunoglobulin G (IgG); other classes of immunoglobulins are IgA, IgM, IgD,
and IgE. In this section, we shall examine only the IgG class, itself comprising several subclasses defined by slight
structural differences.
Cleavage of the disulfide bonds of IgG yields two polypeptide chains whose molecular weights are about 25,000 and
50,000. The lighter polypep-
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tide is called an L chain; the heavier one is an H chain. IgG is a tetramer containing two L chains and two H chains. A
schematic structure of IgG is shown in Figure 4-8. Experimentally, IgG can be cleaved with the proteolytic enzyme
papain, which causes each of the H chains to break, as shown in the figure, thus producing three separate subunits. The
two units that consist of an L chain and a fragment of the H chain equal in mass to the L chain are called Fab fragments
(the subscript stands for antigen-binding). The third unit, consisting of two equal segments of the H chain, is called the
Fc (the subscript stands for ''constant" or "common") fragment.
Two sites on an IgG molecule can bind antigen. Each site is at the end of an Fab segment, as shown in Figure 4-9. The
Fc segment is not involved in antigen-antibody binding, but is used in later processes needed to destroy the antigen.
The amino acid sequences of many subclasses of IgG molecules, each capable of combining with only a single kind of
antigen molecule, have been determined. All immunoglobulins are structurally similar inasmuch as L and H chains both
have what is called a variable (V) and a constant (C) region.
The V and C regions have separate functions in IgG. The V regions confer antigen-binding specificity, whereas the C
regions are responsible for the overall structure of the molecule and for its recognition by other components of the
immune system.
The C regions of the L chains (CL) of all types of IgG molecules have an identical amino acid sequence. Likewise, the
C regions of all H chains (CH) are identical for all IgG, though different from the CL sequences.
(a)
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(b)
Figure 4-8
(a) The subunit structure of immunoglobulin G. There are two L
subunits and two H subunits. Disulfide bonds join each L strand to
an H strand and join the two H strands to one another. Treatment
with papain cleaves the H strands at the arrows, yielding two Fab
units (shaded black) and one Fc unit (shaded red).
(b) An electron micrograph showing two immunoglobulin G molecules
joined at the antigen binding site. The joining is a result of binding two
antigen molecules not visible in the micrograph but shown as red dots in
the interpretive drawing.
(Courtesy of R. C. Valentine.)
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Figure 4-9
Immunoglobulin G is a Y-shaped molecule. It contains a
hinge that gives it segmental flexibility.
The V regions differ from one type of IgG to the next, however, The arrangement of the CL, VL, CH, and VH regions is
Some of the similarities between amino acid sequences in different parts of an IgG molecule are quite striking. For
example, the C region of the H chain can be divided into three segments: CH1, CH2, and CH3, whose amino acid
sequences are quite similar though not identical to one another. And the sequence of CL resembles the CH sequences,
though generally they are different. The VL and VH sequences for a particular IgG molecule also are nearly the same.
This means that the IgG molecule, which already has twofold symmetry, consists of four domains, each of which has
twofold symmetry, as shown in Figure 4-10, in which the intensity of the shading indicates two homologous regions.
The symmetry of the molecules is made especially evident in Figure 4-11, which shows the three-dimensional structure
of IgG. A feature of IgG, not clearly shown in the figure, is that the antigen-binding site is formed by joining parts of
different subunits, namely, the VH and VL regions. Formation of a binding site by a subunit interaction is a property of
many multisubunit proteins.
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Figure 4-10
Model of an antibody molecule showing arrangement of the variable
and constant regions of the IgG (a) L chain and (b) H chain.
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Figure 4-11
Schematic drawing of the three-dimensional structure of an IgG molecule. One of the H chains is
shown in dark red, the other in dark gray. One of the L chains is shown in light red, the other in light gray.
(After E. W. Silverton, M. A. Navia, and D. R. Davies. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 1944; 74: 5142.
Key Concept
The "Shapes and Surfaces" Concept

Subtle features of the shape and surface characteristics of a macromolecule allow it to interact with complementary surfaces on a
neighboring macromolecule.
The structures of some multisubunit proteins are quite complex. For example, collagen, the protein of tendon, cartilage, bone, and
skin, is formed by the mutual binding of three polypeptide chains as a triple helix and the interaction of numerous triple helices to
form a tough fiber.
Enzymes
Enzymes are special proteins able to catalyze chemical reactions. Their catalytic power exceeds all manmade catalysts. A typical
enzyme accelerates a reaction 108- to 1010-fold, though there are enzymes that increase the reaction rate by a factor of 1015.
Enzymes are also highly specific in that each catalyzes only a single reaction or set of closely related reactions. Furthermore, only
a small number of reactants, often only one, can participate in a single catalyzed reaction. Since nearly every biological reaction
is catalyzed by an enzyme, these clearly require a very large number of distinct enzyme molecules.
The detailed mechanism of catalysis by particular enzymes is beyond
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the scope of this book. All enzymes, however, have certain general features, the knowledge of which is important for
understanding molecular biological phenomena. These features are described in this unit.
Key Concept
The "Enzyme Catalysis" Concept

Enzymes lower the activation energies of the chemical groups that participate in a reaction, and thereby speed up the
reaction.
The Enzyme-Substrate Complex
In any reaction that is enzymatically catalyzed, one reactant always forms a tight complex with the enzyme. This
reactant is called the substrate of the enzyme; in descriptive formulas, it is denoted S. The complex between the enzyme
E and the substrate is called the enzyme-substrate or ES complex.
The substrate binds to a region of the enzyme called the active site, and it is here that the chemistry occurs. The active
site is often a cleft in the enzyme, with some side chains of amino acids contributing to the binding of the substrate and
others to the catalysis of the reaction. The extraordinary selectivity in enzyme catalysis is almost entirely a result of
specificity of enzyme-substrate binding. After the ES complex forms, the substrate is usually altered in some way that
facilitates further reaction. When the substrate is in the altered state, the ES-complex is said to be active and is usually
denoted (ES). The (ES) complex then engages in one or a series of transformations, which result in conversion of the
substrate to the product and dissociation of the product from the enzyme. The extent to which ES forms is determined
by the strength of binding between E and S; this is called the affinity of E and S.
Theories of Formation of the Enzyme-Substrate Complex
Catalysis by an enzyme occurs in several stepsbinding of the substrate, conversion to the product, and release of the
product. The initial step, formation of the ES complex, is in principle easy to understand and is often considered in
thinking about molecules. The subsequent rearrangements are chemical phenomena and will not be discussed in this
book.
There are two major theories of enzyme binding, the lock-and-key and induced-fit models (Figure 4-12). In the lockand-key model, the shape of the active site of the enzyme is complementary to the shape of the substrate. In the inducedfit model, the enzyme changes shape upon binding the substrate, and the active site has a shape that is complementary to
that of the substrate only after the substrate is bound. For every enzymesubstrate interaction examined to date, one of
these two models applies. However, enzyme catalysis is generally best described by the induced-fit model. It is often the
case, though, that the substrate itself undergoes a
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Figure 4-12
Two models for enzyme-substrate binding.
(a) The lock-and-key model. The active site of the enzyme by itself is complementary
in shape to that of the substrate.
(b) The induced-fit model. The enzyme changes shape upon binding a substrate. The
active site has a shape complementary to that of the substrate only after the substrate
is bound.
small change in shape; in fact, the strain to which the substrate is subjected is often the principle mechanism of catalysisthat is,
the substrate is held in an enormously reactive configuration.
Molecular Details of an Enzyme-Substrate Complex
The first detailed analysis of enzyme-substrate binding was carried out using hen egg-white lysozyme. This enzyme cleaves
certain bonds between sugar residues in some of the polysaccharide components of bacterial cell walls and is responsible for
maintaining sterility within eggs. The amino acid sequence of lysozyme is shown in Figure 4-13. The 19 amino acids that are part
of the active site are printed in red; it should be noticed that they form widely separated clusters along the chain. Only when the
chain is folded do they come into proximity and form the active site. The folding of the chain is shown in Figure 4-14. The deep
cleft indicated by the arrow is the active site. This is seen more clearly in the space-filling model shown in Figure 4-15. The
substrate is a hexasaccharide segment that fits into
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Figure 4-13
Schematic diagram of the amino acid sequence of lysozyme showing that the amino acids (red) in the active
site are separated along the chain. Folding of the chain brings these amino acids together.
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Figure 4-14
Three-dimensional structure of lysozyme. Only the -carbon
atoms are shown. The active site is in the cleft indicated
by the arrow.
(Courtesy of Dr. David Phillips.)
the cleft and is distorted upon binding. The enzyme itself changes shape when the substrate is bound.
Another enzyme, yeast hexokinase A, has been studied in order to examine what structural changes occur on substrate
binding; these changes are now well documented. This is shown in the pair of space-filling models shown in Figure 416.
A Future Application
With increasing knowledge of the mechanism of action and substrate specificity of various enzyme proteins, it is now
feasible to custom-design inhibitors to shut down the activity of some of those enzymes. For example, researchers are
presently attempting to design inhibitors to protein kinases and protein phosphatases. These proteins play key roles in
allowing cells
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Figure 4-15
A space-filling molecular model of the enzyme lysozyme.
The arrow points to the cleft that accepts the polysaccharide
substrate. (C atoms are black; H, white; N, gray; O, gray
with slots.)
(Courtesy of John A. Rupley.)
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(a)
(b)
Figure 4-16
Structure of yeast hexokinase A. All atoms except hydrogen
are shown separately.
(a) Free hexokinase and its substrate, glucose.
(b) Hexokinase complexed with glucose. Note that glucose
binding causes two domains to move together and close
the binding site cleft.
(With permission, from J. Bennett and T. A. Steitz, J. Mol. Biol.,
140: 211. Copyright 1980: Academic Press Inc. [London] Ltd.)
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to translate information received from the environment. Their "language" involves modifying the function of specific
proteins by attaching (kinases) or removing (phosphatases) phosphates. Because uncontrolled phosphorylation or
dephosphorylation has been implicated in cancer, many researchers are interested in developing specific inhibitors to
kinases and phosphatases. The design of such inhibitors is based on the recently elucidated 3-D structures and catalytic
mechanisms of these phospho-transfer enzymes.
Summary
The primary structure of a polypeptide is the linear sequence of amino acids connected by peptide bonds. Secondary
structure involves H-bonding between nearby peptide bonds. In the helix, each peptide group H-bonds with groups
three ahead and behind itself. Each turn contains 3.6 amino acids. The side chains stick out from the helical core. The
sheet is more extended, and the H-bonding occurs between peptide units in two or more
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adjacent polypeptide chains that can be parallel or antiparallel to one another. The side chains extend alternately above
and below the sheet. Tertiary structure is the overall folding of a polypeptide in which secondary structure domains are
positioned via long-range interactions which may be covalentfor example, disulfide bonds, ionic (repulsion or attraction
of charged side chains), hydrophobic (clustering of nonpolar side chains), or H-bonds. Fibrous proteins have long,
uninterrupted sections of helix or sheet; globular proteins are more spherical, with short stretches of secondary
structure. Generally, polar side chains are on the surface near water, and nonpolar side chains are internal, away from
water. Multisubunit proteins contain several polypeptidesfor example, antibodies that contain two heavy and two light
chains. The antigen-binding site is formed by the interaction of two chains, a common property for binding and active
sites. Enzymes are protein catalysts that speed up the rate of cellular reactions. The active site is where substrate is
bound, forming an enzymesubstrate complex where chemical reactions take place. These steps are facilitated by amino
acid side chains, often from separated regions of the polypeptide. Substrate binding may occur by a lock-and-key
mechanism, in which the active site is of complementary shape to the substrate; or more often by an induced-fit
mechanism, in which both the active site and substrate change shape slightly, thus facilitating catalysis.
Drill Questions
1. (a) Which amino acids are polar and which are nonpolar?
(b) Is isoleucine more nonpolar than alanine? Why?
2. About which bond in the polypeptide backbone is there no free rotation?
3. Name the kinds of bonds in proteins in which the side chains of each of the following amino acids might participate:
cysteine; arginine; valine; aspartic acid.
4. What would you guess to be the environment of a glutamate that is internal? What is the environment of an internal
lysine?
5. Which of the following sets of three amino acids are probably clustered within a protein? (a) Asn, Gly, Lys; (b) Met,
Asp, His; (c) Phe, Val, Ile; (d) Tyr, Ser, Lys; (e) Ala, Arg, Pro.
6. For a particular enzyme, 15 amino acid residues are known to be at the active site of the molecule. What would you
expect their relative positions to be in the primary sequence of the protein?
7. What is meant by the primary, secondary, and tertiary structure of a protein?
8. What would be the most likely general tertiary structure for a protein
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with very long helical or structure domains? With many short regions of helix and-or structure?
9. What is meant by induced-fit? How does this facilitate catalysis?
Problems
1. State whether the following polypeptides would aggregate to form a multisubunit protein consisting of identical
subunits and give the reason for your conclusion.
(a) The folded molecule contains distinct surface regions with complementary shapes, and no polar amino acids
are nearby.
(b) There is a large hydrophobic cluster in a crevice just below the surface.
(c) The protein has a large hydrophobic patch flanked by two lysines.
(d) The surface has a region where positively and negatively charged amino acids alternate in a linear array.
2. Is an enzyme likely to have a very rigid configuration? Explain.
3. In general, a diploid cell containing the + and - alleles encoding an enzyme E has an E+ phenotype. Suppose you
isolated a particular mutant that yields an E- phenotype even when the + allele is present. Suggest a possible explanation
for the observed phenomenon.
4. Many proteins consist of several identical subunits. Some of these proteins have a single binding site, whereas others
have several identical binding sites. What might you predict about the locations of the binding sites in these two classes
of multisubunit proteins?
5. Assuming you had a way to look at the exact structure of the active site of an enzyme or binding protein, both before
and after binding, how might you distinguish between the lock-and-key and induced-fit models of substrate binding?
Explain the expected results.
1. How might the various amino acid side chains (functional groups) that are associated with the active site of an
enzyme chemically aid in the binding or catalysis of the substrate?
2. Enzymatic reactions are very fast, accelerated up to 1015-fold. Suggest ways that you might slow this down in the
laboratory in order to be able to study the mechanism of a particular enzyme activity.
3. It is generally estimated that in a typical cell 1,0002,000 different chemical reactions are catalyzed by enzymes. Why
do you suppose it is necessary that each of those reactions have its own special enzyme?
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Chapter 5
Seldom do macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids exist in a fully independent state in the living cell. Most
often they are associated with other macromolecules (e.g., other proteins and/or nucleic acids, or membrane lipids).
Such macromolecular complexes enhance the funtional capacity of a cell, for the "1 + 1 = 3" effect comes into play.
That is, working in combination, the whole (complex) is greater than the sum of its parts.
In this chapter two mammoth macromolecular complexes will be studied: chromosomes and membranes. Chromosomes
represent complexes of DNA and proteins, which are twisted, folded, and compacted into the tightly organized
structures common to the nuclei of all eukaryotic organisms.
Membranes represent another example of macromolecules consisting of combined structural subunits. In this case we
will learn about lipids that are organized in a bilayer membrane configuration and the variety of proteins associated with
those membranes. Membranes serve many functions: They partition the cell into compartments, anchor cytoskeletal
elements, screen molecules for passage into and out of the cell/nucleus, connect cells to each other, and pass signals
between cells. That remarkable array of functions can be traced to the structure of the bilayer and the diverse proteins
embedded in it!
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In this chapter you will learn

1. About the organization of prokaryotic and eukaryotic
genomes.
2. Several characteristics of proteins that interact with
DNA.
3. About several aspects of biological membranes.
Interactions between Macromolecules underlie most biological phenomena. Structural components both within individual cells
and in-between the cells associated with various tissues and organs invariably consist of assemblies of macromolecules. For
example, nucleic acids are often associated with proteins as in chromosomes (which are DNA-protein complexes), viral nucleic
acids are encased in protein shells, and bone and cartilage are complex assemblies of proteins and other macromolecules.
Proteins can also interact with lipids to produce membranes such as those that separate the contents of a cell from the
environment, and that separate different intracellular components from one another. Finally, polysaccharides form
extraordinarily complex structures such as the cell walls of bacteria and of plants.
The study of such complex structures and how they are formed is called structural biology. A few structures are almost
completely understood and many more are actively being studied. In this chapter
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only a few structures will be described. These have been selected by two criteria: They are of general importance, or
they illustrate general principles and their structures are reasonably well understood. We will begin by reviewing the
structure of one macromolecular complexthe E. coli chromosome.
A Complex DNA Structure: The E. Coli Chromosome
All genes of E. coli, and presumably of most bacteria, are contained on a single supercoiled circular DNA molecule.
The total length of the circle is about 1300 m. A cylindrical bacterium has a diameter and a length of about 1 and 3 m
respectively (Figure 5-1); clearly the bacterial DNA must be highly folded when it is in a cell.
When E. coli DNA is isolated by a technique that avoids both breakage of the molecule and denaturation of proteins, a
highly compact structure known as a bacterial chromosome, or nucleoid, is found. This structure contains protein and a
single supercoiled DNA molecule. Some RNA is
(a)
(b)
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Figure 5-1
(a) Schematic diagram showing the relative sizes
of E. coli and its DNA molecule, drawn to the
same scale except for the width of the DNA
molecule, which is enlarged approximately 106 times.
(b) An E. coli cell, whose DNA has bound an
added fluorescent dye.
(Courtesy of Todd Steck and Karl Drlica.)
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Figure 5-2
An electron micrograph of an E. coli chromosome, showing the multiple
loops emerging from a central region or scaffold.
(Bluegenes #1. 1983. All rights reserved by Designergenes Posters Ltd.)
also present in the isolated nucleoid, but it is probably not an essential component, possibly becoming associated with
the structure during the isolation procedure. An electron micrograph of the E. coli chromosome is shown in Figure 5-2.
The particular feature of the structure to note is that the DNA is in the form of loops, which are supercoiled and emerge
from a dense protein-containing structure, sometimes called the scaffold. The physical dimensions of the isolated
chromosome are affected by a variety of factors, and some controversy exists about the state of the nucleoid within the
cell. If the nucleoid is treated with an enzyme that degrades proteins or various detergents that break down proteinprotein interactions, the chromosome expands markedly, though it remains much more compact than a free DNA
molecule. As proteins are removed, the scaffold is disrupted and the chromosome goes through a series of transitions
between forms having different degrees of compactness. The conclusion from these and other observations is that the
chromosome is held in compact form by the binding of different regions of the DNA molecule to the scaffold. Whether
the scaffold has a well-defined organization and is a true ''structure" (as opposed to a disorganized aggregate) is not
known.
Chromosome Superstructure is Elucidated by Enzyme Treatment
Treatment of a chromosome with very tiny amounts of a DNase, producing single-strand breaks, followed by
sedimentation in a centrifuge of the treated DNA, gives some insight into the physical structure of the chromo-
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some. In Chapter 3 it was explained that if a typical supercoiled naked DNA molecule receives one single-strand break, the strain
of underwinding is immediately removed by free rotation about the opposing sugar-phosphate bond, and all supercoiling is lost.
Since a nicked circle is much less compact than a supercoil of the same molecular weight, the nicked circle sediments much more
slowly. Thus, one single-strand break causes an abrupt decrease (by about 30%) in the s value (a centrifugation measure).
If one single-strand break, however, is introduced by a nuclease into the E. coli chromosome, the s value decreases by only a few
percent. Furthermore, a second break causes a second decrease in the s value, and subsequent breaks cause additional stepwise
changes. After about 45 breaks, the form of the chromosome remains constant. This clearly indicates that free rotation of the entire
DNA molecule does not occur when a single-strand break is introduced. The structure of the E. coli chromosome that has been
deduced from these data is shown in Figure 5-3. The DNA is assumed to be fixed to the scaffold at approximately 100 positions,
each of which prevents free rotation, so there would be about 100 supercoiled loops of DNA. One single-strand break would then
cause one supercoiled loop to become open, and each subsequent break would, on the average, open another loop. This notion has
been confirmed in electron micrographs of chromosomes in which there are one or two nicks; structures such as that in Figure 5-2,
but with one or two open loops, are observed.
The enzyme DNA gyrase, which plays an important role in DNA replication (see Chapter 7), is responsible for the supercoiling. If
coumer-mycin, an inhibitor of E. coli DNA gyrase, is added to a culture of E. coli cells, the chromosome loses its supercoiling in
about one generation time. Indirect measurements of the number of binding sites for gyrase on the chromosome indicate that there
are roughly 45 sites. The spatial distribution of these sites is not known, but it is tantalizing to think that there may be one binding
site in each supercoiled loop.
In the next section it will be seen that DNA is arranged in a much more complex way in eukaryotic cells.
Figure 5-3
A schematic drawing of the highly folded supercoiled E. coli chromosome, showing
only 15 of the approximately 100 loops attached to the scaffold and the opening of a
loop by a single-strand break (nick).
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Chromosomes and Chromatin
Figure 5-4
Human chromosomes from a cell at metaphase. Each
chromosome is partially separated along its long axis prior
to separation of the two daughter chromosomes. The
constriction is the site of attachment to the mitotic spindle.
(Courtesy of Theodore Puck.)
The DNA of all eukaryotes is organized into morphologically distinct units called chromosomes (Figure 5-4). Each
chromosome contains only a single enormous DNA molecule. For example, the DNA molecule in a single chromosome
of the fruit fly Drosophila has a molecular weight greater than 1010 and a length of 1.2 cm. (Since the width of all DNA
molecules is 2.0 nm or 2 10-7 cm, the ratio of length to width of Drosophila DNA has the extraordinarily high value
of 6 106.) These molecules are much too long to be seen in their entirety by electron microscopy because, at the
minimum magnification needed to see a DNA molecule, the field of view is only about 0.01 cm across.
A chromosome is much more compact than a DNA molecule and in fact a DNA molecule cannot spontaneously fold to
form such a compact structure because the molecule would be strained enormously. Instead, DNA is made compact by a
hierarchy of different types of folding, each of which is mediated by one or more protein molecules.
Organization of DNA into Chromosomes Requires Histone Proteins
The DNA molecule in a eukaryotic chromosome is bound to basic proteins called histones. The complex comprising
DNA and histones is called chromatin. There are five major classes of histonesH1, H2A, H2B, H3, and H4whose
properties are listed in Table 5-1. Histones have an unusual amino acid composition in that they are extremely rich in
the positively charged amino acids lysine and arginine. The lysine-to-arginine ratio differs in each type of histone. The
positive charge of the histones is one of the major features of the molecules, enabling them to bind to the negatively
charged phosphates of the DNA. This electrostatic attraction is apparently the most important stabilizing force in
chromatin since, if chromatin is placed in solutions of high salt concentration (e.g., 0.5 M NaCl), which breaks down
electrostatic interactions, chromatin dissociates to yield free histones and free DNA. Chromatin can also be
reconstituted by mixing
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TABLE 5-1 TYPES OF HISTONES

TYPE
LYS/ARG RATIO
LOCATION
H1
20.0
Linker
H2A
1.25
Core
H2B
2.5
Core
H3
0.72
Core
H4
0.79
Core
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Figure 5-5
Electron micrograph of chromatin. The
beadlike particles have diameters of nearly 100 .
(Courtesy of Ada Olins.)
purified histones and DNA in a concentrated salt solution and gradually lowering the salt concentration by dialysis.
Reconstitution experiments have been carried out in which histones from different organisms are mixed. Usually, almost any
combination of histones works because, except for H1, the histones from different organisms are very much alike. In fact, the
amino acid sequences of both H3 and H4 are nearly identical (sometimes one or two of the amino acids differ) from one
organism to the next. Histone H4 from the cow differs by only two amino acids from peasarginine for lysine and isoleucine for
valinewhich shows that the structure of histones has not changed in the 109 years since plants and animals diverged. Clearly,
histones are very special proteins indeed.
As a cell passes through its growth cycle, chromatin structure changes. In a resting cell the chromatin disperses, but it does not
spread throughout the entire nucleus. Rather, the chromatin associated with individual chromosomes appears to remain
localized within the nucleus. Later, after DNA replication has occurred, the chromatin condenses about 100-fold and
chromosomes form. Chromosomes have been isolated and gradually dissociated, and chromosomes at various degrees of
dissociation have been observed by electron microscopy. The most elementary structural unit is a fiber 10 nm wide, which
appears like a string of beads (Figure 5-5). The beadlike structure, which is chromatin, is also seen when chromatin is isolated
from resting cells. The structural hierarchy of a chromosome, which has been deduced from a variety of studies, is shown in
Figure 5-6. The higher orders of structure are still somewhat speculative, but a great deal of information is known about the
beads themselves, each of which is an ordered aggregate of DNA and histones.
Prior to electron microscopic studies, the effect of various DNA endonucleases on chromatin also suggested that chromatin
contains repeating units. Treatment of chromatin with pancreatic DNase I (which cannot
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Figure 5-6
Various stages in the condensation of (a) DNA and (be) chromatin in forming
(f) a metaphase chromosome. The dimensions indicate known sizes of intermediates, but the
detailed structures are hypothetical. Note that each diagram represents a magnified portion
of a section of the next diagram in the series.
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(a)
(b)
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(c)
Figure 5-7
(a) The DNase-digestion method for production of
individual nucleosomes and 200-base-pair fragments (b, c).
(b) Electron micrographs of monomers and dimers.
(c) Nucleosomes produced as described in part (a).
(From J. T. Finch, M. Noll, and R. D. Kornberg. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci.,
1975. 72: 3321.)
attack DNA that is in contact with protein) yields a collection of small particles containing DNA and histones (Figure 57). If, after enzymatic digestion, the histones are removed, DNA fragments having roughly 200 base-pairs, or a multiple
of 200, are found. After a long period of digestion the multiple-size units are not found, and all of the DNA has the 200base-pair-unit size. Fragments have also been isolated before removal of the histones and then been examined by
electron microscopy; it has been found that a fragment containing 200n base-pairs consists of n connected beads,
indicating that there is a fundamental bead unit containing about 200 base-pairs.
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DNA Is Organized into Nucleosome Core Particles

The beadlike particles are called nucleosomes. Each nucleosome is found to consist of one molecule of histone H1, two
molecules each of histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4, and a DNA fragment. Treatment of the nucleosomes (which have
been obtained by digestion of chromatin with pancreatic DNase) with the enzyme micrococcal nuclease gradually
removes additional amounts of DNA. All histones remain associated with the DNA until the number of base-pairs is
less than 160, at which point H1 is lost. More bases can be removed, but the number cannot be reduced to less than 140
base-pairs. The structure that remains is called the core particle. It contains an octameric protein disc consisting of two
copies each of H2A, H2B, H3, and H4, around which the 140-base-pair segment is wrapped like a ribbon (Figure 5-8).
Thus a nucleosome consists of a core particle, additional DNA that links adjacent core particles, and one molecule of
H1. The H1 binds to the histone octamer and the linker DNA, causing the linkers extending from both sides of the core
particle to cross and draw nearer to the octamer, though some of the DNA does not come into contact with any histones.
The overall structure of the chromatin fibril is probably a zigzag, as shown in panels (d) and (e) of Figure 5-6. Assembly
of DNA and histones is the first stage of shortening of the DNA strand in a chromosomenamely, a sevenfold reduction
in length of the DNA and the formation of a beaded flexible fiber 11 nm wide, roughly five times the width of free
DNA.
The binding of DNA and histones has been examined and it appears that about 80 percent of the amino acids in the
histones are in -helical regions. Preliminary data suggest that many of the extended -helical regions lie in the major
groove of the DNA helix, and that the complex is stabilized by an electrostatic attraction between the positively charged
lysines and arginines of the histones and the negatively charged phosphates of the DNA.
The DNA content of nucleosomes varies from one organism to the next, ranging from 150-to-240 base-pairs per unit.
The core particles of all organisms have the same DNA content (146 base-pairs), so that the
Figure 5-8
Schematic diagram of nucleosome core particle. The DNA molecule
is wound 1 turns around a histone octamer (2 molecules
each of histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4). Histone H1 is bound
to the DNA between nucleosomes.
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Figure 5-9
A proposed solenoidal model
of chromatin. Six nucleosomes
(shaded) form one turn of the
helix. The DNA double helix
(shown in red) is wound
around each nucleosome.
(After J. T. Finch and A. Klug. Proc.
Nat. Acad. Sci., 1976. 73: 1900.)
observed variation results from different sizes of the DNA between the nucleosomes (namely, 10100 nucleotide pairs).
Little is known about the structure of DNA, which runs between nucleosomes, or whether it has a special function, and
the cause of variation of its length is unknown.
In forming a compact chromosome, the DNA molecule is folded and refolded in several ways, as shown in Figure 5-6.
The second level of folding is the shortening of the 11-nm fiber to form a solenoidal supercoil with six nucleosomes per
turn, called the 30-nm fiber (Figures 5-6(c) and 5-9); this form has been isolated and well characterized. The remaining
levels of organizationfolding of the 30-nm fiber and further folding of the folded structureshown in Figure 5-6(df), are
less well understood. Electron micrographs of isolated metaphase chromosomes from which histones have been
removed indicate that the partially unfolded DNA has the form of an enormous number of loops that seem to extend
from a central core or scaffold, composed of nonhistone chromosomal proteins, as was seen for the E. coli chromosome
(Figure 5-10).
It is interesting to compare and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic chromosome compaction. Though we have focused
on the protein scaffold with prokaryotes and the histones with eukaryotes, the two systems also have similarities.
Though prokaryotes do not have nucleosomes, when E. coli chromosomes are carefully prepared they display areas with
a beaded appearance. Thus, prokaryotic DNA is likely complexed, to one extent or another, with a histone-like protein
(in addition to the scaffold proteins).
Though histones play a central role in compacting the eukaryotic chromosome, only half of the proteins in the
eukaryotic chromosome are true histones. Many of the rest are involved in the formation of the eukaryotic scaffold seen
in Figure 5-10.
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Figure 5-10
Electron micrograph of a segment of a human
metaphase chromosome from which the
histones have been chemically removed. The
dense network near the bottom of the figure
is the protein scaffold to which the DNA
loops are attached and on which the
chromosome is assembled. (Courtesy
of Ulrich Laemmli.)
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Interaction of DNA and Proteins That Recognize a Specific Base Sequence

In the formation of chromatin the histones do not bind to specific base sequences. Rather, they recognize only the
general DNA structure. The positive charges of the amino groups on some of the amino acid side chains (e.g., lysine
and arginine) in histones electrostatically bond to the negatively charged phosphates on DNA's backbone. There are also
other proteins, such as the topoisomerases we encountered in Chapter 3, which likewise bind to the general DNA
structure, rather than to specific base sequences.
In addition to those "nonspecific" DNA-binding proteins, there are, however, numerous proteins that bind only to
particular sequences of bases. We will encounter many such proteins in later chapters of this book (for example, see
Chapters 1113). Now, while on the subject of macromolecular complexes, is an appropriate time to learn about their
general features.
These proteins usually form relatively weak hydrogen bonds to certain DNA sequences. They are of three main types:
(1) polymerases, which initiate synthesis of DNA and RNA from particular base sequences; (2) regulatory proteins,
which turn on and off the activity of particular genes by interacting with specific base sequences; and (3) certain
nucleases, which cut phosphodiester bonds between a single pair of adjacent nucleotides contained in unique sequences
of four to six nucleotides. A general pattern seems to be emerging from studies of literally dozens of such proteins that
applies to sequence-specific binding. This pattern is the following:
1. The base sequence of the DNA has some sort of twofold symmetry, allowing binding of the protein to two sites.
2. The protein-DNA contact region is on only one side of the DNA molecule.
3. The protein usually has one or more -helical regions and these regions bind to the DNA within two adjacent turns of
the major groove of the DNA.
4. The protein usually is in the form of a dimer having twofold symmetry; the monomers are arranged so that the
helices are in a symmetric array that matches the symmetry of the base sequence.
5. Side chains of amino acids of the -helical regions are in contact with DNA bases in particular positions; the correct
bases must be present at those positions. A hydrogen-bonding complementarity between those specific bases and amino
acid side chains of the protein provides correct matching.
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Figure 5-11
The base sequence of one of the Cro protein binding
sites. This sequence is called oR3. The adenines and
guanines shown in Figure 5-12 are printed in red.
6. Positively charged amino acids often form ionic bonds with the phosphate groups, which are negatively charged.
Although this binding does not confer specificity, it stabilizes the interaction of the sequence-specific protein with DNA.
A detailed analysis of the structure of a DNA-protein complex is beyond the scope of this book. Some of the features
just listed, however, will be illustrated by an examination of the complex between the Cro protein of E. coli phage and
the operator sequence in DNA. Cro is a small protein, consisting of 66 amino acids; it forms a dimer and binds to a
DNA sequence containing 17 nucleotide pairs (Figure 5-11). Each monomer of the Cro protein contains three -helical
regions, one of which is in direct contact with DNA bases in the Cro-DNA complex. Figure 5-12 shows the binding
region of the DNA molecule, with the bases and phosphate groups that contact the Cro protein shown. These sites have
been identified by treating the complex with DNases (see Figure 5-7a) that attack "exposed" DNA but that cannot alter a
region of the DNA that is in contact with Cro. Analysis of the chemical structure of the DNA
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Figure 5-12
Points at which the oR3 region of DNA makes contact
with Cro. Phosphates are labeled P; guanines and adenines in
contact are solid black and red circles; guanines and adenines not
in contact are open black and red circles, respectively. Note that the
bases in contact are only in the wider (major) groove of the DNA.
(After W. F. Anderson et al. Nature, 1981. 290: 754.)
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Figure 5-13
Presumed structure of the Cro-oR3 complex. The DNA is rotated
90 relative to that in Figure 5-12 so that the contact points are on
the right side of the molecule. The amino termini of each Cro
monomer are labeled NO and NB. A pair of helices, related by
two-fold symmetry, occupy successive major grooves of the DNA
(arrows), and the two extended chains run parallel to the axis of the DNA.
(After W. F. Anderson et al. Nature, 1981. 290: 754.)
after exposure of the complex to these reagents showed that certain bases and phosphates were unaltered and, hence, are
in the contact region. Figure 5-13 shows the Cro-DNA complex. The symmetry of the Cro dimer is apparent; the
relevant helices are in the upper and lower parts of the dimer and can be seen to fit nicely into the major groove of the
DNA. This kind of symmetric binding array has been observed in repressor-operator binding (Chapters 11 and 12), in
binding of the E. coli CAP protein to the relevant sequence in the lac operon (Chapter 11), and in chromatin.
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A close look at the complex (for which there is not enough detail in the figures) would show that amino acids in each
Cro monomer are situated in a way that they can form hydrogen bonds with the DNA bases, which confers binding
specificity. They also interact electrostatically with the phosphate groups, as described in point 6 on the previous page.
This additional bonding confers further binding strength to the DNA-protein complex. DNA and its associated proteins
therefore comprise a true macromolecular complex. In the absence of those proteins, DNA's functional capacity is
minimal.
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KEY CONCEPT
The ''Macromolecular Complex" Concept

By acting in concert, the functional capacity and repertoires of proteins and nucleic acids is enhanced.
Biological Membranes
Figure 5-14
Electron micrograph of a preparation of plasma
membranes from red blood cells. A single
membrane is denoted by an arrow.
(Courtesy of Vincent Marchesi.)
Biological membranes are organized assemblies consisting mainly of proteins and lipids. The structures of all biological
membranes have many common features but small differences exist to accommodate the varied functions of different
membranes.
A basic function of membranes is to separate the contents of a cell from the environment. However, it is always
necessary for cells to take up nutrients from the surroundings; therefore, the enclosing membrane of a cell must be
permeable. The permeability of the membrane must be selective, though, so that the concentrations of compounds
within a cell can be controlled; otherwise, intracellular concentrations would be inseparable from extracellular
concentrations. Selective permeability is attained by means of restricting free passage of most intra- and extra-cellular
substances and allowing transport of specific substances by molecular pumps, channels, and gates. External membranes
also have a signal function. For instance, they often contain receptors for signal molecules such as hormones. The
external membrane is also responsible for transmitting electrical impulses, as in nerve cells.
There are also numerous types of intracellular membranes. These membranes serve to compartmentalize various
intracellular components as well as to provide surfaces on which certain molecules can be adsorbed prior to chemical
reaction with other adsorbed molecules.
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Figure 5-14 shows an electron micrograph in which the membrane enclosing a red blood cell is seen in cross-section.
The most notable feature of this membrane is that it consists of two layersit is called a membrane bilayer. This structure
is a consequence of the chemical nature of the lipids that form the membrane. There are many membrane lipids, of
which the most prevalent are the phospholipids, molecules consisting of a polar phosphate-containing group and two
long nonpolar hydrocarbon chains. Figure 5-15 shows a space-filling model of one phospholipid and a schematic
drawing. The essential feature of the molecule is a polar "head" group to which hydrocarbon "tails" are attached. Such a
molecule, which has distinct polar and nonpolar segments, is called amphipathic. When placed in water, amphipathic
molecules tend to spontaneously aggregate. This is because only the polar head is capable of interaction with the polar
water molecules. The hydrocarbon tails are brought together by hydrophobic (water-hating) interactionsthat is, they
cluster because they are unable to interact with water.
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(a)
(b)
Figure 5-15
(a) Space-filling model of phosphatidyl choline, a phospholipid.
(b) The essential features of a phospholipid or gycolipid
molecule, such as the one illustrated in (a).
Studies of synthetic vesicles formed from a single type of phospholipid and containing a variety of small molecules
have shown that the lipid bylayer is impermeable to all ions and highly polar molecules, raising the question of how
these molecules get in and out of cells. The answer is that naturally occurring biological membranes contain certain
proteins that are responsible for transport of all molecules having polar regions and for most nonpolar molecules as well.
Various Proteins Are Associated with Membranes
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There are two general classes of membrane proteinsthe integral membrane proteins, which are contained wholly or in
part within the membrane, and the peripheral proteins, which lie on the membrane surface and are bound to the integral
proteins. An electron micrograph of the plasma membrane of a red blood cell in which integral membrane proteins can
be seen is shown in Figure 5-16. The outer surface of the membrane is smooth, but the inner surface is covered with
many globular protein molecules.
Numerous physical measurements have shown that the integral membrane proteins can freely diffuse laterally
throughout the bilayer. The degree of motion is determined by the fluidity of the lipid layer, which is in turn a function
of the Van der Waals attractions between the hydrocarbon tails of the particular phospholipids in the membrane. The
fluid mosaic model of membrane structure (Figure 5-17) recognizes these features. It was further shown that the
proteins do not spontaneously rotate (flip-flop) from one side of the membrane to another. The integral proteins do not
spontaneously rotate because they have polar and nonpolar regions as shown in Figure 5-17. Since the external region is
polar and the internal region is nonpolar, rotation would require the passage of the polar region through the nonpolar
center of the bilayer.
One subclass of integral membrane proteins, transmembrane proteins, is embedded in the lipid bilayer core. Such
proteins actually span the membrane. Hence the term "transmembrane." Figure 5-18 illustrates their orientation within
the membrane.
Since different proteins protrude from the two sides of the membrane, the membrane is said to be an asymmetric
structure having (in the case of a cell) both an inside and an outside. It is this asymmetry that determines the direction of
movement of molecules entering and leaving a cell.
There are many modes of transport of molecules across the bilayer and only a few will be mentioned. One mode makes
use of channels through the membrane. These channels usually are passages through the integral membrane proteins;
the passages will have an abundance of polar amino acids if their function is to allow transit of polar substances. Often
the channels can be opened and closed by means of conformational changes of the membrane proteins. Such channels
are found in nerve cell membranes. When open, they permit sodium ions to enter and thereby change
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Figure 5-16
An electron micrograph of the plasma membrane of red blood cells. The interior
of the membrane, which has been exposed by fracture of the membrane, contains
numerous globular particles having a diameter of about 7.5 nm. These particles are
termed integral membrane proteins.
(Courtesy of Vincent Marchesi.)
the electrical properties of the cell. Other transport systems utilize chemical reactions that convert the substance to be
transported into a molecule that can enter the membrane and then, after transit of the modified molecule, restore the
original molecule at the other side of the membrane; these chemical mechanisms are usually very complex and consume
a great deal of energy.
Since the types of protein that are included in the lipid bilayer (Figure 5-17) to a large extent define the functional
properties of membranes of
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Figure 5-17
The structure of a membrane according to the fluid mosaic model. Four integral proteins (a)(d)
are embedded to various degrees into a lipid bilayer such that the hydrophobic surface of each
protein (heavy lines) is in the membrane and the polar region (indicated by
+ and -) is external. Peripheral proteins (e.g., (e)) are on the surface and bound to a polar
region of an integral protein. Integral proteins can drift
laterally but cannot flip-flop.
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Figure 5-18
Transmembrane proteins such as (b) in Figure 5-17 contain
-helices that extend through the lipid bilayer. The -helix
contains hydrophobic amino acids which facilitate
interactions with the hydrophobic core of the membrane.
different kinds of cells, methods for characterizing those proteins have been developed. Typically, detergents are
employed to solubilize the membrane and thereby release intramembrane proteins. Those proteins are then initially
characterized by using analytical methods such as gel electrophoresis (Chapter 2).
KEY CONCEPT
The "Connectedness" Concept

The cell's need for connectivity and communication to the outside is achieved through the action of various membrane
proteins.
Cytoskeletal Elements
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Anchored to the interior of the eukaryotic cell's membrane is a complex network of protein filaments. These filaments
exist in a dynamic, constantly reorganizing state. They thereby contribute to the cell's shape, its motility, and the
movement within the cell of various components (e.g., muscle contractile proteins). Three types of cytoskeletal
elements exist in most eukaryotic cells. Each represents a macromolecular complex: actin fila-
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Figure 5-19
Light micrograph of a cell stained by the fluorescent antibody technique, showing the
distribution of intermediate filaments throughout the cytoplasm. Intermediate
filaments are not present in the nucleus.
(Courtesy of Michael W. Klymkowsky.)
ments are composed of polymers of actin protein subunits; microtubules consist of aggregates of tubulin subunits; and
intermediate filaments consist of bundles of fibrous proteins.
These cellular components represent the largest protein complexes within a cell. In many instances they can be viewed
with various microscopic methods (e.g., Figure 5-19).
The intracellular malaria parasite Plasmodium is responsible for theworld-wide deaths of approximately two million
children each year. This parasite invades erythrocytes (red blood cells: see Figure 5-16) by binding to a specific
transmembrane protein (see Figure 5-18) called glycophorin. One component of the parasite's surface, also a
transmembrane protein, has recently been identified as being responsible for the attachment of the parasite to
glycophorin on the erythrocyte's surface. Thus, a protein-protein interaction mediates the infection process.
Much research is aimed at designing drugs or vaccines which will block that interaction, and thereby interrupt the hostparasite interaction that leads to malaria.
Summary
The E. coli chromosome (also called a nucleoid) consists of a single supercoiled, circular DNA molecule that is attached
to a dense protein-
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containing scaffold at various points. Using the enzyme DNase, it has been demonstrated that the DNA is attached to
the scaffold at approximately 100 points. The bacterial chromosome also has approximately 100 binding sites for DNA
gyrase, an enzyme responsible for supercoiling DNA. The organization of the eukaryotic genome is quite different, in
that more than one chromosome is present in the cell, and the degree of compaction is much higher. The DNA molecule
in a eukaryotic chromosome is first complexed with proteins called histones. Histones are rich in lysine and arginine,
and bind to DNA through electrostatic interactions with the phosphate groups. The DNA-histone complex (called
chromatin) has the appearance of beads on a string. The beads represent the core particletwo molecules each of histones
H2A, H2B, H3, and H4that form an octameric disc wrapped by 146 base-pairs of DNA. The DNA connecting the core
particles is called linker DNA, and it is to this that histone H1 binds. The chromatin coils to form a solenoid with six
nucleosomes per turn. Further folding and re-folding, and complexing with nonhistone chromosomal proteins, results in
a highly compact eukaryotic chromosome.
Certain proteins, namely polymerases, some nucleases, and regulatory proteins bind to DNA molecules at specific base
sequences. Although different proteins bind to different sequences, these proteins share several characteristics: the
protein and the DNA sequence to which it binds have two-fold symmetry, the region of contact is on one side of the
DNA molecule, and -helices of the protein lie within the major groove to allow amino acid-base interaction.
Biological membranes are bilayers composed of amphipathic phospholipids. These membranes are impermeable to
most molecules in the environment. Associated with the membranes are many protein molecules. Integral membrane
proteins are contained, at least in part, within the membrane, while peripheral proteins are found on the surface of the
membrane, attached to integral proteins.
Drill Questions
1. What are the differences between a nucleosome, a core particle, and an octameric disc? Which directly involve the
histone H1?
2. Why is the level of compaction of DNA higher in eukaryotes than in prokaryotes?
3. Why is it necessary for DNA to exist at various levels of compaction?
4. At what stage of the eukaryotic cell cycle would you expect DNA to be the most compact? At what stage would you
expect it to be the least compact? Why?
5. Referring to the Cro protein, how far apart are the two -helices that contain the amino acids that interact with the
bases of the DNA molecule?
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6. What are the polar and the non-polar regions of a membrane-spanning integral protein?
7. What noncovalent interactions are involved in stabilizing a lipid bilayer?
Problems
1. If a DNA molecule is 2.4 cm long, how many nucleosomes could be present in its most highly compacted state?
(Assume linker DNA has 60 base-pairs.)
2. When an isolated DNA-protein complex was treated with 2M NaCl, the protein dissociated from the DNA. Digestion
of the complex with a nuclease and a protease yields only free nucleotides and amino acids. What is the main type of
interaction involved in binding the protein to the DNA?
3. Another DNA-protein complex is isolated. When treated with 2M NaCl, the complex does not dissociate. The
complex was treated with a nuclease and a protease and, in addition to free nucleotides and amino acids, a component
was found that was neither a free nucleotide nor amino acid. What is likely to be the identity of this component, and
what interaction is responsible for protein-DNA binding?
4. A DNA-binding protein binds tightly to double-stranded DNA, but very poorly to single-stranded DNA. It can bind
to all base sequences with equal affinity. Binding is poor in 1M NaCl. What part of the DNA molecule is likely to be the
binding site?
5. Acridine molecules bind to DNA by intercalating (inserting) between the base-pairs. If the Cro protein and DNA are
mixed, the Cro-DNA complex forms. What would happen if acridine were added to the DNA before the Cro protein?
1. What features advantageous to cell function accrue from the fact that histones bind to DNA without regard to base
sequence?
2. What reasons might explain why it is beneficial to a cell that flip-flopping of membrane proteins occurs infrequently?
3. Speculate on why most functions carried out by a cell rely on macromolecular interactions and-or the use of complex
aggregates of macromolecules instead of smaller, simpler molecules.
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PART II
FUNCTION OF MACROMOLECULES
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Chapter 6
Professor ofBiological Sciences,

University of California, Santa Barbara
Undergraudate Degree:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Major: Biology 1941
Graduate Degree:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ph.D. 1948
My current research program is aimed at the development of techniques for the direct reading of nucleotide sequences
in nucleic acids.
I would advise undergraduates who intend to become scholars in molecular biology to obtain a firm background in basic
mathematics, physics, and chemistry (especially physical chemistry). They should also become sufficiently well versed
in genetics so that they can utilize genetic approaches as a tool in whatever biological system they are studying. And I
would strongly urge that they acquire research laboratory experience in off-hours, summers, and any other opportunities
they have. Experience with real research problems provides both excitement and motivation to pursue other studies.
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1. Background information on the mechanisms of
heredity.
2. Experimental evidence which identified DNA as the
genetic material.
3. Properties of DNA as the genetic material, including
storage, transmission, stability, and mutation.
In the first five chapters We have examied the physical and chemical properties of DNA, RNA, and protein. While this information is
critical to our understanding of molecular biology, it alone doesn't supply the missing link between the purely physical properties of
macromolecules and their biological functions in living organisms. In this chapter we will begin to consider the biological functions
of macromolecules, starting with the role of nucleic acids as the genetic material of living organisms.
The genetic material of an organism is the substance that contains the information specifying the inherited characteristics of that
organism. As we will see shortly, this information must be stable, be capable of being expressed in the cell as needed, undergo
accurate replication, and be transmitted, in a largely unchanged form, from parent to progeny. Most organisms utilize DNA as their
genetic material. Exceptions occur in the cases of certain bacteriophages, plant and animal viruses, in which the genetic material is
RNA. Two important questions arise: (1) How do we know that DNA is the genetic material?; (2) What properties of DNA make it
so ideally suited to function in this capacity? In the following sections, we will discuss several classic experiments that led to the
identification of DNA as the genetic material, and in doing so,
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laid the foundation for molecular genetics. We will also examine the properties essential in a genetic material, and see
why DNA is so well suited to this role.
Early Observations on the Mechanism of Heredity
Long before the formal beginnings of molecular biology, scientists were attempting to learn more about the properties
of living cells that set them apart from inanimate objects. By the mid-to-late 1800s, many studies began to suggest that
the cell nucleus possessed unique properties, and might play a key role in heredity. It is important to remember that
these early observations involved eukaryotic cells; their larger size made them more feasible to study under the
microscope. A few of these important findings are summarized below:
1. The nucleus has a unique chemical composition. As early as 1869, Friedrich Miescher had reported that the nuclei of
human white blood cells contained a unique chemical component, nuclein, which was rich in phosphorus, but unlike
protein, contained no sulfur. This substance would later be identified as DNA.
2. Fusion of sperm and egg nuclei at the time of fertilization produces a zygote that contains all of the hereditary
information necessary to develop into a mature adult organism.
3. Cell nuclei contain chromosomes. The precise numbers and types of chromosomes may vary from one species to
another, but normal members of a particular species will have a characteristic set of chromosomes.
4. Chromosomes are d0uplicated prior to cell division and one copy of each is precisely apportioned to the daughter
cells (via mitosis). Thus each daughter cell will possess the same numbers and types of chromosomes as the parent cell
that gave rise to it.
5. To maintain a constant chromosome number in sexually reproducing organisms, chromosome number is reduced by
one-half (via meiosis) during gamete formation. When the egg and sperm fuse at fertilization, normal chromosome
number is restored, and each offspring consequently receives half of its chromosomes from each parent.
6. The patterns of inheritance of chromosomes mirrors the patterns of inheritance of genetic traits described by Gregor
Mendel (1865).
7. In certain instances, it was possible to correlate the inheritance of specific physical traits such as gender or eye color
(in fruit flies) with the inheritance of specific recognizable chromosomes.
Scientists thus knew that the nucleus played a critical role in heredity, that the nucleus contained chromosomes, and that
the inheritance of chro-
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mosomes paralleled the inheritance of certain traits. But what was this mysterious component of the chromosomes that
might carry the genetic information? Chemical analyses of nuclei and chromosomes demonstrated that the nuclein was
associated with proteins, forming complexes called nucleoproteins. As improved analytical techniques became
available, the nuclein itself was chemically analyzed, and found to be composed of four different nucleotides.
Given a choice between these two candidates for the role of genetic material, namely nucleic acids and proteins, the
''common wisdom" of that era held that the genetic material was more likely to consist of proteins. After all, inherited
traits exhibit tremendous diversity, and it was assumed that genes would likewise be highly diverse in composition and
structure. As you learned in Chapter 4, proteins vary considerably in amino acid composition, size, and shape. On the
other hand, nucleic acids, consisting
of merely four types of nucleotides, were thought to be lacking in complexity. In fact, by 1910, Phoebus Levene had
proposed a widely accepted tetranucleotide model of structure of the DNA molecule. According to this model, DNA
was depicted as a small, relatively simple molecule, a tetranucleotide composed of one molecule each of the four
different nucleotides (Figure 6-1). Consequently, many scientists believed that proteins were the logical candidates for
storing and transferring genetic information. The DNA was thought to function in more of a structural capacity, holding
the "informational proteins" together in the chromosomes. Now, in the modern era of biology, it is of course taken for
granted that DNA is the genetic material.
A Historical Review Offers an Exercise in Analytical Thinking
In the following sections, you will learn about the landmark experiments, performed in some cases over 65 years ago,
that paved the way for accepting the fact that genes consist of a "simple" macromolecule such as DNA. Aside from their
historical importance, these experiments can help you, the student, to gain some insight into the applications of the
scientific
Figure 6-1
Proposed tetranucleotide
structure of DNA.
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method and the analysis of experimental data, while helping you develop critical thinking skills.
Identification of DNA as the Genetic Material
The Transformation Experiments
The development of our understanding that DNA is the genetic material began with an observation in 1928 by Fred
Griffith, who was studying the pathogenic properties of the bacterium responsible for causing human pneumoniathat is,
Streptococcus pneumoniae, or Pneumococcus. The virulence (disease-causing ability) of this bacterium was known to
be dependent upon a polysaccharide capsule that surrounds the bacterial cell and protects it from the defense systems of
the body. Strains of S. pneumoniae possessing this capsule produce smooth-edged (S) colonies when grown on solid
medium. Mice injected with these virulent S strains
of bacteria normally die, and live S bacteria can be recovered from their blood (Figure 6-2(a)). It is important to note
that different S strains (called I-S, II-S, III-s, and so on) produce capsules that differ in their chemical composition; the
ability of the bacterium to produce a capsule at all, as well as the type of capsule produced, are genetic (i.e., inherited)
traits. Griffith also isolated mutant strains of Pneumococcus, which produced rough (R) colonies on solid media. These
mutants proved to be both nonencapsulated (lacking a capsule) and nonvirulent when injected into mice (Figure 6-2(b)).
Smooth bacteria could undergo mutation to produce R mutants, and vice versa, but the mutation always involved the
loss or gain of the ability to make a particular type of capsule (i.e., II-S II-R; not III-S II-R). Griffith next took
smooth bacteria and heated them before injecting them into mice. As might be expected, the bacteria were killed by the
heating process and the mice survived (Figure 6-2(c)). But Griffith then made a very significant observation: When he
mixed heat-killed S cells (type III-S) with live R cells (type II-R) and injected them into mice, the mice died, even
though neither batch of cells was lethal by itself (Figure 6-2(d))!
Of even greater significance was the fact that live bacteria isolated from a mouse which had died from such a mixed
infection were only of the S type, in particular the same S type (III-S) as the heat-killed S cells, and thus could not have
arisen via mutation from these particular R cells. The live R bacteria had somehow been replaced by or transformed into
S bacteria, which then reproduced as S bacteria. Griffith referred to the unknown substance which brought about this
transformation as the transforming principle. He had no idea of its nature, but mistakenly suspected that it might either
be a protein involved in capsule synthesis, or else some substance that acted as a precursor of the bacterial capsule.
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(a) S strain kills mouse
(b) R strain does not kill mouse
(c) Heat-killed S strain does not kill mouse
(d) R strain plus heat-skilled S strain, both of which are separately nonlethal, kill mouse
Figure 6-2
The Griffith experiment showing conversion of a nonlethal bacterial strain to a lethal form by a cell extract.
Several years later it was shown that a mouse was not needed to mediate this transformation. When a mixture of live R cells and heatkilled S cells was cultured in nutritive medium, some live S cells were produced (Henry Dawson, 1931).
A possible explanation for this surprising result was that the R cells had somehow revived the heat-killed S cells. This possibility was
eliminated when it was observed that live S cells could be obtained when the live R cells were mixed, not with intact heat-killed S cells,
but with an extract containing only the molecular contents of these heat-killed S cells. All
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Figure 6-3
The transformation experiment.
intact cells, cell debris, and capsular material had been removed from this extract by centrifugation and filtration (Figure
6-3). It was concluded that the S cell extract contained a transforming principle, the nature of which was unknown.
DNA Is Identified as the Transforming Principle
The next development occurred some 15 years later when Oswald Avery, Colin MacLeod, and Maclyn McCarty
partially purified the transforming principle from S cell extract and demonstrated that the fraction with transforming
ability contained DNA. They sequentially purified the cell-free extract, and discovered that removal of proteins,
polysaccharides, lipids, or RNA from the extracts did not significantly diminish their ability to bring about
transformation. By the end of the purification procedure, they had obtained a relatively pure, viscous material that had
the physical and chemical properties of DNA. This "purified DNA" was then added to a live culture of R cells. When
the cells were plated on agar and allowed to form colonies, some of the colonies (about 1 in 104) that grew were S type
(Figure 6-4)! To show that this was a permanent genetic change, they dispersed many of the newly-formed S colonies
and placed them on a second agar surface. The resulting colonies were again S type. On the other hand, when an R type
colony arising from the original mixture was dispersed, only R bacteria grew in subsequent generations. Hence the R
colonies retained the R character, whereas the S colonies bred true as S.
At this point, Avery and his coworkers were far from being able to
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Figure 6-4
Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty's experiments demonstrated that only DNAcontaining fraction of the purified transforming principle was capable of
causing the transformation of rough (R) cells into smooth (S) cells. In 1994 a
special "public health award" was given by the Lasker Foundation to Maclyn
McCarty, professor emeritus at Rockefeller University, to honor his earlier
discovery that genes are comprised of DNA!
state with absolute certainty that the transforming principle was, in fact, DNA. Although the purified fraction clearly
contained DNA, it was also contaminated with small amounts of RNA. The possibility existed that minute amounts of
protein might also remain in the extract, and that it might be these proteins, and not the DNA itself, that was responsible
for the transforming activity. To address these criticisms, they undertook additional experiments to determine whether
the transformation was actually caused by the DNA alone.
This evidence was provided by five sets of data:
1. Chemical analysis disclosed that the major component of the purified transforming principle was a deoxyribosecontaining nucleic acid.
2. Physical evidence showed that the sample contained a highly viscous substance having the properties of DNA.
3. Experiments demonstrated that the transforming activity was not lost when the purified transforming principle was
treated with either (a) purified proteolytic (protein hydrolyzing) enzymestrypsin, chymotrypsin, or a mixture of bothor
(b) ribonuclease (an enzyme that hydrolyses RNA).
4. Treatment with materials known to contain enzymes that hydrolyze DNA (DNase) did inactivate the transforming
principle and also destroyed its characteristic physical properties.
5. The DNases used to treat the purified transforming principle were themselves first inactivated by heating or by
chemical treatment. These inactivated DNases simultaneously lost their ability to degrade DNA and their ability to
inactivate the transforming principle.
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A Conservative Conclusion Was Drawn

The results of these experiments provided strong evidence that the transforming principles were, in fact, DNA.
Nevertheless, Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty were very cautious as they stated in their conclusions: "The evidence
presented supports the belief that a nucleic acid of the desoxyribose type is the fundamental unit of the transforming
principle of Pneumococcus Type III." Notice that they didn't conclude that DNA is the genetic material of all living
organisms. They had examined only one specific type of organism (S. pneumoniae) and, in fact, had limited their
transformation studies to a single genetic trait: the ability of the bacterium to produce a polysaccharide capsule. The
possibility therefore still existed that they might be examining a phenomenon that was peculiar to bacteria or to the
production of a specific type of genetic change. They also expressed concern that the biological activity of the purified
transforming principle might be due to the presence of minute amounts of some contaminant in their DNA preparation.
Thus, their experimental data provided strong but not conclusive evidence that DNA is the universal genetic material.
The transformation experiments also failed to convince many in the scientific community that DNA is the genetic
material, largely because the tetranucleotide model of DNA structure was so widely accepted. The tetranucleotide
hypothesis was based on chemical analyses that indicated that DNA consisted of equimolar amounts of the four bases.
This conclusion can be attributed to (a) the use of inadequate chemical procedures for analyzing base composition and
(b) the use of higher organisms as sources of DNA. (In these organisms the base composition is, in fact, not far from
being equimolar.) As techniques improved and a greater range of organisms was examined, it was found that base
composition of DNA varies widely from one species to another, and that DNA is neither a simple, small molecule nor a
simple repeating structure.
In 1952, Erwin Chargaff published a key paper that would provide crucial evidence that DNA possessed sufficient
structural complexity and diversity to allow it to function as the genetic material. Chargaff used the technique of
chromatography to analyze the base composition of DNA isolated from a variety of different organisms, and discovered
that the DNA from all organisms examined shared certain common properties. (This set of properties would later come
to be known as "Chargaff's rule," and would provide important clues concerning base pairing to Watson and Crick as
they developed their model of the DNA molecule.) Chargaff's findings are summarized below:
1. In the DNA of all species examined, the amount of A is equal to the amount of T, and the amount of G equals the
amount of C.
2. The total amount of purines (A + G) present in DNA is equal to the total amount of pyrimidines (T + C).
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3. However, the ratio of (A + T)/(G + C) does not necessarily equal one, and in fact this ratio varies considerably from
species to species. DNA base composition does indeed vary from one species to another!
With these results, the idea that DNA is the genetic material became acceptable. The following experiment provided
additional proof.
The Blender Experiment Provided Further Evidence for DNA
An elegant confirmation of the genetic nature of DNA came from an experiment involving the E. coli phage T2. This
experiment, known as the Blender Experiment because a kitchen blender was used as a major piece of apparatus, was
performed by Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase. These scientists exploited the simple features of the bacteriophage
system to differentiate between DNA and protein as the genetic material of one particular bacteriophage, T2. They
demonstrated that the DNA, injected by a phage particle into a bacterium, contained all of the information required to
achieve the production of progeny phage particles.
Figure 6-5 shows a diagram of a typical bacteriophage. Recall, as discussed in Chapter 1, the coat or capsid of the
bacteriophage (along with other external structures such as its tail and tail fibers, and the like) consists entirely of
protein, while the core, which is packaged inside of the protein capsid, contains the DNA (at least in those viruses which
use DNA as their genetic material).
Phages are intracellular parasites and cannot multiply except in a host bacterium. A phage thus must be able to enter a
bacterium, multiply, and then escape. There are many ways in which this can be accomplished. However, a basic life
cycle is outlined below and depicted in Figure 6-6.
(a)
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(b)
Figure 6-5
(a) A diagram of T2 phage.
(b) Phage
T2 adsorbed to the surface of E. coli.
(Courtesy of Lee Simon and Thomas Anderson.)
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Figure 6-6
A schematic diagram of the life cycle of a typical bacteriophage. The
number of phage released usually ranges from 20 to 500.
We now know that the life cycle of a phage begins when a phage particle adsorbs (attaches) to the surface of a
susceptible bacterium. The phage nucleic acid then leaves the phage particle through the phage tail (if the phage has a
tail) and enters the bacterium through the bacterial cell wall. In a complicated but understandable way, the phage
essentially converts the bacterium to a phage-synthesizing factory. Within approximately an hour, the infected
bacterium bursts or lyses and several hundred phage progeny are released. The suspension of newly-synthesized phage
is called a phage lysate. (For a more detailed look at phage replication, consult Chapter 12.)
At the time at which Hershey and Chase performed their experiments, it was known that phage infection began with the
attachment of the phage to the bacterium, and ended with the lysis of the infected bacterium and the release of the
progeny phase. The events occurring in the interim had not yet been defined. Clearly, the genetic material of the phage,
whatever it might be, had to enter the bacterium and direct the production of new phage progeny. The simplicity of the
T2 phage structure suggested an elegant approach to the question of the identity of the phage genetic material. A single
particle of T2 consists of DNA (now known to be one double-stranded molecule) encased in a protein shell (Figure 6-5
(a)). The DNA is the only phosphorus-containing substance in the phage particle; the proteins of the shell, which
contain among others the amino acids methionine and cysteine, have the only sulfur atoms. Thus, by growing phage in a
bacterial culture in which the nutrient medium contains radioactive phosphate
as the sole source of
phosphorus, phage containing radioactive DNA can be prepared. If, instead, the growth medium contains radioactive
, phage containing radioactive proteins are obtained. If these two kinds of labeled phage are used, in
sulfur
separate experiments, to infect bacterial hosts, the phage DNA and protein molecules can always be located by their
specific radioactivity. Hershey and Chase
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used these radioactive phage to show that 32P but not 35S is injected into the bacterium.
Each phage T2 has a long tail by which it attaches to sensitive bacteria (Figure 6-5(b)). Hershey and Chase showed that
an attached phage can be torn from the bacterial cell wall (without harming the bacteria) by violent agitation of the
infected cells in the kitchen blender. It was thus possible to separate the adsorbed phage from a bacterium and determine
the component(s) of the phage that could not be shaken free by agitationpresumably those components that had been
injected into the bacterium.
In the first experiment (Figure 6-7(a)), 35S-labeled phage particles were allowed to adsorb to bacteria for a few minutes.
The bacteria (with their attached phages) were separated from unadsorbed phage and phage fragments by centrifuging
the mixture and collecting the sediment (the pellet), which consisted of the phage-bacterium complexes. The
supernatant, which contained the lighter, unadsorbed phage particles and phage fragments, was poured off and saved.
(This was done to eliminate any phage-associated radioactivity that had not become associated with the bacteria.) The
pellet (containing the phage-bacterium complexes) was resuspended in liquid and blended to remove the attached phage
particles. (By this time, the phage had already injected their genetic material into the bacterial host.) The suspension was
again centrifuged, and the pellet (which now consisted almost entirely of bacteria alone) and the supernatant (which
contained the detached phage) were collected separately. It was found that 80% of the 35S label was in the supernatant,
and 20% was in the pellet. The 20% of the 35S that remains associated with the bacterium was shown some years later
to consist mostly of phage-associated tail-fragments that adhered too tightly to the bacterial surface to be removed by
blending.
A very different result was observed when the phage population was labeled with 32P instead of 35S (Figure 6-7(b)). In
this case, 70% of the 32P remained associated with the bacteria in the pellet after blending, and only 30% in the
supernatant. Of the radioactivity in the supernatant, roughly one-third could be accounted for by breakage of bacteria
during the blending; the remainder was shown some years later to be a result of defective phage particles that could
attach to the bacterium, but could not inject their DNA. Most important, when the pellet material (containing the
infected bacteria) was resuspended in growth medium and reincubated, it was found to be capable of phage production,
and the progeny phage produced in this instance contained 32P! Thus the ability of a bacterium to synthesize progeny
phage was associated with the transfer of 32P, and hence of DNA, from parental phage to the bacterium. At least some
of the radioactivity found in the parental DNA was subsequently transmitted to the progeny phage, as would be
expected if the genetic information was transmitted from parent to progeny! It is equally important to note that 35S,
which did not enter the bacterium, was not transmitted to the phage progenyfurther evidence that DNA, and not protein,
is the genetic material.
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(a)
(b)
Figure 6-7
The Hershey-Chase blender experiment demonstrated that DNA, and not protein, is the
genetic material of the bacteriophage T2.
(a) 32P-labeled T2 phages were used to infect E. coli. After a brief period of adsorption, the
cells were agitated in a kitchen blender to remove phage particles. Most of the radioactivity
(32P) had entered the bacterial cells and ultimately appeared in the phage progeny.
(b) 35S-labeled T2 phages were used to infect E. coli. Most of the radioactivity was removed
from the bacterial cells by blending, and appeared in the phage ghosts, indicating that the 35S
protein had not entered the bacterial host.
At Last, DNA Is Proven to Be the Genetic Material
Further proof for DNA as the genetic material came a few years later. It was demonstrated that the naked, purified DNA
of the small bacteriophage X-174 could successfully infect bacterial protoplasts (cells lacking a portion of their cell
wall) in the absence of any viral protein, and produce normal, infectious phage progeny.
Identification of RNA as the Genetic Material of Certain Viruses
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As we have already anticipated at the beginning of this chapter, most organisms utilize DNA as their genetic material.
However, there are exceptions to this rule: Certain bacteriophages, as well as a number of plant and animal viruses, use
RNA as their genetic material. The classic experiments described below demonstrated that RNA is the genetic material
of one particular plant virus, tobacco mosaic virus (TMV).
TMV is a relatively simple virus consisting of two chemical components, RNA and protein. Structurally, the helical
RNA core of the TMV virus is surrounded and protected by protein subunits arranged in a helical
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Figure 6-8
Tobacco mosaic virus particle consists of a helical RNA
core, surrounded by protein subunits in a helical arrangement.
configuration (Figure 6-8). Plants infected by TMV develop characteristic mosaic-like lesions on their leaves. Different
strains of TMV exist, which vary with respect to the composition of their protein capsid and the ability to infect certain
plants. Scientists discovered that it was possible to separate the protein components of the virus from the RNA, thus
enabling them to test the ability of each of these components to cause viral infection individually. It was found that
inoculating the tobacco plants with purified TMV protein did not result in the production of TMV lesions. Inoculation
with TMV RNA alone, however, resulted in viral infection. This evidence that RNA was functioning in the capacity of
genetic material in the TMV virus was further supported by the observation that treatment of the TMV RNA with
ribonuclease prior to inoculation of the tobacco plants destroyed its ability to cause infection.
The most elegant experiment supporting the genetic role of TMV RNA was performed by H. Fraenkel-Conrat and B.
Singer in 1957. These scientists isolated the RNA and protein components from two distinct strains of TMV, then made
reconstituted virus particles consisting of the RNA of one strain combined with the protein of the other strain. These
two reconstituted (''hybrid") viruses were then used to infect tobacco plants. The following question was posed: Which
of the two viral components, the RNA or the protein, would determine the properties of the viral progeny produced
during infection caused by these hybrid viruses? When progeny viruses were isolated from tobacco leaves infected by
the hybrid virus, the progeny always had the same properties as the virus whose RNA was present in the hybrid. These
results demonstrated conclusively that RNA is, in fact, the genetic material of TMV.
Properties of the Genetic Material
It is often said that "hindsight is 20/20." With the definitive results of the transformation experiments, the HersheyChase experiments, and others that followed, it was clearly established that DNA is the genetic material of living
organisms. As scientists reviewed the results of Chargaff's studies
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of base composition, and began to reexamine the physical and chemical properties of DNA, everything began to make
sense! It soon became obvious that DNA possessed a number of properties that made it particularly well suited for its
role as the genetic material.
1. DNA has the ability to store genetic information, which can be expressed in the cell as needed.
2. This information can be transmitted to daughter cells with minimal error. (This process requires complex enzymes
and repair mechanisms.)
3. DNA possesses both physical and chemical stability so information (present in duplicate) is not lost over long periods
of time (years).
4. DNA has the potential for heritable change without major loss of parental information.
Let's examine each of these properties of DNA and see how each contributes to its ability to function as the genetic
material.
Storage and Transmission of Genetic Information by DNA
DNA possesses and conveys several types of information:
1. The sequence of all RNA molecules synthesized by the cell.
2. The sequence of all amino acids in every protein synthesized by the cell.
3. Start and stop signals for the synthesis of each RNA, the processing of each RNA, and the synthesis of each protein.
4. A set of signals that interacts with the cellular components and determines whether and when a particular RNA or
protein is to be made, and how many molecules are to be made per unit time.
5. Signals that serve as origins and terminators for the replication of the DNA.
6. Signals that provide essential features of chromosome structure (centromeres and telomeres).
This information is contained in the sequence of the DNA bases. DNA serves principally as the template for the
synthesis of specific RNA molecules, called RNA transcripts. Transcription, the process of synthesizing RNA
molecules from a DNA template, is discussed in Chapter 8.) The base sequence of each RNA is complementary to a
specific region on one of the DNA strands. The complementary RNA is made by means of an enzymatic system that
adds a ribonucleotide to the growing end of the RNA molecule only if that base can hydrogen-bond with the DNA base
being copied. This restriction ensures a copy error rate of less than 1 in 104.
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After synthesis, the strand of RNA may be "processed"it may be trimmed or modified at the ends, cut into defined
fragments, internal segments may be excised, or individual components may be modified by components of the cellular
machinery. Processing is much more extensive in eukaryotic cells than in prokaryotic cells (see Chapters 8 and 13).
The processed RNA is used for varied cellular functions. Much of the processed RNAthe messenger RNAis used to
specify the amino acid sequences of cellular proteins. For this purpose, the RNA nucleotide sequence is read (on
ribosomes) in sequential groups of three bases called triplets or codons. Each codon corresponds to a particular amino
acid, or to a start or stop signal. (The process of protein synthesis will be discussed in detail in Chapter 9.)
This two-stage process has an advantagethe genetic DNA molecule is sheltered and does not have to be used very often
or enter the protein synthesis machinery. In eukaryotes, it is possible for the DNA to remain within the relativelyprotected environment of the nucleus, where DNA replication and transcription occur, while the RNA molecules exit
the nucleus to participate in translation. In addition, since it is possible to use one DNA molecule to make many copies
of an RNA molecule, protein synthesis can occur much more rapidly and efficiently.
Specific regions of the DNA serve, by interaction with cellular components, to regulate the transcription of adjacent
messages. Other regions direct cellular components to initiate and terminate DNA replication.
The use of specific patterns of hydrogen-bonding enables the cell to use less genetic material to hold information than if
only Van der Waals attractions had been selected in the course of evolution; this is because Van der Waals interactions
are so weak that the error frequency in transmitting information would be unacceptable unless more bases (or different
molecules) were used.
Transmission of Information from Parent to Progeny by DNA
When a cell divides, each daughter cell must receive identical genetic information. That is, each DNA molecule must
undergo duplication to become two identical molecules, each carrying the information that was contained in the parent
molecule. This duplication process is called replication. Once again, the importance of the specific hydrogen-bonding
capacity of nucleotide bases in DNA is apparent. As with transcription, the DNA replication system only requires that
the base being added to the growing end of a new DNA chain is capable of hydrogen-bonding to the particular base
being copied.
However, the fidelity (accuracy) required for DNA replication is much higher than for transcription. Occasional
synthesis of an aberrant protein can be tolerated. After all, additional, nondefective copies of the same protein molecule
may well exist within the cell, and furthermore, since most messenger RNA is relatively short-lived, it is likely that
"defective"
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mRNA molecules will eventually be replaced by newly-synthesized, "normal" mRNA's. Occasional error in the
replication of a gene, however, could be lethal, since the daughter cells receiving this defective gene might
lack the ability to carry out some vital function encoded in the gene.
Consequently, cells have developed additional mechanisms to ensure the fidelity of gene duplication. The enzymes
involved in DNA replication possess an editing (proofreading) function which re-checks the correctness of the
nucleotides that have just been inserted into the growing chain, and excises them if an error has been made. This
procedure removes 99.9% of the few errors made in the initial insertions.
In addition, the cells have a means to differentiate, for a period of time, the newly-synthesized DNA strand from the
older parental strand. Special enzymes monitor the DNA at all times, looking for mismatched base-pairs. If such a
mismatch is found on a recently duplicated DNA strand, it is corrected using the older DNA strand as a template. This
combination of error-correcting mechanisms reduces the copy-error rate in DNA duplication in cells to between 1 in
109 and 1 in 1010 base-pair.
KEY CONCEPT
The "DNA-Genetic Material" Concept

Double-stranded DNA has evolved as the genetic material because it is especially well-suited for replication, repair,
occasional change, and long-term stability.
The Physical and Chemical Stability of DNA
In long-lived organisms, a single molecule of the genetic material may have to last 100 years or more. Furthermore, the
information contained in the molecule is passed on to succeeding generations over millions of years with only small
changes. DNA molecules thus must have great stability.
The sugar-phosphate backbone of DNA is extremely stable. The C-C bonds in the sugar are resistant to chemical attack
under all conditions except strong acids at very high temperatures. The phosphodiester bond is a little less stable; it can
be hydrolyzed at room temperature at pH 2, but this is not a normal physiological condition. In considering the stability
of the phosphodiester bond, one can see immediately why 2-deoxyribose rather than ribose is the constituent sugar in
DNA. The phosphodiester bond in RNA is rapidly broken in alkali. The chemical mechanism that breaks the bond
requires the presence of an OH group on the 2-carbon of the sugar. In DNA, which contains deoxyribose, there is no 2OH group present, so the molecule is extremely resistant to alkaline hydrolysis. (You may wish to refer to Figure 2-5 in
Chapter 2.) The N-glycosylic bond which links the base to the 5-carbon sugar (Figure 2-5) is also very stable, though it
would not be so if the bases were not hydrophobic rings.
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An alteration in the chemical structure of a base would mean a loss of genetic information. In a cell there are certainly a
large number of chemical compounds that can attack a free base. In considering this problem, one can see immediately
the value of the double helix. The molecule is redundant in the sense that identical information is contained in both
strands; that is, the base sequence of one strand is complementary to the other strand and can be derived from it. In fact,
there exist in the cell elegant repair systems that can remove an altered base, read the sequence on the complementary
strand, and then reinstate the correct base. (DNA repair will be discussed in Chapter 10.)
Another merit of the double-helical structure is that it provides the bases of the DNA with great protection against
chemical attack. The bases are hydrophobic rings with charged groups that contain the genetic information. It is these
charged groups that specifically need protection. The hydrophobic structure of the bases causes them to stack so tightly
that water is almost completely excluded from the stacked array. As a result, water-soluble compounds are often unable
to come into close contact with the "dry" stack of bases, and the likelihood of their reaching the hydrogen-bonded
charged groups is small.
The bases themselves, with the exception of cytosine, are very stable. At a very low rate, however, cytosine is
deanimated to form uracil:
Deamination is a potentially disastrous change because the deamination product, uracil, pairs with adenine rather than
with guanine. This could have two effects: (1) When the DNA containing the deaminated cytosine (uracil) was
transcribed, an incorrect base could appear in the RNA, since the erroneous uracil would direct the incorporation of an
adenine into the RNA molecule; (2) an adenine, rather than a guanine, would similarly appear in newly replicated DNA
strands synthesized using the deaminated DNA strand as a template (Figure 6-9). To prevent these effects, there exists
an intracellular DNA repair system that removes uracil from DNA and replaces it with cytosine. It will be described
more fully in Chapter 10.
The necessity of eliminating uracil formed by deamination of cytosine explains why DNA uses thymine and not uracil
as the complementary base for adenine. If uracil were a DNA base, there would be no way to distinguish between a
"correct" uracil and a uracil produced by the deamination of cytosine. Because DNA uses thymine, the cell can follow a
simple rule:
Always remove uracil from DNA because it is unwanted.
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Figure 6-9
The effect of deamination of cytosine to form
uracil in the base sequences of mRNA and of two
daughter DNA molecules. The C U transition is
shown in red in the uppermost panel. "Parent" and
"mutant" refer to base sequences before and after
deamination. Newly-replicated DNA is indicated
by a thin line.
It is not known why RNA uses uracil (and not thymine) or why DNA evolved with cytosine, rather than with a base that
would not deaminate. This may have been an evolutionary accident. It is possible that the original RNA (and DNA?)
molecules contained cytosine and uracil because these were the only pyrimidines available in the primordial sea. Cells
may have later gained the ability to methylate uracil to form thymine because this would provide a cell with a criterion
for eliminating the result of a cytosineuracil conversion. Perhaps it is not merely a coincidence that the final step in the
synthesis of thymidylic acid is the methylation of a deoxyuridylic acid.
The Ability of DNA to Change: Mutation
All of the genetic information contained in a cell resides in its DNA. Thus, if a cell or an organism is to be able to
evolve through time, the basesequence of its DNA must be capable of change. The new sequence, furthermore, must
persist so that progeny cells or organisms will inherit the new property. The process by which a base-sequence changes
is called mutation.. At the nucleotide level, there are two principal mechanisms of mutation:
1. A chemical alteration of the base that gives it new hydrogen-bonding properties and thus causes a different base to be
incorporated into the daughter DNA strand during subsequent replication.
2. A replication error by which an incorrect base is erroneously incorporated, or an extra base is accidentally inserted or
deleted in the daughter molecule.
On the average, mutational changes are deleterious and may lead to cell death or impaired function. It is important,
therefore, that not too many mutations occur in a single DNA molecule at one time because,
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otherwise, the rare, advantageous alteration would always occur in a cell or virus destined to die by virtue of an
accumulation of lethal mutations. Keeping the mutation rate low is accomplished in two ways: (1) The hydrophobic,
water-free core of the DNA molecule reduces its accessibility to attacking molecules; (2) the cell has evolved a number
of repair mechanisms for correcting alterations or replication errors. These repair systems are not completely efficient,
so mutations occur at a rate that is very low, but useful in an evolutionary sense.
Mutations are, as we have said, frequently deleterious, so it is important that when such evolutionary experiments take
place, the original parental information not be discarded. Such a loss is prevented in two ways: (1) The other members
of the species retain the parental base sequence; and (2) the double-stranded DNA molecule is redundant. Normally,
only one strand of the DNA molecule is altered. When the DNA replicates, it does so in such a way that, after cell
division, the DNA molecule in each daughter cell contains only one of the parental strands. Thus it is possible for one of
the daughter DNA molecules to be a copy of the parent, and for the other to be a mutant. If the mutant is better equipped
to survive and multiply than the parent organisms or any other members of the species, then, after a great many
generations, Darwin's principle of survival of the fittest will lead to the ultimate replacement of the parental genotype by
the mutant.
Although most replication errors are corrected by the cellular systems described in Chapters 7 and 10, a small fraction
of such copy-errors do persist, and these give rise to mutations.
In addition to mutations involving minor alterations of nucleotide sequence, mutations may involve larger chromosomal
modificationsduplications, deletions, inversions, or translocationsall with varied consequences. Any of these mutations
may affect protein or RNA sequences or the control of the expression of a gene or gene cluster.
RNA as the Genetic Material
In the preceding sections the properties of DNA that particularly suit it to be the genetic material have been described.
However, it seems likely that RNA might have been the primordial genetic material. As a single-stranded molecule, its
hydrogen-bonding groups are available to perform catalytic functions and perform a catalytic role. DNA presumably
evolved as a more stable genetic material. RNA, nonetheless, has survived as the genetic material in some viruses, even
though it lacks the beneficial features of base protection and redundancy associated with a double helix (although it
should be noted that some viruses have double-stranded RNA).
In viruses, the RNA is protected from the environment by a protein coat. Viral RNA molecules spend most of their time
as inert particles, replicating infrequently in the cells of their host organism. When they do
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replicate, they do so rapidly and a large number of progeny particles are produced in a short period of time. The sheer
numbers compensate for the lesser chemical stability of RNA. Additionally, although the lower degree of stability may
result in a higher mutation rate among RNA viruses, this may be of some advantage to viruses that must change and
evolve relatively rapidly in order to evade the defense mechanisms of their host organism. So it appears that the RNA
phages and viruses have evolved special compensatory features that enable them to survive, despite their lesser stability
relative to DNA-containing viruses.
KEY CONCEPT
The "Gene" Concept

Genes contain all the information for the synthesis and functioning of cellular components.
Summary
Several classic experiments led to the identification of DNA as the genetic material. The transformation experiments of
Griffith and of Avery, Mac-Leod and McCarty, using the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae,led to the discovery that
a substance, present in heat-killed bacteria having a Smooth (S) phenotype, could bring about a stable genetic
transformation of bacteria having a variant Rough (R) phenotype. This substance, the
transforming principle,was identified as having the physical and chemical properties of DNA. Hershey and Chase
showed that when T2 hage adsorbed to E.coli, only DNA was injected into the bacterium, and this DNA provided all of
the genetic information necessary for development of progeny phage. Along similar lines, other scientists demonstrated
that it is the RNA and not the protein of the RNA-containing virus,tobacco mosaic virus, that directs the production of
viral progeny.
The central dogma of modern biology is: DNA makes RNA,makes protein. DNA has many features that makes it useful
as a genetic material:(1) It can store genetic information in its base sequence; (2) it can transfer this information to the
protein-synthesizing apparatus of the cell as needed by synthesizing an RNA molecule whose sequence is
complementary to the DNA; (3) it has great physical and chemical stability; (4) DNA can transfer genetic information
to progeny cells by replication, with each strand serving as a template for synthesis of a complementary strand; and (5)
genetic change can occur without a loss of parental information via mutational alterations that result in the production of
one daughter molecule identical in base sequence to the parent molecule, and a second daughter molecule with a slightly
different base sequence.
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Drill Questions
1. What is meant by bacterial transformation?
2. In which organisms is RNA the sole genetic material?
3. What term describes the base-sequence that corresponds to a single amino acid?
4. In the Blender Experiment what radioactive atoms were used to label DNA and protein?
5. What is the process whereby DNA is changed?
6. What is the product of deamination of cytosine?
7. How are uracil and thymine chemically related?
8. What are two main mechanisms of mutation?
Problems
1. Why are viruses able to use RNA as a genetic material?
2. What experimental result showed that transformation consists of a permanent genetic change?
3. Why is RNA (but not DNA) hydrolyzed at alkaline pH?
4. Why was the transformation experiment not accepted by the scientific community as proof that DNA is the genetic
material?
5. How was the transforming principle in Griffith's transformation experiment later shown to be DNA?
6. How does a replication error cause mutations?
1. What other experiments could be performed to show that DNA is the genetic material?
2. Is it beneficial to a species that most mutational changes are deleterious?
3. Are mutational changes necessary for the various species of living organisms to prosper?
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Chapter 7
DNA Replication
Kenneth Marians
Member, Department of
Molecular Biology,
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center,
New York, New York
Undergraduate Degree
Polytechnic Institute
of Brooklyn
Graduate Degree:
Coraell University,
Ph.D. 1976, Biochemistry
Postgraduate Training:
Albert Einstein College
of Medicine, 19761978
My interest in molecular biology stems from a desire to understand how enzymes and DNA interact efficiently to
accomplish such impressive macroniolecular transactions as the complete and accurate duplication of the genetic
content of the cell. The techniques of molecular biology have allowed us to identify the genes encoding the enzymes
involved, to overexpress these gene products (thereby providing a consistent and reliable source of these nominally
scarce enzymes), and to manipulate the DNA molecules so that we can construct essentially any template we need.
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My advice to students entering the field of molecular biology is to be justifiably impressed, perhaps even awed, by the
ability of modern molecular biological techniques to unlock nature's closely guarded secrets, but they should also
remember that a complete understanding of the action of these gene products will only be revealed by biochemically
determining their catalytic activities and how they fit into their respective metabolic pathways.
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1. About the individual events that occur at a replication
fork, and how these individual events together
accomplish the task of DNA replication.
2. The functions of enzymes and other proteins present
at the replication fork.
3. The different types of DNA replication used in
eukaryotes, prokaryotes, and viruses.
Genetic information is trasferred from parent to progeny organisms by a faithful replication of the parental DNA molecules. In
most organisms the information resides in one or more double-stranded DNA molecules. Exceptions do, however, exist. Some
bacteriophage species contain single-stranded instead of double-stranded DNA. In these systems replication consists of several
stages in which single-stranded DNA is first converted to a double-stranded molecule, which then serves as a template for synthesis
of single strands identical to the parent molecule.
From a purely abstract perspective, DNA replication might be thought to be relatively uncomplicated. After all, as proposed in
Figure 7-1, each of the 4 deoxynucleotide bases need only be arranged so that
they pair with an appropriate ''partner" base (adenine with thymine; cytosine with guanine). Thus, one might expect that a gradual
"unzipping" of DNA would allow nucleotide bases to "fit in" the other side, and thereby replicate DNA quickly and efficiently.
Replication of double-stranded DNA is, however, a complicated process that is not yet completely understood. This complexity is,
at least in part, due to the following features of the process: (1) The two strands of a double-stranded DNA molecule run in opposite
(anti-
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Figure 7-1
Schematic diagram of DNA replication as conceived
by scientists before information on the complications associated with
individual physical and chemical reactions was collected.
parallel) directions. New nucleotides need to be added in such a way as to maintain those reverse polarities; (2)
Replication requires a supply of energy to unwind the helix; (3) Single-stranded DNA tends to form intrastrand basepairs, so that once unwound it is likely to quickly reanneal with itself; (4) A single enzyme can catalyze only a limited
number of physical and chemical reactions. Since several reactions are required for DNA replication, a collection of
enzymes is involved; (5) Replication errors occasionally occur and mechanisms need to exist to correct them; and (6)
Both circularity and the enormous size of DNA molecules impose physical constraints on the replicative system. And if
those complications aren't enough to baffle the beginning student of molecular biology, one more can be mentioned:
throughout the biological kingdom some variations in key steps in DNA replication have been recognized!
Our strategy for learning about DNA replication will be to proceed, stepwise, with a review of the important features of
each individual step. First, we will review how twisted, and sometimes circular, DNA is unraveled prior to replication.
Then we will learn that DNA replication usually begins at special sites on DNA. Next, we will study how the double
helix is unwound, to generate a single-stranded template. Later we will dicuss the enzymology of the replication
process, which is complicated, as mentioned in the introductory remarks of this chapter, by the fact that the two DNA
strands run in opposite directions. Finally, we will learn how all those systems and components are integrated into the
so-called "replication fork," the site on unwinding DNA where most of the action occurs.
Semiconservative Replication of Double-Stranded DNA
DNA replication is accomplished by semiconservative replication. In this replication mode each parental single strand is
a template for the synthesis of one new daughter strand. The enzyme DNA polymerase adds nucleotide monomers one
by one to the growing strands. As each new strand is formed it is hydrogen-bonded to its parental template (Figure 7-2).
Thus, as replication proceeds, the parental double helix unwinds and then rewinds again into two new double helices,
each of which contains one original parent strand and one newly-formed daughter strand.
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Figure 7-2
The replication of DNA according to the mechanism proposed
by Watson and Crick. The two replicas consist of one parent
strand (black) plus one daughter strand (red). Each base
in a daughter strand is selected by the requirement
that it form a base-pair with the parent base.
Untwisting of Highly Coiled DNA Is Required for DNA Replication
For the various replication enzymes to add nucleotide bases to the growing strands, it is necessary that the replicating
portion of a DNA molecule existmomentarilyin the ladder configuration diagrammed in Figure 7-1. As you learned in
Chapter 3, double-stranded DNA is twisted, or coiled, 360 degrees for every 10 bases (e.g., Figure 3-1). This twisting
must first be uncoiled so that the hydrogen bonds holding the two strands together are accessible to a special enzyme
("helicase"you will encounter it later in this chapter) that unwinds the two DNA strands from each other. Untwisting of
prokaryotic DNAs is complex because they are circular and therefore have no free ends that might facilitate easy
uncoiling. Also, DNA is usually highly folded, as was described in Chapter 5 (e.g., Figure 5-3), into a compact
structure, so as to fit conveniently into a cell. Eukaryotic DNA, although not circular, is similarly twisted and tangled
when it is organized into individual chromosomes.
Thus, the twisting and tangling of DNA, overlooked in the simplistic diagram in Figure 7-1, presents a formidable task
for cells preparing to replicate DNA.
Replication of Circular DNA Introduces Twists
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The circular structures of replicating DNA resemble the Greek letter (theta) (Figures 7-3 and 7-4). The term
replication is therefore used to
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(a)
(b)
Figure 7-3
Electron micrograph of a ColE1 DNA
molecule (molecular weight = 4.2
106) replicating by the mode.
The parent and daughter segments are
shown in the drawing.
(Courtesy of Donald Helinski.)
describe them. Replication of such circles involves a topological problema problem common not only to prokaryotic DNA, which is
usually circular, but also to eukaryotic DNA. Although not circular, eukaryotic DNA is replicated simultaneously in many local regions
resembling long chains of small circles (please look ahead to Figure 7-25). It is therefore usually discussedin conceptual termsas if it
replicates as a circle.As replication of the two daughter strands proceeds along the double- stranded DNA helix, as shown in Figure 7-4,
in the absence of some kind of swiveling, the nongrowing ends of the daughter strands would cause the entire unreplicated portion of
the molecule to become overwound, or "tight." This in turn would cause positive supercoiling (see Chapter 3) of the unreplicated
portion. This supercoiling obviously cannot increase indefinitely because, if it were to do so, the unreplicated portion would become
coiled so tightly that no further advance of the replication fork would be possible. As discussed in Chapter 3, most naturally occurring
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Figure 7-4
Relaxation of DNA overwinding by topoisomerases. DNA replication is shown after it has begun on a circular
DNA molecule. In this example a replication fork is working at both sides of the growing "bubble" (a). As the
replication bubble grows (b), an over wound region appears ahead of the replication bubble. Through the action
of topoisomerases the overwound region is relaxed (c).
Illustration provided by C. Ullsperger, A. Vologodskii, and N. Cozzarelli.
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circular DNA molecules are negatively supercoiled. Initially the overwinding motion thus is no problem because it can be taken up by the
underwinding already present in the negative supercoil. However, after about 5% of the circle is replicated, the negative superhelicity is
used up, and the topological problem arises.
Special Untwisting/Uncolling Enzymes (Topoisomerases) Exist
Separating the tightly twisted DNA requires that the individual strands be rotated about one another. A pair of topoisomerase enzymes
accomplish this. A type-I topoisomerase working just ahead of the replicating DNA makes a break in one strand of the double-stranded
DNA. With the loose DNA ends attached to the enzyme, one of the single strands is passed through the gap generated by the cut. Then the
ends are reattached to one another. As a result, a circular double-stranded DNA molecule is uncoiled with each topoisomerase action one
full 360-degree turn. From this action the DNA is "relaxed" somewhat. Later, the helicase enzyme mentioned above will come into play
and undo the hydrogen bonds that hold the 10 base pairs present in each full 360-degree turn. That is, topoisomerase works ahead of the
helicase, relieving the overwinding mentioned in Figure 7-4.
Figure 7-5
Topoisomerase I binds to the double helix. It unwinds a local region (b), and introduces a
nick (single-strand cut) (c). While holding onto the cut ends, the enzyme then passes the other,
intact strand through the gap in the cut strand (d). The gap is sealed, and the enzyme is released
from the DNA, leaving a double helix (e) which, compared to the starting DNA (a), is identical,
except that the extent of negative supercoiling of the whole, circular molecule is reduced by one
complete turn. Gyrase (topoisomerase II) works in the opposite wayit introduces negative
supercoiling to compensate for the positive supercoiling in circular sDNA.
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Two Topoisomerases Function in Concert

As DNA replication continues around a circle, positive supercoiling of the entire circle occurs. A second enzyme, which
is also a topoisomerase, acts to introduce negative supercoils into the replicating circle. It is called gyrase. This enzyme
acts by breaking both strands (in contrast to the type-I enzyme, which breaks only one strand). It is therefore also
sometimes referred to as topoisomerase II. A segment of the cut DNA, which is located away from the actual cut site, is
passed through the gap and then the cut is resealed. In this way the replicating circular DNA is maintained in its normal
state of negative supercoiling. Figure 7-5 on page 135 illustrates the manner in which one of these enzymes
(topoisomerase I) untwists DNA.
Initiation of DNA Replication
Now that we have considered the problems associated with untwisting DNA in order to relieve unwanted supercoiling,
let us examine the process of initiation. Initiation occurs at specific base sequences, which comprise the so-called
"origin of replication" (ori).
Two general types of initiation processes, both acting at the ori, have been discovered. One is referred to as de novo
"from the new," in which synthesis begins from RNA primers. It is common to most organisms. The other is called the
"covalent extension mechanism." It involves the synthesis of a new strand as an extension of a preexisting (old) strand.
Its use is mostly limited to certain viruses. Those two general mechanisms for initiation are illustrated in Figure 7-6.
Since those mechanisms are indeed so different, they will be discussed separately.
De Novo Initiation
The most common mechanism of initiation (de-novo) is shared by DNA molecules as diverse as the E. coli
chromosome, phage DNA, and the DNA of the eukaryotic simian virus 40 (SV40). During the initiation of replication
of the E. coli chromosome (shown diagramatically in Figure
Figure 7-6
Two different mechanisms for the initiation of
DNA synthesis have been discovered. De novo
is most common (primer shown in red), while covalent
extension (new strand shown in red) is limited to some viruses and
bacterial F (fertility) factors (see Figure 14-3 in Chapter 14).
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Figure 7-7
Initiation at oriC occurs after DnaA protein binds the four 9 mers. The A + T-rich
region is then denatured, and this open complex serves as a replication site.
(Adapted and redrawn from D. Bramhill and A. Kornberg, Cell, 1988:54; 915918.)
7-7), the DnaA protein binds to a 9 nucleotide sequence that is repeated 4 times within a 250 nucleotide sequence. That
region is defined as the oriC ("C" for chromosomal). In the presence of ATP, the bound 50-kDa DnaA protein
monomers interact to form a complex protein-DNA structure consisting of 1520 DnaA monomers and about 150 basepairs of DNA. Formation of this structure acts to locally denature an A + T-rich region directly adjacent to it. Then,
because of specific interactions between the DnaA protein and the other replication proteins (like DnaB), the replication
fork machinery is recruited to the unwound site on the DNA. Once all the requisite enzymes are present and primers
have been synthesized, DNA pol III can begin to synthesize DNA. In the case of oriC, two replication forks then
proceed in opposite directions away from the origin (see later section on Bidirectional Replication, page 154). The exact
mechanism for initiation of the leading and lagging strands is some-what unclear and currently under investigation.
During phage replication in E. coli, as well as the replication of the animal virus SV40, a very similar mechanism is
used, and a virally-encoded protein binds repeated sequences at the ori to form the initial complicated nucleoprotein
structure. This mechanism thus seems to be general.
A different type of de-novo initiation is employed by other organisms. In this mechanism an RNA primer is synthesized
on one DNA strand, through the direct action of an RNA polymerase enzyme.* The eventual
* This enzyme polymerizes ribonucleotides, and is discussed in detail in Chapter 8.
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Figure 7-8
A circular DNA molecule with a D loop. The "upper" strand
is double because the primer is bound to it and a daughter
strand is being synthesized as an extension of the primer.
extension of that RNA primer by DNA polymerase, during the synthesis of a daughter strand, generates a replication
bubble that consists of one double-stranded and one single-stranded branch.
Since the growing daughter strand displaces the unreplicated parental strand, the bubble is called a displacement loop,
or more commonly, a D loop (Figure 7-8).
Covalent Extension Initiation
In some of the very simplest biological systems (e.g., plasmids and viruses), natural selection favors rapid production of
large numbers of copies of DNA. Using the "covalent extension" mode of replication (see Figure 7-6) illustrated again
in more detail in Figure 7-9, circular DNA molecules produce a concatemer, which is a DNA base sequence tandemly
repeated many times. In this mode of initiation, a nick is made in one of the DNA strands, thereby creating a free 3-OH
end (along with a free 5-P end). The free 3-OH provides DNA polymerase with a starting point. The synthesis of a
daughter strand begins at this free end of the nicked DNA
strand. That is, the free 3-OH serves the same role as did the RNA primer illustrated for de-novo initiation in Figure 7-8.
A similar covalent extension process for the initiation of DNA synthesis is employed during the bacterial mating
process. As will be described in Chapter 14 (e.g., Figure 14-3) a linear DNA synthesized as shown in Figure 7-9 is
transferred from a donor cell to a recipient cell. Replication of virus DNA also employs covalent extension, and is
described in Chapter 12 (see Figure 12-19).
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Figure 7-9
Covalent extension initiation of DNA replication
begins at the free 3-OH generated when the double-stranded
DNA is nicked. Newly synthesized DNA is shown in red. Three
copies of the circular DNA are shown in the concatamer.
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Unwinding of DNA for Replication

In order for the enzymes which synthesize new (i.e., daughter) strands of DNA to begin their polymerization functions,
the DNA template needs to be readied. This process of template preparation involves at least three steps: unwinding of
the double helix (recall, from Figure 3-1, that the double helix is wound 360 degrees every 10-base pairs); breakage of
the H-bonds holding the two DNA strands together (see Figure 3-2) to expose the single-stranded templates for new
synthesis; and separation of the single-stranded DNA templates so that they will not re-anneal before DNA polymerase
has had an opportunity to act.
Although there is one enzyme, DNA polymerase I (pol I), that can accomplish all of those tasks, its role in DNA
replication is mostly limited to repair processes. Another enzyme, the DNA polymerase III mentioned earlier is the main
enzyme for polymerizing nucleotides in most cells. It is, however, highly specialized for polymerization and therefore
requires the assistance of other proteins to carry out the three steps mentioned above.
Helicase Enzymes Unwind DNA
The unwinding of double-stranded DNA is accomplished by the helicase enzymes. When helicases encounter dsDNA
they continue to move forward by unwinding and prying open the base pairs. The "unzipping" action of helicase
involves breaking hydrogen bonds and eliminating hydrophobic interactions. Energy is required for this process. It is
supplied by ATP, which is hydrolyzed in the process, and the energy released used by the helicase enzyme.
In oriC replication initiation systems, used for instance by E. coli, the major helicase is coded for by the DnaB gene. A
different helicase, PriA, is involved in some phage replication systems.
As mentioned above, the single-stranded DNA exposed by the action of a helicase enzyme could easily re-form
hydrogen bonds with other bases on the opposite strand. This is prevented by the action of single-strand DNA binding
proteins (ssb) which bind to the exposed strands, coating
Figure 7-10
The unwinding events in a replication fork.
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them in their single-stranded form and thereby blocking the re-annealing process. Once the strand has reacted with ssbs,
polymerization of nucleotides proceeds. The unwinding action of helicase and the binding of ssbs is diagrammed in
Figure 7-10 on page 139.
Elongation of Newly Synthesized Strands
The enzymatic synthesis of new daughter DNA strands is complicated by three additional factors:
1. The need for high fidelity in copying the base sequence.
2. The fact that the two parental strands are antiparallel (one runs 5-P 3-OH, and the other 3-OH 5-P), and
DNA polymerase can only function in one direction.
3. The need for speed (the replication fork moves at 1,000 nucleotides per second in E. coli).
Considering those complications, it is easy to understand that the number of steps that must be completed is far too great
to be accomplished by a single enzyme. In fact, twenty or more proteins are known to be necessary. In an effort to
provide some understanding of the process with a minimum of confusion, each step will be treated separately. We will
consider the basic chemistry of polymerization and the enzymes involved, the problems raised by the chemistry of
polymerization, the mechanisms for eliminating replication errors, the synthesis of RNA primers, and finally, the
topology of a complete replication apparatus.
The Polymerization Reaction and the Polymerases
In 1957, Arthur Kornberg showed that in extracts of E. coli there exists a DNA polymerase (now called polymerase I or
pol I). This enzyme is able to synthesize DNA from four precursor moleculesnamely, the four deoxynucleoside 5triphosphates (dNTP), dATP, dGTP, dCTP, and dTTPas long as a DNA molecule to be copied (a template DNA) is
provided. Neither 5-monophosphates nor 5-diphosphates, nor 3-(mono-, di-, or tri) phosphates can be
polymerizedonly the 5-triphosphates can serve as substrates for the polymerization reaction; and soon we will see why
this is the case. Some years later, it was found that pol I, though playing an essential role in the replication process, is
not the major polymerase in E. coli; instead, the enzyme responsible for advance of the replication fork is polymerase
III or pol III.* Pol III also exclusively
* The numbers I and III refer only to the order in which the enzymes were first isolated, not to their relative
importance. Another polymerase, pol II, has also been isolated from E. coli. It plays no other role in DNA
replication. Although mutant cells lacking pol II grow normally, recent studies indicate that the enzyme may
be involved in certain DNA damage-induced DNA repair mechanisms. The recent cloning (see Chapter 15)
and characterization of the pol II gene should help determine its actual role in the cell.
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Figure 7-11
The effect of various templates used in DNA
polymerization reactions. A free 3-OH on a hydrogen-bonded
nucleotide at the strand terminus and a non-hydrogen-bonded
nucleotide at the adjacent position on the template strand are needed
for strand growth. Newly synthesized DNA is red.
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uses 5-triphosphates as precursors and requires a DNA template before polymerization can occur. Pol* I and pol III
have some features in common. The overall chemical reaction catalyzed by both DNA polymerases is:
in which PP represents pyrophosphate cleaved from the dNTP.

Both pol I and pol III only polymerize deoxynucleoside 5-triphosphates and can do so only while copying a template
DNA. Furthermore, polymerization can only occur by addition to a primeran oligonucleotide hydrogen-bonded to the
template strand and whose terminal 3-OH group is available for reaction (that is, a ''free" 3-OH group). The meaning
of a primer is made clear in Figure 7-11, which depicts six potential template molecules; of these, only three can be said
to be active(c), (e), and (f)each of which has a free 3-OH group. The lack of activity with (d) and the direction of
synthesis with (e) and (f) indicate that nucleotides do not add to a free 5-P group. The lack of any synthesis with (a) or
(b) indicates that addition to a 3-OH group cannot occur if there is nothing to copy. We thus draw two conclusions:
1. Both a primer with a free 3-OH group and a template are needed.
2. Polymerization consists of a reaction between a 3-OH group at the end of the growing strand and an incoming
nucleoside 5-triphosphate. When the nucleotide is added, it supplies another free 3-OH group. Since
* For convenience, the abbreviation "pol" will be used in this chapter to refer to specifically named
polymerases.
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Figure 7-12
Schematic diagram of a replicating DNA molecule
showing the distinction between template and primer
and the meaning of 5 3 synthesis.
each DNA strand has a 5-P terminus and a 3-OH terminus, strand growth is said to proceed in the 5 3 (5-to-3)
direction.
These two points are summarized in Figure 7-12.
Occasionally polymerases add a nucleotide that cannot hydrogen-bond to the corresponding base in the template strand.
This may be purely a mistake, or may result from the tautomerization of adenine and thymine discussed in Chapter 10
(see Figure 10-2). In any case, it is important that the unpaired base be removable while its incorrectness is
recognizablenamely, as an unpaired base at the 3-OH terminus of a growing strand.
Correcting Mismatched Bases
Both pol I and pol III respond to an unpaired terminal base by terminating polymerizing activity. That is because those
enzymes require a primer that is correctly hydrogen-bonded. When such an impasse is encountered, a 3 5
exonuclease function (which is a separate catalytic activity located at a site distant from the active site for nucleotide
polymerization), is stimulated and the unpaired base is removed (Figure 7-13). After removal
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Figure 7-13
The 3 5 exonuclease activity
of DNA polymerase I showing the site of hydrolysis.
That C is removed (red) because it does
not base-pair with the A being copied (red).
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Figure 7-14
During nick translation, carried out by pol I, a
nucleotide is exonucleolytically removed in the 5
3 direction for each nucleotide added. The growing
strand is shown in red. The gap in the lower figure is
sealed by a separate enzyme-DNA ligase.
of this base, polymerizing activity resumes and chain growth therefore continues. This enzyme activity, because it
removes a base from the end of a nucleic acid is referred to as an exonuclease activity (see Chapter 3). Thus pol I and
pol III are said to possess a proofreading or editing function.
An additional function of DNA polymerase I is that of an opposite direction, 5 3 exonuclease. This activity has the
following features:
1. Nucleotides are removed from the 5-P terminus only, one by one. That is of course the opposite of the activity
illustrated in Figure 7-13.
2. More than one nucleotide can be removed by successive cutting.
3. The nucleotide removed must have been base-paired.
4. The nucleotide removed can be either of the deoxy-or the ribo-type.
5. Activity can occur at a nick as long as there is a 5-P group.
We will see shortly that the main function of the 5 3 exonuclease activity is to remove ribonucleotide primers.
The 5 3 exonuclease activity at a single-strand break (nick) can occur simultaneously with polymerization. That is,
as a 5-P nucleotide is removed, a replacement can be made by the enzymes polymerizing activity (Figure 7-14). Since
pol I cannot form a bond between a 3-OH group and a 5-monophosphate, the nick moves along the DNA molecule in
the nick translation direction of synthesis leaving a gap. This movement is called nick translation.
DNA Polymerase III Consists of Multiple Subunits
Pol III is a very complex enzyme. In its most active form it is associated with nine other proteins to form the pol III
holoenzyme. The term holoenzyme refers to an enzyme that contains several different subunits and retains some activity
even when one or more subunits is missing. The smallest aggregate having enzymatic activity is called the core enzyme.
The activities of the core enzyme and the holoenzyme are usually very
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different. E. coli genes encoding all ten of the polymerase subunits have been identified: one of them, the dnaE protein,
possesses the major polymerizing activity, but most of the subunits are essential for replication. Pol III shares with pol I a
requirement for a template and a primer, but pol III's substrate specificity is much more limited. For instance, neither the
core enzyme nor the holoenzyme can act at a nick. The core enzyme is most active in vitro on gapped DNA, where the
gap is less than 100 nucleotides long. On the other hand, the holoenzyme is extraordinarily active on long single-stranded
DNA templates primed with either a DNA or RNA primer. This reflects the action of the holoenzyme at the replication
fork, where as the parental duplex is unwound, the template is presented essentially as one very long single-strand. Pol III
cannot carry out strand displacement either, and another system is needed to unwind the helix in order that a replication
fork will be able to proceed (to be discussed in detail in a later section). The pol III enzyme, like pol I, possesses a 3 5
exonuclease activity that performs the major editing function in DNA replication. This function resides in the dnaQ
subunit. The activity of this 3 5 editing exonuclease is stimulated greatly when the dnaQ subunit is complexed
together with the dnaE subunit in either the core enzyme or the holoenzyme. A role for this activity in providing fidelity
to the replication process is clearly indicated, since E. coli strains carrying mutations in the dnaQ gene have a higher
mutation frequency. Unlike pol I, pol III does not possess a 5 3 exonuclease activity (see Table 7-1).
Although pol III holoenzyme is the major replicating enzyme in E. coli, much less is known about it than about pol I,
because it is a more complex enzyme. Study of pol III is currently an active field of research.
Later in this chapter, when the events at the growing fork catalyzed by the E. coli, replication system are examined, it will
be seen that pol I and pol III holoenzyme are both involved in E. coli DNA replication. However, a requirement for two
polymerases is not common to all organisms: for instance, E. coli phage T4 synthesizes its own polymerase, and this
enzyme is capable of carrying out all necessary polymerization functions.
TABLE 7-1 COMPARISON OF POL I AND POL III
ACTIVITY
POL I
POL III
5P 3OH polymerization
3OH 5P polymerization
5P 3OH exonuclease
3OH 5P exonuclease
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DNA Polymerases Can Work Only in the 5-P 3-OH Direction

All known polymerases (for both DNA and RNA) are capable of chain growth in only the 5 3 direction. That is, the
growing end of the polymer must have a free 3-OH group. One might inquire, since the two DNA strands are
antiparallel, why a 3 5 polymerase isn't also active during DNA replication. After all, if such a 3 5 polymerase
were available, DNA replication could follow the simplistic scheme illustrated in Figure 7-2.
It is possible, for the following reason, that the polymerization enzymes evolved their 5 3 directionality to facilitate
editing (of mistakes). If 3 5 growth were to occur, the growing strand would also be terminated with a 5triphosphate and the 3-OH group of the incoming nucleotide would react with it. Chemically, this is certainly
acceptable. However, since the bonds formed in this case contain only a single phosphate, an exonuclease editing
function designed to remove a mismatched base would leave behind a free 5-monophosphate at the end of the growing
strand. In order for chain growth to resume, an enzyme system would be needed to enter the replication fork and convert
the monophosphate to a triphosphate. In the interest of speed, and since there is already a great deal going on in the
replication fork, it would seem more economical for the cell to require 53 growth exclusively.
The observation that chain growth proceeds in only one direction introduces, however, what is probably the greatest
complication in the entire replication process; to be described next.
Antiparallel DNA Strands and Discontinuous Replication
In the model of replication you were introduced to at the beginning of this chapter (Figure 7-2), both daughter strands
are drawn as if replicating continuously. However, no known DNA molecule replicates in this wayinstead,
One of the daughter strands is made in short fragments,
which are then joined together.
As just mentioned, polymerase I and polymerase III can add nucleotides only to a 3-OH group. Examination of the
growing fork indicates that if both daughter strands grew in the same overall direction, only one of these strands would
have a free 3-OH group. The other strand would have a free 5-P group because the two strands of DNA are antiparallel
(Figure 7-15). One of the following, therefore, must be true:
1. There is another polymerase that can add a nucleotide to the 5 end; that is, it would catalyze strand growth in the 3
5 direction, OR,
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Figure 7-15
The termini (red) that are present in a replication fork.
2. The two strands both grow in the 5 3 direction, but from opposite ends of the parental molecule. If this were
correct, a significant fraction of the unreplicated molecule would have to be single-stranded.
Neither of those two possibilities is correct. No DNA polymerase has been discovered that adds nucleotides to the 5-P
terminus, and at most about 0.05% of intracellular DNA is ever in the single-stranded form.
Indeed, the way replication is accomplished, despite the antiparallel nature of the two strands, and the unidirectional
mechanism of action of DNA polymerase are shown in Figure 7-16. This mode of synthesis is called discontinuous
synthesis. The leading strand is synthesized continuously, and the lagging strand is synthesized discontinuously in the
form of short fragments, each growing in the correct 5 3 direction. In time, the fragments are joined together to form
a continuous strand. Critical evidence verifying the discontinuous nature of DNA replication will be reviewed, for the
experiments are still considered to be landmarks in the history of molecular biology. These experiments represent a true
tour de force, and offer the beginning student an opportunity to gain insight into experimental designs.
So-Called "Okazaki Fragments" Are Joined Together
In 1968 R. Okazaki demonstrated that in E. coli some newly synthesized DNA consists of fragments that later are
attached to one another to generate long continuous strands. The discovery of those fragments supports the
discontinuous replication model summarized in Figure 7-16. Okazaki did two experiments to demonstrate discontinuous
DNA synthe-
Figure 7-16
A growing replication fork
showing the direction of growth of the leading
and lagging strands (both in red).
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(a)
(b)
Figure 7-17
(a) The type of data obtained by alkaline sedimentation of pulse-labeled DNA (black) and pulse-chased DNA
(red). Total DNA is the sum of the nonradioactive and radioactive DNA, as might be indicated by the optical
absorbance. The s value of the sedimenting material increases from right to left.
(b) The location of radioactive DNA (red) at the time of pulse-labeling and after a chase. The radioactive molecules
present in alkali are shown. The fragmentation resulting from removal of uracil (see later in text) accounts for the fact
that all pulse-labeled DNA sediments slowly before the chase.
sis. In the first, [3H]dT was added to a growing bacterial culture in order to label the new DNA strands with radioactivity, and 30
seconds later the cells were collected and all of their DNA was isolated. This is called a pulse-labeling experiment. The size of the
DNA was then measured by observing its sedimentation characteristics in the presence of alkali. In alkali, recall from Chapter 3,
double-stranded DNA separates into single strands. Sedimentation reveals the presence of any small DNA fragments that are not
joined to a longer strand.
The type of data obtained (Figure 7-17(a)) showed that the most recently made (pulse-labeled) DNA sediments very slowly in
comparison with single strands obtained from parent DNA (even though these strands
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usually break in the course of isolation); from the s value,* it was estimated that the fragments of pulse-labeled DNA
range in size from 1,000 to 2,000 nucleotides, whereas the isolated, preexisting parent DNA is usually 20 to 50 times as
large. In the second experiment, the bacteria were pulse-labeled for 30 seconds; then, the [3H]dT was replaced with
large quantities of nonradioactive dT, and the bacteria were allowed to grow for several minutes. This is called a pulsechase experiment. Flooding the bacterial culture with nonradioactive dT allows one to determine the current size of the
radioactive molecules synthesized at an earlier time. That is, the earlier synthesized (radioactive) DNA can be traced.
Okazaki observed that the s value (i.e., size) of the radioactive material increased with time of growth in the
nonradioactive medium. These experiments are presented and interpreted in Figure 7-17 in terms of the discontinuous
replication model shown in Figure 7-16. Apparently the joining of the pulse-labeled fragments to the growing daughter
strands caused the label to sediment with the bulk of the longer, continuous strands of DNA.
These fragments, called precursor fragments or Okazaki fragments, have the properties predicted by the discontinuous
model: they are initially small and then become large as they are attached to previously made DNA. However, the
model predicts that only half of the radioactivity should be found in small fragments whereas the data shown in Figure 717a) indicate that all of the newly synthesized DNA consists of fragments. This result should be surprising because
there is no reason why the DNA of the 3-OH-terminated strand should be synthesized discontinuously. In fact, it is not.
Occasionally DNA polymerase adds a uracil nucleotide instead of a thymine nucleotide to the end of the growing strand
when copying an adenine in the template strand. When this occurs, an enzyme repair system excises the uracil,
replacing it with thymine. This repair system does not act at the terminus (in contrast with the proofreading 3-5
exonuclease) but instead when the uracil is well within the growing strand. The excision process produces a transient
single-strand break, which is sealed by DNA ligase after the correct nucleotide is inserted. The leading strand is thus
made continuously but, after synthesis, is fragmented at the rare uracil sites.
Additional evidence for the discontinuous-synthesis model comes from high-resolution electron micrographs of
replicating DNA molecules. These micrographs show a short, single-stranded region on one side of the replication fork
(Figure 7-18). This region results from the fact that synthesis of the discontinuous strand is initiated only periodically;
perhaps a particular base sequence or some other signal is required for initiation. In fact, the 3-OH terminus of the
continuously replicating strand is always ahead of the discontinuous strand. This is the origin of the terms leading strand
* The s value, or sedimentation coefficient, is a measure of the speed with which a particle moves under the
influence of centrifugal force. For DNA, it is usually related simply to molecular weight.
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Figure 7-18
A replicating molecule of phage DNA.
The arrows show the two replicating forks. The segment
between each pair of thick lines at the arrows is single-stranded
DNA; note that it appears thinner and lighter.
(Courtesy of Manual Valenzuela.)
and lagging strand for the continuously and discontinuously replicating strands, respectively.
A Primer Is Required for Chain Initiation
Like all DNA polymerases, pol III needs a primer. That is, it cannot simply latch onto a template strand and begin
polymerizing nucleotides from a new strand. This predicament applies to initiating both the leading strand and the
precursor (Okazaki) fragments. Either a ribo- or deoxynucleotide, hydrogen-bonded to the template strand, can serve as
a primer. Because all known DNA polymerases can add nucleotides only to the 3-OH termini such a reactive group
must be available on the primer (see Figure 7-12). In every case so far examined, the primer for both leading and
lagging strand synthesis is a short RNA oligonucleotide that consists of 1 to 60 bases, the exact number depending on
the particular organism. This RNA primer is synthesized by copying a particular base sequence from one DNA strand
and differs from a typical RNA molecule in that after its synthesis the primer remains hydrogen-bonded to the DNA
template.
In bacteria two different enzymes are known to synthesize primer RNA moleculesRNA polymerase, which is the same
enzyme that is used for synthesis of most RNA molecules, such as messenger RNA (see Chapter 8), and primase (the
product of the dnaG gene in E. coli). Experimentally, these enzymes can be distinguished in vivo by their differential
sensitivities to the antibiotic rifampicinRNA polymerase is inhibited by the antibiotic, but primase is not. In E. coli,
initiation of leading-strand synthesis is rifampicin-sensitive, presumably because RNA polymerase is used. Thus, the
synthesis of primers is quite different for the leading and the lagging strands. The leading strand only needs to be
primed once. Since the leading strand grows continuously, it never has to be reprimed. Thus, the primer synthesized at
the ori site is the only primer needed for
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Figure 7-19
DNA replication on the leading strand needs to
be primed only once, whereas lagging strand synthesis
requires new primers often, to accommodate repetitive initiation
events. Primers are shown in red.
the leading strand. Creating primers for the leading strand is, therefore, not a repetitive process.
However, as we have learned, the lagging strand begins as a series of short fragments. The synthesis of each of those
Okazaki fragments must begin on a primer. Primers must therefore be synthesized repetitively on the lagging strand
throughout the elongation process. Figure 7-19 illustrates the distinction between leading- and lagging-strand primer
synthesis.
Like the helicase enzyme, primase is needed to "prepare" the parental DNA for pol III. Those two enzymes are usually
linked together. Such a helicase/primase complex is called a primosome.
A precursor fragment has the following structure, while it is being synthesized:
Precursor fragments are ultimately joined to yield a continuous strand. The completely synthesized daughter strand
contains no ribonucleotides. Assembly of the lagging strand therefore requires removal of the primer ribonucleotides,
replacement with deoxynucleotides, and then joining. In E. coli the first two processes are accomplished by pol I and
joining is catalyzed by DNA ligase.
DNA Ligase Joins Precursor Fragments
The assembly of precursor fragments is shown in Figure 7-20. Pol III extends the growing strand until the RNA
nucleotide of the primer of the previously synthesized precursor fragment is reached. Pol III can go no further since it
has no 5 3 exonuclease activity (see Table 7-1). It cannot join a 5-triphosphate at the terminus of a polymer (i.e., on
the primer) to a 3-OH group on the growing strand. Thus pol III dissociates from the DNA, leaving a nick. E. coli DNA
ligase cannot seal the nick because a triphosphate is present, even if an additional enzyme could
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Figure 7-20
Sequence of events in assembly of lagging strand fragments.
RNA is indicated in red. The replication fork (not shown) is at the left.
cleave the triphosphate to a monophosphate. DNA ligase would be inactive when one of the nucleotides is in the ribo
form. However, pol I works efficiently at a nick as long as there is a 3-OH terminus. In this case the enzyme carries out
nick translation, probably proceeding into the deoxy section, but there DNA ligase can compete with pol I and seal the
nick (Figure 721).
In the usual polymerization reaction, the activation energy for phosphodiester bond formation comes from cleaving the
triphosphate. Since DNA ligase has only a monophosphate to work with, it needs another source of energy. It obtains
this energy by hydrolyzing either ATP or nicotine adenine dinucleotide (NAD); the energy source depends upon the
organism from which the DNA ligase is obtained. The E. coli DNA ligase uses NAD.
Thus, the precursor fragment is assimilated into the lagging strand. By this time, the next precursor fragment has
reached the RNA primer of the fragment just joined and the sequence begins anew. Another enzyme, RNase H, a
riboendonuclease specific for RNA in the form of a RNA-DNA hybrid, can also participate in the removal of primer
ribonucleotides.
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(a)
(b)
Figure 7-21
The action of DNA ligase.
(a) A nick having a 3-OH and a 5-P terminus is sealed.
(b) If one or more nucleotides are absent, the gap cannot be sealed.
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KEY CONCEPT
The ''Evolution of DNA Replication" Concept

Due to the antiparallel nature of DNA strands, as well as the need for rapid replication, and timely error correction, the
discontinuous DNA replication mode has evolved.
The Complete DNA Replication System
Let's now begin to understand how all the major components of the replication machinery work in harmony. We'll adopt
E. coli as our model system since, because of its large number of mutant (regarding DNA replication) genes, it is best
understood. Similar mechanisms are, however, believed to be active in animal and plant cells.
We will use the diagram in Figure 7-22 to guide our review. For the sake of focusing on events at the replication fork
itself we will assume
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Figure 7-22
Summary of events at the DNA replication fork.
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that the topoisomerases (e.g., DNA gyrase) described earlier in Figure 75 have acted downstream of the replication fork,
to relieve superhelicity.
Helicase unwinds double-stranded DNA by breaking its hydrogen bonds. Primase, which continuously synthesizes the
multiple RNA primers for the lagging strand, complexes with helicase (to form the so-called primosome mentioned
earlier). Recall, the single primer for the leading strand is synthesized by a different enzyme, RNA polymerase.
Re-annealing of the separated DNA strands is prevented by the action of ssb proteins. They bind single-stranded DNA
and prevent its return to a double-stranded configuration. Due to the opposite polarities of the leading and lagging
strands, the lagging strand is looped around the DNA polymerase III enzyme. This allows one large pol III complex
consisting of a pair of subunits to polymerize both leading and lagging strands simultaneously! Replication of both
strands is thereby precisely coordinated. The chances of the synthesis of one strand speeding ahead of the other, or the
potential for tangling and breaking of single-stranded DNA are consequently alleviated. Due to the need for a length of
template complete with primers for lagging-strand synthesis, synthesis of the lagging strand actually does lag (in time),
even though its polymerization occurs simultaneously with that of the leading strand. Thus, the term "lagging" is
appropriate for the looped strand.
Clearly, events on the lagging strand are more complicated than on the leading strand, due to the continuous
requirement for primers. Once the synthesis of an Okazaki fragment has been completed, it butts up against an earlier
synthesized RNA primer/Okazaki fragment combination.
The RNA primers (on both the lagging and leading strands) are edited out, using the nick translation capability of pol I
mentioned earlier (see Figure 7-20). The gap between the edited primers (now DNA) and the earlier synthesized
Okazaki fragment is sealed by DNA ligase (see Figure 721).
The above features pertain mostly to replication, described earlier in Figures 73 and 74. Let us now return briefly to a
summary of the covalent extension model of DNA replication.
Replication in the Covalent Extension Mode
This mode employs a nick (single-stranded break in DNA) rather than the use of RNA primers for the initiation process.
The nick site provides a free 3-OH as a polymerization starting point for DNA polymerase. As mentioned previously,
many bacteriophages replicate their DNA this way. As DNA polymerase adds nucleotides to that free 3-OH end and
works its way around the circle, the 5-P end is either displaced (if pol I is employed as a polymerase), or unwound by
other enzymes (if pol III is used as the polymerase) (Figure 723).
That displaced strand serves as the template for lagging-strand synthe-
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Figure 7-23
Pol I displaces one of the parental strands as it
polymerizes nucleotides from the 3-OH end produced
at the nicked site.
sis. Eventually, after the circular DNA has been fully replicated once, the newly synthesized leading strand will serve as
the template for new lagging-strand synthesis. The inner (non-nicked) strand is never disrupted, hence the alternative
names"rolling circle" or "sigma" (because of its "tail")for the covalent extension mode of DNA replication. That "inner''
circle is employed repeatedly as a template for leading-strand synthesis, generating a concatemeric length of doublestranded DNA product (see Figure 79).
For those phages which employ pol III as the major polymerization enzyme, helicases and ssb proteins operate to
unwind the parental strands, instead of the strand displacement process generated by pol I (see Figure 723).
Bidirectional Replication Speeds up DNA Synthesis
Once a D-loop initiation event has occurred (see Figure 78), replication will occur in either one direction
(unidirectional), or in both directions (bidirectional) around the loop. During unidirectional replication of a circular
DNA, as illustrated in Figure 78, one branch point remains at a fixed position, defining the replication origin. In
bidirectional replication both branch points move so that each branch point contains a complete replication (ori.) If both
replication forks move at the same rate, the origin of replication (ori) remains close to the midpoint of each branch of
the replication loop.
In the illustration of bidirectional replication shown in Figure 7-24, the first leftward-moving lagging strand becomes
the rightward-moving leading strand, and the second primosome acts to unwind the helix in a clockwise direction and
primes the synthesis of the rightward-moving precursor fragments. That is, a primosome (helicase/primase complex) is
situated on both sites of the ori, so both clockwise and counterclockwise replication occurs around the D-loop. The
result of these events is that the DNA molecule will have two replication forks moving in opposite directions around the
circle, and the overall rate of duplication of a DNA molecule will be doubled.
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Figure 7-24
The formation of a bidirectionally enlarging replication bubble.
(a) DnaA protein binds to the ori and opens the double helix, as shown previously in Figure 77.
(b) Helicase and primase act on both sides of the replication bubble.
(c) The leftward-leading strand has progressed far enough that the second rightward precursor (lagging strand)
fragment has begun. The first rightward precursor fragment has passed ori and has become the rightward-leading strand.
(d) The rightward-leading strand has moved far enough that the first leftward (lagging strand) precursor fragment has
begun. There are now two complete replication forks. The helicase/primase complex shows how E. coli replicates DNA
simultaneously in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. The black arrow illustrates the direction of movement
of the helicase (unwinding) protein.
Whether a DNA molecule replicates unidirectionally or bidirectionally depends on whether the organism's DNA helicase is capable
of moving in opposite directions away from the ori. Some organisms (e.g., some plasmids and a few types of phage) possess
helicases that permit solely unidirectional replication. Other organisms (e.g., all eukaryotes, several plasmids, many viruses, and
most bacteria) contain helicases which allow for bidirectional replication.
Complex Enough?
Having completed a review of the basic features of DNA replication, let's list the key points:
1. Topoisomerases act to relieve DNA's positive supercoiling.
2. Initiation of synthesis occurs at specific sites (ori).
3. Helicase unwinds double-stranded DNA.
4. RNA primers are synthesized so that DNA polymerase can synthesize daughter strands.
5. Lagging-strand precursor fragments are edited and ligated.
By now beginning students of molecular biology can easily understand why many researchers express the opinion that DNA
replication is the most complex process in a living cell!
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Replication of Eukaryotic Chromosomes

The replication of eukaryotic chromosomes presents many problems not found in the prokaryotes because of the enormous size of
eukaryotic chromosomes and the geometric complexity imposed by the organization of the DNA into nucleosomes. How these
problems are handled is described in this section.
The rate of movement of a replication fork in E. coli is 105 basepairs per minute. In eukaryotes the polymerases are much less
active, and the rate ranges from 500 to 5,000 base-pairs per minute. Since a typical animal cell contains about fifty times as much
DNA as a bacterium, the replication time of an animal cell should be about 1,000 times as great as that of E. coli, or about 30
days. However, the duration of the replication cycle is usually several hours and this is accomplished by having multiple initiation
sites. For instance, the DNA of the fruit fly Drosophila has about 5,000 initiation sites, each separated by about 30,000 bases, and
each site replicates bidirectionally. The number of sites is regulated in a way that is not understood. For example, in the round of
replication following fertilization of Drosophila eggs, the number of initiation points reaches 50,000, and it takes only 3 minutes
to replicate all of the DNA. An example of a fragment of this rapidly replicating Drosophila DNA is shown in Figure 725.
The enormous number of growing forks in eukaryotic cells is reflected in the number of polymerase molecules. In E. coli there
are between 10 and 20 molecules of pol III holoenzyme. However, a typical animal cell has 20,000 to 60,000 molecules of
polymerase , which is one of the two DNA polymerases thought to be involved in replication.
Replication of double-stranded DNA proceeds through both a polymerization step (nucleotide addition) and a dissociation step
(strand separation). The replication of chromatin, which is the form that DNA has in eukaryotes, proceeds through an additional
dissociation stepnamely, dissociation of DNA and histone octamerand a histone-DNA reassoci-
Figure 7-25
Replicating DNA of Drosophila melanogaster showing many replicating eyes. The molecular
weight of the segment shown is roughly 20 106. (Courtesy of David Hogness.)
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ation step (see Chapter 5 for a discussion of the structure of the octamers contained in nucleosomes). In chromatin,
DNA is wrapped around a histone octamer to form a nucleosome and if the DNA were never un wrapped from the
histone spool, severe geometric problems would arise at the growing fork. Moreover, after DNA dissociates from the
histones, newly formed DNA must rejoin with the nucleosomal octamers so that each daughter molecule will be
organized into nucleosomes, just as the parent was.
Examination of replication forks in DNA that has not been deproteinized during isolation indicates that nucleosomes
form very rapidly after replication. For example, Figure 726 shows that all portions of a replication eye have the
beadlike appearance characteristic of nucleosomes.
The synthesis of histones occurs simultaneously with DNA replicationthat is, histones are made in the cell as they are
needed, so that the cell does not contain an appreciable amount of unassociated histone molecules. In light of this, we
would like to know whether newly synthesized histones mix with parent histones in the octamers associated with
daughter DNA molecules.
Unfortunately, even after many years of investigation, the answer is not clear. In addition, the answer to the other
important question about the behavior of histones during replication is unclearnamely, how are
Figure 7-26
A replicating fork showing nucleosomes on both branches.
The diameter of each particle is about 110 A.
(Courtesy of Harold Weintraub.)
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the histone octamers resident on the parent duplex distributed on the daughter molecules? (Do they all go to only one
daughter molecule, or are they dispersed between both daughter molecules?) Sufficient experimental evidence exists to
support either claim. Very recently, histone assembly has been experimentally coupled to replication in vitro. Studies
with this type of system should provide definitive answers to more questions.
Enzymology of Eukaryotic Replication
In prokaryotes, studies in vitro on the replication of infecting phages were the key to unlocking the secrets of the
enzymological mechanisms and the identification and purification of the cellular replication proteins. Recently, a
similar approach has been used to identify human replication proteins. In particular, these studies have exploited the
ability of both adenovirus and the previously mentioned SV40 virus to replicate in human cell cultures.
Adenovirus is a long (about 30,000 nucleotides) linear virus that replicates from the ends. The obvious priming problem
(if it replicates from the very last nucleotide, how is a 3-OH primer end provided?) is solved because the primer is
actually a virally-encoded protein. The first nucleo tide inserted is covalently attached to the primer protein. This protein
(called the terminal protein) remains attached to the newly synthesized viral DNA and is encapsulated into the viral
particle.
Studies on SV40 replication have revealed two different polymerases, each apparently involved in the synthesis of only
one strand. Polymerase synthesizes part of the lagging strand, while polymerase synthesizes the rest of the lagging
strand as well as the entire leading strand. Most eukaryotic polymerases also have an associated primase activitythus
its involvement in lagging-strand synthesis, which calls for the repeated generation of primers, seems appropriate. It is
interesting to note the functional similarities between development of the eukaryotic and prokaryotic replication forks.
One can think of the combination of polymerases and , along with several other proteins that bind to these
polymerases, as being equivalent to the prokaryotic polymerase-III holoenzyme. In the next few years, our knowledge
of the enzymology of eukaryotic DNA replication should begin to rival that of the prokaryotic system.
Detailed analysis of the 3-dimensional structure of a variety of nucleotide polymerases, including the DNA polymerase
described in Figure 722 and the reverse transcriptase enzyme which replicates the AIDS virus (human
immunodeficiency virus [HIV]see Chapter 16) have been carried out.
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Those studies reveal that all polymerases share a common catalytic mechanism. For example, due to similarities in their
protein-folding patterns they all bind their templates and primers in the same way.
Information such studies is yielding is being employed to design anti-HIV drugs. For example, when AZT (3-azido2,3-dideoxythymidine) is administered to an AIDS patient, it is converted by cellular enzymes to the nucleoside 5triphosphate form. That "AZT-triphosphate" is a potent chain termination inhibitor of reverse transcriptase. It functions
much the same way that dideoxyATP functions in the Sanger DNA sequencing reaction (Figure 318 in Chapter 3).
Thus, it is a potential anti-AIDS drug.
AZT-triphosphate does, however, have toxic side effects. It is believed to inhibit host-cell DNA polymerases in most
AIDS patients. Further understanding of the mechanism of action of DNA polymerase, gained through intensive
research on the structure of the enzyme, is therefore likely to lead to the design of more potent and less toxic drugs that
will inhibit reverse transcriptase, but not interfere with human DNA polymerase. A practical application of basic
information on DNA polymerase action will thus possibly be achieved.
Summary
DNA replication is accomplished by an enzymatic polymerization reaction in which a DNA strand is used as a template
to synthesize a copy with a base sequence that is complementary to the template. Replication is semiconservative; each
parent single strand is present in one of the doublestranded progeny molecules. The growth of a DNA strand is
catalyzed by a DNA polymerase enzyme. Strand growth always moves in the 5-to-3 direction. Since double-stranded
DNA is antiparallel, only one strand (the leading strand) grows in the direction of movement of the replication fork. The
second daughter strand (the lagging strand) is synthesized in the opposite direction as short, precursor fragments that are
subsequently joined together. DNA polymerase cannot initiate synthesis, so a primer is always needed. In most
replication systems the primer is a short RNA oligonucleotide synthesized either by RNA polymerase or by DNA
primase.
In E. coli two enzymes, polymerase I and polymerase III, carry out nucleotide addition. Pol III is responsible for overall
chain growth; pol I is used in the completion of precursor fragments and also in repair processes. The primer is removed
at later stages of replication by the 5-3 exonuclease activity of DNA polymerase I. Pol I and pol III both possess a 3-5
exonuclease activity that corrects incorporation errors.
Replication of both linear and circular DNA molecules is usually bidirectional; the replication loops enlarge by
movement of replication forks at both ends of the loop. A DNA molecule of a prokaryote is usually
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initiated at a single site, and has a single replication loop; in contrast, eukaryotic DNA molecules have multiple
initiation sites, and hence many loops.
Drill Questions
1. Is DNA replication conservative or semiconservative?
2. Fill in the blank. A parent strand serves as a _____for synthesis of a daughter strand.
3. In semiconservative replication, what fraction of the DNA consists of one original parent strand and one daughter
strand after 1, 2, and 3 rounds of replication?
4. In which mode of replication does a parent circular DNA molecule yield two daughter circles?
5. In which mode of replication does a parent circle generate a circle with a linear branch?
6. What kind of supercoiling is produced by replicative movement of the growing fork in a circle?
7. What kind of supercoiling is produced by DNA gyrase?
8. Name three enzymatic activities of DNA polymerase I.
9. DNA polymerization occurs by addition of a deoxynucleotide to which chemical group?
10. What two reactions are coupled when nick translation occurs?
Problems
1. Will a 15N-labeled circle replicating in 14N medium using the rolling circle mode ever achieve the density of
14N14N DNA?
2. What are the roles of the various exonuclease activities of the DNA polymerases in DNA replication?
3. How do pol I and pol III differ with respect to their ability to unwind the parent DNA in a replication fork?
4. What is the chemical difference between the groups joined by a DNA polymerase and by DNA ligase?
5. How do organisms allow DNA polymerases to move in the same direction along a template strand, even though
double-stranded DNA is antiparallel?
6. What must be done to two precursor fragments before they can be joined together?
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1. Why isn't there a single mode of replication common to all organisms?
2. What specific constraint to DNA replication occurs at the ends of linear DNA molecules? How does replication occur
at the ends of linear DNA molecules?
3. Why has DNA replication been called "the most complex process in a cell"?
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Chapter 8
Transcription
John Richardson
Professor of Chemistry,
Indiana University,
Bloomington, Indian
Udergraduate Degree:
Amherst College
Major: Biophysics 1960
Graduate Degree:
Harvard University,
Ph.D. 1966
Instutue de Biologie
physico-chimique,
Paris, 19651967
My research is on the mechanism of transcription of RNA from DNA templates and on the regulation of RNA
metabolism in bacte ria and higher organisms.
A major aim of my research is to determine how RNA synthesis is stopped at the ends of genes and of gene groups
(operons) in bacte ria. It is known that termination at the ends of many genes or oper ons requires the action of a protein
factor known as Rho. My work has shown that Rho has to interact with the nascent RNA transcript and that it uses
energy from the hydrolysis of ATP to break up the transcription complex of nascent RNA, RNA polymerase, and DNA.
We are currently characterizing Rho protein, finding out what sequences or structures on RNA molecules are
recognized by Rho factor, and establishing how ATP hydrolysis affects the interactions between Rho and the various
parts of the transcription complex.
We are also investigating how NusA protein, a transcriptional elongation factor, interacts with RNA polymerase and the
nascent RNA.
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We use a combination of biochemical and genetic approaches. To identify sequences on an RNA molecule that are
recognized by Rho protein, for instance, our genetic approach involves making alterations in the DNA coding for the
RNA and analyzing how these mutations affect the efficiency of termination at the end of the gene. Our biochemical
approach involves the use of photochemical RNA-protein cross-linking techniques and selective modifications of the
RNA to identify the nucleotides that make direct contact with Rho protein.
The major deciding factor that led me to a career in molecular biology was reading the review article, "Genetic
Regulatory Mechanisms in the Synthesis of Proteins" by Francois Jacob and Jacques Monod in one of the spring 1961
issues of the Journal of Molecular Biology. The other factor was the exciting work being done in Jim Watson's
laboratory at Harvard University that spring on the discovery of messenger RNA. Molecular biology was very young
and very exciting then and I decided I wanted to be on the bandwagon, so on I jumped!
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1. The sequence of events that take place in
transcription of DNA to RNA, and how those events
differ in prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems.
2. About the structures and functions of different
classes of RNA.
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Gene expression is accomplished by the transfer of genetic information from DNA to RNA molecules and then from RNA to protein
molecules. RNA molecules are synthesized by using the base sequence of one strand of DNA as a template in a polymerization reaction
that is catalyzed by enzymes called DNA-dependent RNA polymerases or simply RNA polymerases. The process by which RNA
molecules are initiated, elongated, and terminated is called transcription.
In this chapter we will quickly realize that although complementary base pairing is common to both RNA and DNA synthesis, several
features of RNA synthesis differ from DNA synthesis. For example, the RNA product is single stranded, unlike the double helix from
which it is transcribed. It is also relatively short in length, since only a small portion of the total DNA is represented in any single RNA
product.
Initially, we will learn about transcription in prokaryotes. Then we will review the more complicated eukaryotic gene expression system.
Because of their relative simplicity, the pioneering experiments on transcription were carried out in prokaryotes. In fact, it was a series of
elegant genetic experiments with E. coli that led to the discovery of what is now known as messenger RNA (mRNA). Through mRNA, the
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information stored in DNA is converted to amino acid sequences of the ultimate gene productprotein.
Three aspects of prokaryotic transcription will be considered in this chapter: the enzymology of RNA synthesis, the
signals that determine at what locations on a DNA molecule transcription starts and stops, and types of transcription
products and how they are converted to the RNA molecules needed by the cell. Then we will examine eukaryotic
transcription, and finish the chapter with a review of a laboratory procedure for studying RNA.
Enzymatic Synthesis of RNA
In this section we describe the basic features of the polymerization of RNA, the identity of the precursors, the nature of
the template, the properties of the polymerizing enzyme, and the mechanisms of initiation, elongation, and termination
of synthesis of an RNA chain.
The essential chemical characteristics of the synthesis of RNA are the following:
1. The precursors in the synthesis of RNA are the four ribonucleoside 5-triphosphates (rNTP)ATP, GTP, CTP, and
UTP. On the ribose portion of each NTP there are two OH groups, one each on the 2- and 3- carbon atoms (see Figure
2-5 in Chapter 2).
2. In the polymerization reaction the 3-OH terminus of the RNA being synthesized reacts with the 5-triphosphate of a
precursor rNTP; a pyrophosphate is released, and a phosphodiester bond results (Figure 8-1). This is the same reaction
that occurs in the synthesis of DNA.
3. The sequence of bases in an RNA molecule is determined by the base sequence of the DNA. Each base added to the
growing end of the RNA chain is chosen by its ability to base-pair with the DNA strand used as a template; thus, the
bases, C, T, G, and A in a DNA strand cause G, A, C, and U, respectively, to appear in the newly-synthesized RNA
molecule.
4. The DNA molecule is double stranded, yet at the time any particular region is transcribed only one strand serves as a
template. This comes about because the two DNA strands are separated temporarily to allow one to be used as a
template. The meaning of this statement is shown in Figure 8-2.
5. The RNA chain grows in the 5 3 direction: that is, nucleotides are added only to the 3-OH end of the growing
chainthis is the same as the direction of chain growth in DNA synthesis. Also, the RNA strand and the DNA template
strand are antiparallel to one another.
6. RNA polymerases, in contrast to DNA polymerases, are able to initiate chain growththat is, no primer is needed.
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Figure 8-1
Mechanism of the chain-elongation reaction catalyzed by RNA polymerase. The red arrow joins the
reacting groups. The pyrophosphate group (shaded in red) and the red hydrogen atom do not appear
in the RNA strand. The DNA template and the RNA strands are antiparallel, as in double-stranded DNA.
7. Only ribonucleoside 5-triphosphates participate in RNA synthesis, and the first base to be laid down in the initiation event
retains its triphosphate. Its 3-OH group is the point of attachment for the subsequent nucleotide. Thus, the 5 end of a growing
RNA molecule terminates with a triphosphate (Figure 8-2).
Figure 8-2
An RNA strand (shown in red) is copied only from strand B of a segment of a DNA
molecule. No RNA is copied from strand A in that region of the DNA molecule. However,
elsewhere, for example in a different gene, strand A might be copied; in that case, strand B
would not be copied in that region of the DNA. The RNA molecule is antiparallel to the
DNA strand being copied and is terminated by a 5-triphosphate at the nongrowing end.
The red arrow shows the direction of RNA chain growth.
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Figure 8-3
E. coli RNA polymerase molecule bound to DNA. ( 160,000).
(Courtesy of Robley Williams.)
The overall polymerization reaction may be written as
in which XTP represents the first nucleotide at the 5 terminus of the RNA chain, NMP is a mononucleotide in the RNA
chain, RNA-P is RNA polymerase, and PPi is the pyrophosphate released each time a nucleotide is added to the
growing chain. The Mg2+ ion is required for all nucleic acid polymerization reactions.
E. coli RNA polymerase consists of five subunitstwo identical subunits and one each of types , , and . The
subunit dissociate from the enzyme easily and in fact does so shortly after polymerization is initiated. The term
holoenzyme is used to describe the complete enzyme and core enzyme for the enzyme which lacks the subunit. We
use the name RNA polymerase when the holoenzyme is meant. RNA polymerase is one of the largest enzymes known
and can easily be seen by electron microscopy (Figure 8-3).
The synthesis of RNA consists of four discrete stages: (1) binding of RNA polymerase to a template at a specific site,
(2) initiation, (3) chain elongation, and (4) chain termination and release. A discussion of these stages follows.
Transcription Signals
The first step in transcription is binding of RNA polymerase to a DNA molecule. Binding occurs at particular sites
called promoters, which are specific sequences of about 40 base-pairs at which several interactions occur. The most
crucial interactions for positioning of E. coli RNA polymerase at a promoter occur at two short-sequence patches on the
DNA. These patches are located about 10 and 35 base-pairs before the first base, which is copied into RNA. That first
base copied is called the start point of transcription, and is assigned as position +1. The two patches therefore are at
positions -10 and -35, with respect to the start point. The subunit of RNA polymerase appears to have two separate helical segments with amino acid residues that can make specific contacts with the exposed portions of the base-pairs in
the major groove of the DNA. The enzyme becomes positioned correctly when these separate -helical segments
contact the base pairs in the two patches simultaneously. Since a DNA molecule makes one helical turn every 10 to 11
base-pairs, these contacts would be nearly on the same side of DNA two turns away, or 78 A along the DNA. Figure 84 shows a diagram of how an extended RNA polymerase could contact those two patches. E. coli RNA polymerase is a
large protein that covers as much as 70 to 75 base-pairs of DNA from position -55 to position +20 when it is bound to a
promoter. It can therefore easily make the two separate contacts at the same time.
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Figure 8-4
A diagram showing RNA polymerase bound to DNA at a promoter. The arrows indicate
the position of the transcription start point (+1) and the -10 and -35 regions. The sigma
() factor is shown in red with two cylinders representing -helical segments that make
contact with the DNA in its major groove at the -10 and -35 regions.
The sequences of many promoters have been identified by researchers. Figure 8-5 shows portions of the sequences
along one strand for a few E. coli promoters with the start points and the -10 and -35 regions shown in red. The strand
that is shown has its 5 end at the left. One striking feature is that no two sequences are identical or even closely similar,
except in the two key locations. The sequences shown in red from -7 to -12 are similar, as are the sequences from about 30 to about -35. The sequences around -10 are considered to be variants of a basic sequence, TATAAT, called the -10
consensus sequence, while the sequence around -35 is a variant of TTGACA, called the -35 consensus sequence. A
consensus sequence is a pattern of bases from which actual sequences observed in many different systems differ by
usually no more than one or two bases. Although the figure only shows the sequences in one strand, remember that the
DNA is double-stranded, and that the other complementary strand is part of the recognition site in the -10 and -35
regions.
With some promoters, the sequence at one of the two contact regions differs greatly from the consensus. In this case,
RNA polymerase recognizes the sequence very poorly, and the promoter does not function very well. For some genes,
that might be fine because the cell may not need to express that gene very well. For other genes, however, there is often
an accessory protein that helps RNA polymerase bind to the promoter.
Figure 8-5
Base sequences in the nontemplate strand of six different E. coli promoters,
showing the three important regions.
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This kind of accessory protein is called a gene activator protein and is basically a positive effector. For example, the
Pre promoter is active only when the cl1 protein is present. These gene-activator proteins usually bind to specific
sequences very near or even within the promoter sequence and they appear to have surfaces to which RNA polymerase
can attach, when correctly positioned on the promoter. Thus a gene-activator protein helps the RNA polymerase bind to
a promoter with a poor recognition signal. An important effector protein, which will be discussed further in Chapter 11,
is the CAP protein; this protein is needed for the activation of many promoters for genes required for sugar metabolism,
and regulation of the binding ability of CAP is a major means of regulating the expression of these genes.
After RNA polymerase binds tightly at the promoter region, it manages to unwind a small part of the DNA, from basepairs +3 to -10 to form the open-promoter complex. This unwinding is necessary for pairing of the incoming
ribonucleoside triphosphates, the building blocks for synthesis of the RNA. The base composition between the start site
through the -10 region is generally rich in A + T, which renders the DNA especially susceptible to unpairing.
Once an open-promoter complex has formed, RNA polymerase is ready to initiate synthesis. RNA polymerase contains
two nucleotide binding sites, called the initiation site and the elongation site, respectively. The initiation site prefers to
bind purine nucleoside triphosphates, namely ATP and GTP, and one of these is usually the first nucleotide in the chain.
The first base, therefore, on the DNA template that is transcribed is usually a thymine or a cytosine. The initiating
nucleoside triphosphate binds to the enzyme in the open-promoter complex and forms a hydrogen bond with the
complementary DNA base (Figure 8-6). The elongation site is then filled with a nucleoside triphosphate that is selected
strictly by its
Figure 8-6
A scheme for initiation of RNA synthesis.
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ability to form a hydrogen-bond with the next base in the DNA strand. The two nucleotides are then joined together by
the reaction shown in Figure 8-1. During the joining process, RNA polymerase moves along the DNA to the next basepair. As it moves, it separates the base-pair at position +4, and allows the base-pair at position -10 to come together
again, thus maintaining the same stretch of 13 base-pairs unwound, but now centered one base-pair further along the
DNA. The two RNA nucleotides that were linked together stay paired to their complementary DNA bases, but now a
new unpaired base (the one at position +3) is positioned in the elongation site. Again, the elongation site is filled with a
nucleoside triphosphate that is selected by its ability to form a hydrogen-bond with the DNA base at position 3. This
nucleotide is then joined to the two that had been linked previously, and RNA polymerase moves along to the next basepair. Repetition of this cycle of nucleoside triphosphate selection and joining, RNA polymerase motion, DNA base
unpairing, and DNA base reannealing gradually elongates the RNA chain.
Note that the selection is made by pairing of the nucleoside triphosphate with only one of the two strands of the DNA.
The DNA strands were purposely unwound to allow this selection to occur. The strand that has bases that pair with the
incoming RNA nucleotide is the template strand. Since the sequence of the RNA is complementary to the template
strand, it will have the same sequence as the other strand of DNA.
After several nucleotides (between four and eight) are added to the growing RNA chain, three important changes occur.
First, the nucleotide at the 5 end of the RNA chain (the first one to be incorporated) becomes unpaired from the base on
the template strand to allow that base to pair again with its complement on the other DNA strand. Second, RNA
polymerase changes its structure and loses the subunit. Third, a protein aiding elongation (called NusA protein),
binds. The rest of the elongation process is carried out by the core enzyme NusA complex (Figure 8-7). Each new
nucleotide that is added at the 3 end of the growing RNA allows another nucleotide to be released from its binding to
the template. Hence, as elongation continues a section of 4 to 8 nucleotides at the 3 end of the newly-made RNA is
paired to the DNA template strand, while the rest of the RNA emerges from RNA polymerase as a single strand.
Termination of RNA synthesis occurs at specific base-sequences in the DNA molecule, called terminators. Some
termination sequences allow RNA polymerase to terminate elongation spontaneously. These sequences are called
intrinsic terminators. Other terminators require the action of a protein called Rho; they are called rho-dependent
terminators. Intrinsic terminators have three characteristic features (Figure 8-8):
1. First, there is an inverted-repeat base-sequence containing a central nonrepeating segment; that is, the sequence in
one DNA strand would read ABCDEF-XYZ-FEDCBA in which A and A, B and B, and so on, are complementary
bases. This sequence is capable of intrastrand
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Figure 8-7
Stages in RNA synthesis. Synthesis starts at a promoter on DNA and ends at a terminator.
Sigma () factor finds the promoter sequence. NusA protein is an elongation factor, and rho
() is a termination-RNA release factor.
(Adapted from Watson et al., Molecular Biology of the Gene, Fourth Edition. Menlo Park,
CA: Benjamin-Cummings, 1987.)
base pairing, forming a stem-and-loop configuration in the RNA transcript and possibly in the DNA strands.
2. The second region is near the loop end of the putative stem (sometimes totally within the stem) and is a sequence having a high
G + C content.
3. A third region is a sequence of A T pairs (which may begin in the putative stem) that yields in the RNA a sequence of six to
eight uracil residues often followed by an adenine.
Rho-dependent terminators lack sequences with a stretch of adenine residues in the template strand. Rho acts by binding to a special
sequence on the nascent RNA and forcibly pulls the RNA away from its contact
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Figure 8-8
Base sequence of (a) the DNA of the E. coli trp operon at which transcription
termination occurs and of (b) the 3 terminus of the mRNA molecule.
The inverted repeat sequence is indicated by reversed red arrows.
The mRNA molecule is folded to form a stem-and-loop structure thought
to exist. The relevant regions are labeled in red; the terminal sequence
of U's in the mRNA is shaded in red.
with the DNA in the transcription-elongation complex with RNA polymerase. Rho derives its force from the hydrolysis
of ATP molecules.
The final step in the termination process is dissociation of RNA polymerase from the DNA. This comes about by the
rebinding of a subunit to the core RNA polymerase after the RNA is released. The released holoenzyme is free to
search for a new promoter where it can start synthesis of a new RNA (Figure 8-7).
KEY CONCEPT
The ''Upstream/downstream" Concept

Transcription starts upstream of a gene's protein coding region and ends downstream, beyond the coding sequence.
Information for regulating gene expression thus resides outside (upstream/downstream) the protein coding region.
Classes of RNA Molecules
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There are three major classes of RNA moleculesmessenger RNA (mRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), and transfer RNA
(tRNA). All are synthesized from DNA base sequences. They are all involved in protein synthesis, but each class of
RNA has a different function, as will be seen in this and the next chapter. There are also significant differences between
the structures and modes of synthesis of the RNA molecules of prokaryotes and eukaryotes, though the basic
mechanisms of their functions are nearly the same. The greatest amount of information has been obtained from
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studies with bacteria and bacterial cell extracts, so that it is here that we begin. Transcription in eukaryotes and the
structure and synthesis of eukaryotic RNA molecules are discussed in a later section.
Messenger RNA
The base-sequence of a DNA molecule determines the amino acid sequence of every polypeptide chain in a cell, though
amino acids have no special affinity for DNA. Thus, instead of a direct pairing between amino acids and DNA, a
multistep process is used and the information contained in the DNA is converted to a form in which amino acids can be
arranged in an order determined by the DNA base-sequence. This process begins with the transcription of the basesequence of one of the DNA strands (the template strand) into the base sequence of an RNA molecule and it is from this
molecule, messenger RNA, that the amino acid sequence is obtained by the protein-synthesizing machinery of the cell.
As we will see in Chapter 9, the base sequence of the mRNA is read in groups of three bases (a group of three is called a
codon) from a start codon to a stop point, with each codon corresponding either to one amino acid or a stop signal.
A DNA segment corresponding to one polypeptide chain plus the start and stop signals is called a cistron and an mRNA
encoding a single polypeptide is called monocistronic mRNA. It is very common for a bacterial mRNA to encode
several different polypeptide chains; in this case it is called a polycistronic mRNA molecule.
In addition to cistrons and start-and-stop sequences for translation, other regions in mRNA are significant. For example,
translation of an mRNA molecule (that is, protein synthesis) seldom starts exactly at one end of the mRNA and
proceeds to the other end; instead, initiation of synthesis of the first polypeptide chain of a polycistronic mRNA may
begin hundreds of nucleotides from the 5 terminus of the RNA. The section of nontranslated RNA before the coding
regions is called a leader sequence; in some cases, the leader contains a regulatory region (called an attenuator) that
determines the amount of expression of the gene. Untranslated sequences are found at both the 5 and the 3 termini, and
a polycistronic mRNA molecule may contain intercistronic sequences (spacers) hundreds of bases long.
An important characteristic of prokaryotic mRNA is its short lifetime; usually within a few minutes after an mRNA
molecule is synthesized, nuclease degradation occurs. Although this means that continuous synthesis of a particular
protein requires ongoing synthesis of the corresponding mRNA molecule, rapid degradation of mRNA is nonetheless
advantageous to bacteria, whose environment and needs often fluctuate widely. Synthesis of a necessary protein can be
regulated as needed simply by controlling transcription. When a particular protein is needed by a cell, the appropriate
mRNA molecule will be made. However, when the protein is no longer needed, inhibition of synthesis of the mRNA is
sufficient to
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prevent wasted synthesis, because the previously made mRNA molecules will soon all be degraded.
Stable RNA: Ribosomal RNA and Transfer RNA
During the synthesis of proteins, genetic information is supplied by messenger RNA. RNA also plays other roles in
protein synthesis. For example, proteins are synthesized on the surface of an RNA-containing particle called a
ribosome; these particles consist of three classes of ribosomal RNA (rRNA), which are stable molecules. Also, amino
acids do not line up against the mRNA template independently during protein synthesis but are aligned by means of a
set of about fifty adaptor RNA molecules called transfer RNA (tRNA), also a stable species. Each tRNA molecule is
capable of "reading" three adjacent mRNA bases (a codon) and placing the corresponding amino acid at a site on the
ribosome at which a peptide bond is formed with an adjacent amino acid. Neither rRNA nor tRNA is used as a template.
The roles of ribosomes and of tRNA molecules will be explained in the following chapter; here we are concerned only
with their synthesis, which involves transcription from DNA and some transcriptional modification.
The synthesis of both rRNA and tRNA molecules is initiated at a promoter and completed at a terminator sequence, and
in this respect their synthesis is no different from that of mRNA. However, the following three properties of these
molecules indicate that neither rRNA nor tRNA molecules are the primary transcripts (immediate products of
transcription):
1. The molecules are terminated by a 5-monophosphate rather than the expected triphosphate found at the ends of all
primary transcripts.
2. Both rRNA and tRNA molecules are much smaller than the primary transcripts (the transcription units).
3. All tRNA molecules contain bases other than A, G, C, and U, and these "unusual" bases (as they are called) are not
present in the original transcript.
All of these molecular changes are made after transcription by a process called posttranscriptional modification or, more
commonly, RNA processing.
Both rRNA and tRNA molecules are excised from large primary transcripts. Often a single transcript contains the
sequences for several different moleculesfor example, different tRNA molecules, or both tRNA and rRNA molecules.
Formation of rRNA molecules is a result of fairly straightforward excision of a single continuous sequence. However,
formation of tRNA molecules from primary transcripts requires not only cleavage by several enzymes acting in a
particular order, but also chemical modification of various bases. An example of the production of a particular
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Figure 8-9
The stages in processing of the E. coli tRNA1Tyr gene transcript. The five stages are given arabic
numbers. Step 3 generates the 5-P end. This step is catalyzed by RNase P which is a ribozyme, an
unusual RNA enzyme (see Chapter 3). Step 4 generates the 3-OH end (the CCA end).
In step 5, six bases, all in or near the loops of the tRNA molecule, are modified to form
pseudouridine (), 2-isopentenyladenosine (2ipA), 2-o-methylguanosine (2mG), and
4-thiouridine (4tU). The continuous sequence that forms the final tRNA molecule is given in black.
tRNA molecule is given in Figure 8-9, to illustrate the complexity of the process.
Transcription in Eukaryotes
Most of the basic features of the transcription and the structure of mRNA in eukaryotes are similar to those in bacteria. However,
there are five notable differences:
1. Eukaryotic cells contain three classes of nuclear RNA polymerase and these are responsible for the synthesis of different classes of
RNA.
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2. Many mRNA molecules are very long lived.

3. Both the 5 and 3 termini are modified; a complex structure called the cap is found at the 5 end and a long (up to 250
nucleotides) sequence of polyadenylic acid, poly (A), is found at the 3 end.
4. The mRNA molecule that is used as a template for protein synthesis is usually about one-tenth the size of the primary
transcript. During mRNA processing, intervening sequences called introns are excised and the fragments are rejoined.
5. All eukaryotic mRNA molecules are monocistronic.
These points are illustrated in Figure 8-10, which shows a schematic diagram of a typical eukaryotic mRNA molecule
and how it is produced. There is clearly more to the production of mRNA in eukaryotes than just transcription of a DNA.
Initiation of transcription in eukaryotes is not well understood. A sequence, TATAAAA, analogous to the -10 consensus
sequence in prokaryotes but centered at -29 is a part of many promoters. Other sequences called upstream activation
sites and enhancers, which will be discussed in Chapter 13, affect the efficiency of initiation. These are usually sites
where certain proteins bind. These proteins, called transcription factors, generally increase the transcription from
promoters that are within the vicinity of the sequences to which they bind. In some cases, promoters as far as 2,000 and
3,000 bases away from an enhancer site (along the DNA) (see Chapter 13) are activated.
In eukaryotic cells, DNA is bound tightly to histone proteins in a structure called chromatin. The structure of chromatin
(see Figure 5-6) makes transcription more complicated in eukaryotes than in prokaryotes, and evidence exists
suggesting that chromatin structure is altered in regions being transcribed, though how it is altered is far from clear.
There is also a mechanism for terminating transcription in eukaryotic cells, but very
Figure 8-10
Schematic drawing showing production of eukaryotic mRNA. The primary
transcript is capped before it is released. Then, its 3-OH end is modified, and
finally the intervening regions are excised. MeG denotes 7-methylguanosine
and the two asterisks indicate the two nucleotides
whose riboses are methylated.
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little is known about the general properties of the sequences or the factors involved.
Three Types of RNA Polymerases Function in Eukaryotes
The three major classes of eukaryotic RNA polymerases are denoted I, II, and III; they can be distinguished by the ions
required for their activity, their optimal ionic strength, and their sensitivity to various inhibitory compounds. All are
found in the eukaryotic nucleus. RNA polymerases are also found in mitochondria and chloroplasts. The locations and
products of the nuclear RNA polymerases are listed below.
CLASS I
CLASS II
CLASS III
Location:
Nucleolus
Nucleoplasm
Nucleoplasm
Product:
rRNA
mRNA
tRNA, 5S RNA
Note that RNA polymerase II is the enzyme responsible for all mRNA synthesis.
The biochemical reaction catalyzed by the eukaryotic RNA polymerases is the same as that catalyzed by E. coli RNA
polymerase.
The 5 terminus of a eukaryotic mRNA molecule carries a methylated guanosine derivative, 7-methylguanosine (7MeG) in an unusual 5-5 linkage to the 5-terminal nucleotide of the primary transcript (see Figure 9-17 in Chapter 9).
Occasionally the sugars of the adjacent nucleotides are also methylated. The unit
in which P and PPP refer to mono- and triphosphate groups respectively, is called a cap (its chemical structure is
presented in the next chapter).
Capping occurs shortly after initiation of synthesis of the mRNA, possibly before RNA polymerase II leaves the
initiation site, and precedes all excision and splicing events. The biological significance of capping has not yet been
unambiguously established, but it is believed that it is required for efficient protein synthesis. Capping may function to
protect the mRNA from degradation by nucleases and to provide a feature for recognition by the protein-synthesizing
machinery.
Most, but not all, animal mRNA molecules are terminated at the 3 end with a poly(A) tract, which is added to the
primary mRNA by a nuclear enzyme, poly(A) polymerase. The adenylate residues are not added to the 3 terminus of
the primary transcript. Transcription normally passes
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the site of addition of poly(A), so that an endonucleolytic cleavage must occur before the poly(A) is added. A base
sequenceAAUAAA10 to 25 bases upstream from the poly(A) site is a component of the system for recognizing the site
of poly(A) addition. Interestingly, some primary transcripts contain two or more sites at which poly(A) can be added.
The differentially terminated mRNA molecules usually play different roles in the life cycle of the particular organism.
The length of the poly(A) segment can be from 50 to 250 nucleotides. The significance of the poly(A) terminus is
unknown at present, but it is believed that it increases the stability of mRNA; a possible role in enhancement of mRNA
translation has also been proposed. Some cellular mRNA molecules lack poly(A), so its presence is not obligatory for
successful translation.
Eukaryotic Primary Transcripts Contain Intervening Sequences (Introns)
Most of the primary transcripts of higher eukaryotes contain untranslated intervening sequences (introns) that interrupt
the coding sequence and are excised in the conversion of the primary transcript to mRNA (Figures 8-10 and 8-11). The
amount of discarded RNA ranges from 50% to nearly 90% of the primary transcript. The remaining segments (exons)
are joined together to form the finished mRNA molecules. The excision of the introns and the formation of the final
mRNA molecule by joining of the exons is called RNA splicing.
The number of introns per gene varies considerably (Table 8-1) and is not the same in all organisms for a given protein.
Furthermore, within a particular gene, introns have many different sizes and are usually larger than exons.
Splicing occurs in the nucleus and in some cases starts on an RNA which is in the process of being elongated by RNA
polymerase (a nascent RNA). Usually, however, splicing is carried out after transcription and poly(A) addition are
completed. The existence of splicing explains how the nucleus can contain an enormous number of different RNA
molecules whose size distribution is very great. The precursor and partially processed molecules are called
heterogeneous nuclear RNA (HnRNA) because of
Figure 8-11
A diagram of the conalbumin primary transcript and the processed mRNA. The seventeen
introns, which are excised from the primary transcript, are shown in red.
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TABLE 8-1 TRANSLATED EUKARYOTIC GENES IN WHICH INTRONS HAVE BEEN

DEMONSTRATED
GENE
NUMBER OF INTRONS
-Globin
Immunoglobulin L chain
Immunoglobulin H chain
Yeast mitochondria cytochrome b
Ovomucoid
Ovalbumin
Ovotransferrin
16
Conalbumin
17
-Collagen
52
Note: At present the genes for histones and interferon are the only known translated genes in the higher
organisms that do not contain introns.
the great diversity in size of the molecules. After processing is completed, the mature mRNA is transported to the
cytoplasm to be translated.
Removing an intron without altering the coding sequence of the resulting mRNA molecule requires great fidelity in the
cleavage process. For example, a cutting error that displaces the cutting site by a single base would completely destroy the
reading frame for protein synthesis of the bases in the mRNA. Fidelity is provided by the base-sequence itself. In all
genes observed, in which splicing occurs, the splice sites of the primary transcript are marked by a sequence resembling
in which Py is any pyrimidine, X is any base, and the arrows are the splice points. The underlined bases are the same for
all observed introns (that is, they are conserved), whereas the remainder is a consensus sequence in which there is some
variation from one splice site to the next.
In the nucleus the precursors to mRNA molecules (HnRNAs) are complexed with specific proteins, forming a
ribonucleoprotein particle (RNP). In the course of the splicing reaction primary transcripts are assembled into particles
called HnRNP.
The process of RNA splicing occurs on a separate structure called a spliceosome. Spliceosomes actually form on the
splice sites through interactions with a number of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins called snRNPs. A key component of
an snRNP is at least one small nuclear RNA (snRNA). Each snRNP has a separate function. The one with the 165nucleotide U1 snRNA binds to the consensus sequence at the 5 end of an intron, while that with the U5 snRNA aligns the
two exon sequences
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that are to be linked together. These snRNPs bring the two junctions into close proximity at the spliceosome, which has
enzymatic activities that perform the intricate process of cutting out the intron sequences and joining the two exon
segments.
The existence of introns seems to be fairly wasteful, especially in view of the relative amounts of intron and exon RNA.
In a few cases, the presence of introns increases the coding capacity of a particular stretch of genes in that alternative
splicing patterns yield different mRNA molecules. This is common in DNA viruses, but not particularly frequent in
cellular DNA, though several examples are known.
Several theories have been proposed to explain why genes from eukaryotic cells are interrupted by introns. Since introns
are almost never found in the genes from bacteria, which are considered to be simpler forms of life, it is reasonable to
suppose that gene interruptions were added during the course of evolution. Various types of recombination allow
segments of DNA to be exchanged between different places on a chromosome. Thus, an interruption of a gene could
appear by this type of recombnation, and as long as the cell had acquired the means of splicing RNA, the right kinds of
interruptions would yield a functional gene.
An alternative idea is that interrupted genes were present even in the earliest organisms, and during the course of
evolution were lost by the bacteria in order to simplify their genomes and allow them to duplicate as rapidly as possible.
This alternative provides a plausible explanation of how genes for complex proteins might have evolved. Each exon
could represent the coding sequence of an ancestral small protein and rearrangements that occurred during the course of
evolution brought the
Figure 8-12
A diagram of a subunit of an antibody molecule, a protein with two domains, one
black and one red.
(Adapted from Watson et al., Molecular Biology of the Gene, Fourth Edition. Menlo
Park, CA: Benjamin-Cummings, 1987.)
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sequences together from various parts of the genome, to form new genes. The use of an RNA splicing mechanism that
could work to remove all introns would allow a gene to be assembled and tried in new combinations without requiring
precise recombination events to fuse parts and form a gene lacking interruptions.
Examination of the structure of proteins has revealed that many consist of several independently folded regions, each
separated by a short polypeptide segment. Each individually folded region is called a domain. A protein with two very
distinct domains is shown in Figure 8-12 on page 179. This particular protein, a part of an antibody molecule, is
encoded by a gene consisting of two large and two small exons. The two large exons code for the two separated
domains, suggesting that each domain is derived from an ancestral protein.
KEY CONCEPT
The "RNA Processing" Concept

Eucaryotic mRNAs are extensively processed (edited) prior to functioning as template for protein synthesis.
Means of Studying Intracellular RNA
Several procedures are used to study RNA metabolism in vivo. In most of the techniques, radioactive RNA is prepared
by adding 3H-labeled or 14C-labeled uridine to the growth medium. However, this also produces radioactive DNA,
because uridine can be metabolized to cytosine and thymine; this is significant when studying RNA metabolism because
when RNA is isolated from cells, it is usually contaminated with DNA. The contaminating DNA can be removed by
treatment of the sample with pancreatic DNase, for this enzyme degrades the DNA to mononucleotides and small
oligonucleotides, which can be easily separated from the RNA.
Most investigations of RNA in vivo are concerned with either the presence, synthesis, or degradation of specific mRNA
speciesfor example, the mRNA from a particular gene. In order to carry out such analyses, it is necessary to distinguish
the particular RNA molecule from all other RNA molecules. This is usually done by DNA-RNA hybridization. With
this technique, DNA with a sequence complementary to the RNA molecule of interest is permanently fixed to a
nitrocellulose filter, as described earlier in Chapter 3 (Figure 3-12). The filter is subsequently incubated with an extract
containing radioactive RNA, using conditions leading to base-pairing between the RNA and DNA strands, and then
washed repeatedly. RNA that is not present in DNA-RNA hybrids is removed; the amount of radioactivity remaining on
the filter is a measure of the amount of the particular RNA present in the extract.
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A variety of procedures are used to obtain the DNA used in a hybridization experiment. In the most useful experiments,
a DNA segment containing a sequence complementary to the RNA of interest is inserted (by genetic engineering
techniques described in Chapter 15) into a piece of foreign DNA that has no sequences in common with the RNA and
that is easily purified. In this case, the DNA sequence of interest is said to becloned. Typical foreign DNA molecules
are plasmids, phage, and viral DNA. A DNA molecule carrying a cloned DNA sequence to be used in a hybridization
experiment is called a probe.
The technique most commonly used is the Southern transfer, or Southern blotting, procedure (named after E. Southern,
its developer), a method in which hybridization is performed with a large number of distinct DNA segments
simultaneously. In this procedure the total DNA of an organism is broken into discrete fragments by restriction enzymes
(Chapter 15), which make cuts in unique base-sequences. Fragments are separated by gel electrophoresis (as in the dideoxy base-sequencing technique, Chapter 3) and hybridization is carried out on all of the fragments. Various
techniques enable the positions of particular fragments to be identified, and the location of hybridized radioactive RNA
can be matched with these fragments. The technique is performed as follows (Figure 8-13).
DNA is enzymatically fragmented and then electrophoresed through an agarose gel. Following electrophoresis the gel is
soaked in a denaturing solution (usually NaOH), so that all the DNA in the gel is converted to single-stranded DNA,
which is a prerequisite for the hybridization to be performed later. After the gel (which is typically in the form of a
broad flat sheet) is denatured it is placed on a piece of nitrocellulose paper. A glass plate is placed over it to prevent
drying. That combination of gel/
Figure 8-13
The Southern transfer technique (side views).
(a) A stack consisting of a
weight, a gel, a nitrocellulose paper sheet, and absorbent material at the time
the weight is applied.
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(b) A later timethe weight has forced the buffer (shaded area), which carries
the DNA, into the nitrocellulose paper.
(c) The lowest layer (absorbent material) has absorbed the buffer; the DNA remains
bound to the nitrocellulose paper. Once dried onto the nitrocellulose paper,
hybridization of the DNA with various radioactive probes can be carried out.
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nitrocellulose paper is then placed on top of ordinary absorbent paper. Next, a weight is gently laid on top of that stack
so that the liquid (buffer) is squeezed out of the gel. That liquid carries the DNA from the gel bands with it as it passes
downward into the nitrocellulose paper. The denatured DNA binds tightly to the nitrocellulose paper. The remaining
liquid passes through and is absorbed by the paper below. DNA molecules do not diffuse very much, so if the gel and
the nitrocellulose filter are in firm contact, the positions of the DNA molecule on the filter will be identical to their
positions in the gel. The nitrocellulose filter is dried in vacuum, to insure that the DNA remains on the filter during the
hybridization step. The dried filter is then moistened with a very small volume of a solution of 32P-labeled RNA, placed
in a tight-fitting plastic bag to prevent drying, and held at a temperature suitable for renaturation (usually 65C) for
1624 hours. The filter is then removed, washed to remove unbound radioactive molecules, dried, and autoradiographed
with x-ray film. The blackened positions on the film indicate the locations of the DNA molecules whose DNA basesequences are complementary to the sequences of the added radioactive molecules. Since the genes contained in each
fragment usually are known, specific mRNA molecules can be identified. The degree of blackening on the film is easily
measured quantitatively and is usually proportional to the amount of RNA that has hybridized. Therefore, the amount of
mRNA transcribed from each region of a DNA molecule can be measured. Note that by this technique many different
mRNA molecules can be studied simultaneously. The Southern transfer method also has many other uses, particularly
in DNA-DNA hybridization analysis.
As an alternative to conventional drug therapy as a method for combating viral infections, some researchers are
investigating the use of antisense oligonucleotides to disrupt the metabolism of the virus. An antisense oligonucleotide
is a nucleotide sequence which is complementary to either a single-stranded protein-coding (sense) DNA segment, or a
mRNA proteinsynthesis template.
In a living cell, an antisense oligonucleotide that has a base sequence complementary to a gene will bind directly to the
target gene and thereby prevent RNA polymerase from transcribing the gene. Similarly, an oligonucleotide that
hydrogen bonds to a mRNA segment can disrupt its translation.
Short oligonucleotides, consisting of as few as a dozen nucleotides have so far been demonstrated to be effective in
disrupting either transcription or translation in test systems which consist of virus-infected cultured mammalian cells.
A key advantage of this method is that it lends itself to the so-called ''rational" approach to drug design. That is: Once
candidate target nucleic acid sequences are known, researchers can design appropriate oligonucleo-
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tides based on the simple Watson-Crick base-pairing rules. Another advantage of this method is its specificity. The
oligonucleotides should bind only to their target genes and therefore not interfere with other essential metabolic
functions. Finally, the relative ease with which oligonucleotides can be synthesized (see Figure 3-21 in Chapter 3)
provides for quick experimentation.
Disadvantages to this pioneering technology do, however, exist. A major one concerns "drug delivery." Difficulties
have been encountered with administering oligonucleotides to mammals. Frequently these agents either do not penetrate
target cells, or once within a cell they are degraded by cellular RNases. Nevertheless, novel delivery strategies, which
involve using lipid vesicles or carrier proteins, and further refinements in the design of RNase resistant oligonucleotide
structures are expected to alleviate those problems.
Summary
RNA polymerase initiates transcription by first binding to a promoter sequence on DNA. The bacterial enzyme does this
by contacts between the subunit of the holoenzyme and sequences at 10 and 35 base-pairs upstream from the start
point. Eukaryotic RNA polymerases rely on recognition of the promoter by separate initiation factors. RNA synthesis is
initiated by a reaction between two nucleoside triphosphates paired to residues +1 and +2 of the template strand. Chains
are elongated by addition of nucleotides at the 3 end of the growing RNA at a rate of about 50 per second. Termination
occurs spontaneously at certain DNA sequences, called intrinsic terminators or by action of a protein factor at a "factordependent" terminator sequence. In E. coli that factor is called Rho, which acts at rho-dependent terminators. The three
major classes of RNA are messenger RNA (mRNA), ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and transfer RNA (tRNA). rRNA and
tRNA are derived from primary transcripts, synthesized as described above, by various processing reactions that include
cutting, trimming, and nucleotide modification. In prokaryotes, mRNAs are usually primary transcripts while in
eukaryotes mRNA are processed from precursor transcripts by addition of 5 caps and poly(A) tails, and usually by
splicing together exon sequences.
Drill Questions
1. a. From what substrates is RNA made?
b. On what template?
c. With what enzyme?
d. Is a primer required?
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2. Describe the differences, if any, between the chemical reactions catalyzed by DNA polymerase and RNA polymerase.
3. What chemical groups are present at the origin and terminus of a molecule of mRNA that has just been synthesized?
4. a. What is mRNA?
b. How does mRNA sometimes differ from a primary transcript?
c. Define cistron and polycistronic mRNA.
d. Which parts of a mRNA molecule are not translated?
5. How many subunits are in E. coli RNA polymerase, and which one is responsible for correctly positioning the
enzyme on a promoter?
6. a. What two regions are common to most prokaryotic promoters?
b. What consensus sequence is present in a large number of eukaryotic promoters?
7. Answer these questions about eukaryotic RNA.
a. What is a cap?
b. At which end of the mRNA is the poly(A)?
c. Are there eukaryotic mRNA molecules that do not contain either feature?
8. a. What are intervening sequences or introns?
b. What is meant by mRNA "splicing"?
Problems
1. The -10 region of an E. coli promoter is an example of what is termed a consensus sequencenamely, a base sequence
from which other sequences having similar functions can be obtained by changing only one or two bases. Answer these
questions about consensus sequences.
a. What is the evolutionary significance of such a sequence?
b. What is the biochemical significance of a conserved base, such as the conserved T in the -10 region?
c. What biochemical differences might you expect between sequences that differ only slightly in the nonconserved
bases?
2. An RNA molecule is isolated, which has a 3-OH terminus and a 5-P terminus. What information does this fact
provide?
3. A chromatographic column in which oligo-dT is linked to an inert substance is useful in separating eukaryotic mRNA
from other RNA molecules. On what principle does this column operate?
4. A particular sequence containing six base-pairs is located in ten different organisms. The observed sequences are
ACGCAC, ATACAC,
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GTGCAC, ACGCAC, ATACAC, ATGTAT, ATGCGC, ACGCAT, GTGCAT, and ATGCGC. What is the consensus
sequence?
5. Write down the two RNA sequences that could conceivably result from complete transcription of a DNA molecule
that has the following sequence in one of the strands5-AGCTGCAATG-3. Indicate the 5 and 3 end of each transcript.
6. Genetic engineering techniques allow the movement of genes from one organism to another. When eukaryotic genes
are placed into E. coli, it has been observed that these genes are not always transcribed, while transcription occurs much
more frequently when eukaryotic genes are transferred to yeast. Why?
1. How might the expression of genes that are developmentally controlled be regulated at the level of their messenger
RNA?
2. What could be the consequence(s) of mutations in various regions of a promoter?
3. How might an organism compensate for severe promoter mutations in order to survive?
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Chapter 9
Translation
Joseph Ilan
Professor of Anattomy,
Case Western Reserve
University,
Cleveland, Ohio
The Hebrew University,
Jerusalem
Major: Biology 1960 B.S., 1962
M.S.
Graduate Degree:
McGill University,
The Rockefeller University,
New York, 19651967
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In 1965, when I joined Dr. Fritz Lipmann at the Rockefeller University as a postdoctoral fellow, the aboratory was
establishing cell-free systems to study the mechanisms of proteinbiosynthesis in bacteria. Almost nothing was known
about the mechanisms of protein synthesis in eukaryotes. We decided to develop a cell-free system from insects during
metamorphosis in order to follow developmental processes connected to protein synthesis. To our surprise the mRNA
for the adult cuticular protein was stable for seven days of pupation, but was translated only at the last day. mRNA of
the first-day pupae could be induced to translate adult cuticular protein in a cellfree system by an addition of enzyme
and tRNA fractions from seventh-day pupae, the stage at which adult cuticular protein is synthesized in vivo. This
indicates that mRNA may be stable and under translational control. At that time the current dogma stated that mRNA
must be a short-lived intermediate as shown by Jacob and Monod for the lactose operon in E. coli (Chapter 11). Our
finding led us to study translational regulation and the general mechanism of mRNA translation in eukaryotic
organisms. Soon we found out that AUG-methionine is the initiator codon in eukaryotes and that initiation may be
under translational regulation. Later we showed that elongation of the nascent polypeptide chain may also be under
translational control. We also explored the mechanism of termination of the nascent polypeptide chain. It is now
established that many genes are under translational control and the level of the final gene product, the protein, can be
greatly changed manyfold via translational regulation. The understanding of the mechanisms of translational regulation
may lead to the designing of new drugs. Of special importance to future work is the employment of antisense RNA for
regulating the translation of specific mRNA.
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1. The nature of codons, anticodons, and the "universal"
genetic code.
2. The mechanisms by which polypeptides are
synthesized.
3. The structure of transfer RNA and the function of
aminoacyl tRNA synthetases.
4. The general structure and function of ribosomes.
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The synthesis of every protein molecule in a cell is directed by intracellular DNA. There are two aspects to understanding how this is
accomplishedthe information or coding problem and the chemical problem. The information problem is the mechanism by which a basesequence in a DNA molecule is translated into an amino acid sequence of the polypeptide chain. The chemical problem includes the actual
process of synthesizing a protein: the means of initiating synthesis; linking together the amino acids in the correct order; terminating the
chain; releasing the finished chain from the synthetic apparatus; folding the chain; and, often, postsynthetic modification of the newly
synthesized chain. The overall process is called translation.
This chapter presents an outline of the process, in order to introduce the terminology, and present the major features of the coding and
decoding systems, and the mechanism for polypeptide synthesis.
We will learn that once the necessary information is coded (in a triplet format) into mRNA, other types of RNAs as well as several enzymes
join up to form the macromolecular complex that carries out protein synthesis. Eventually, we will begin to appreciate that many features of
protein synthesis are much more complicated than nucleic acid synthesis. That complexity derives from the fact that amino acids do not have
a direct affinity for the nucleotide bases of mRNA. Special molecules are therefore required to hold the mRNA in position while amino acids
are lined up and covalently linked to one another to form a protein.
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Outline of Translation
Protein synthesis occurs on intracellular particles called ribosomes. In prokaryotes, these particles consist of three RNA
molecules and about 55 different protein molecules. Those proteins include the enzymes needed to form a peptide bond
between amino acids, a site for binding the mRNA, and sites for bringing in and aligning the amino acids in preparation for
assembly into the finished polypeptide chain. Amino acids themselves are unable to interact with the ribosome and cannot
recognize bases in the rRNA molecule. There thus exists a collection of carrier molecules mentioned in the previous chapter,
transfer RNAs (tRNAs). These molecules contain a site for amino acid attachment, and a region called the anticodon that
recognizes the appropriate base sequence (the codon) in the mRNA. Proper selection of the amino acids for assembly is
determined by the positioning of the tRNA molecules, which in turn is determined by hydrogen-bonding between the
anticodon of each tRNA molecule and the corresponding codon of the mRNA.
A schematic diagram showing the events that occur on the ribosome is given in Figure 9-1. The scheme shown applies equally
to prokaryotes and eukaryotes, with a single exception. In eukaryotes, since transcription occurs in the nucleus and protein
synthesis occurs in the cytoplasm, the mRNA is not attached to the DNA during protein synthesis, in contrast with what is
shown in the figure.
Clearly there must be many different tRNA molecules, because each amino acid must be brought in to the ribosome in a way
that insures that it corresponds to the base-sequence of the mRNA. There are specific tRNA molecules that correspond to each
amino acid. Furthermore, the
Figure 9-1
A diagram showing how a protein molecule is synthesized. Note that the relative directions of polypeptide and
RNA synthesis are such that polypeptide synthesis can occur before the mRNA is completed. This is, in fact,
the case in prokaryotes.
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Figure 9-2
Directions of synthesis of RNA and protein with respect to the
coding strand of DNA.
linkage of each amino acid to its tRNA molecule is catalyzed by a specific enzyme, which insures that the appropriate
amino acid will be attached to the correct tRNA molecule.
In earlier chapters several examples of directional synthesis of macromolecules were seenfor example, DNA and RNA.
This is also the case for polypeptide synthesis, which begins at the amino terminus. Furthermore, translation of an
mRNA molecule occurs in only one direction, namely 5 to 3. Figure 9-2 summarizes the polarity of synthesis of
mRNA and protein with respect to the DNA coding strand. These directionalities are also shown in Figure 9-1.
The Genetic Code
The genetic code is the collection of base-sequences (codons) that corresponds to each amino acid and to translation
signals.
Since there are 20 different amino acids that occur in proteins, there must be more than 20 codons to include signals for
starting and stopping the synthesis of particular protein molecules. If all codons have the same number of bases, then
each codon must contain at least three bases. The argument for this conclusion is the following: a single base cannot be
a codon because there are 20 amino acids and only four bases. Pairs of bases also cannot serve as codons because there
are only 42 or 16 possible pairs of the four bases. Triplets of bases are possible because there are 43 or 64 triplets, which
is more than adequate. In fact, the genetic code is a triplet code, and all 64 possible codons carry information of some
sort. Furthermore, in translating mRNA molecules the codons do not overlap, but are read sequentially (Figure 9-3).
The general properties of the codefor example, that each codon contains three bases, and that codons do not
overlapwere deduced from genetic experiments. The sequence of each codon was determined from in vitro proteinsynthesizing experiments in which synthetic mRNA molecules of known sequence were used; for example, when
polyuridylic acid was used as an mRNA, the peptide polyphenylalanine was made, indicating
Figure 9-3
Bases in mRNA are read sequentially in the 5
to 3 direction, in groups of three.
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that UUU is the codon for phenylalanine. Use of poly(U), terminated with a 3 guanine, yielded polyphenylalanine with
a carboxyl-terminal leucine, indicating that UUG is a leucine codon. These and other experiments identified all of the
codons. The code is shown in Table 9-1. Keep in mind that Table 9-1 lists mRNA bases, which comprise the various
codons. Those mRNA codons will be read by tRNAs, each of which contains an anticodon base sequence.
The following features of the code should be observed:
1. Most amino acids have more than one codon. In fact, only methionine and tryptophan have a single codon.
Furthermore, multiple codons corresponding to a single amino acid usually differ only by the third base. For example,
GGU, GGC, GTA, and GGG all code for glycine. Thus, the code is said to be redundant (the term "degenerate" is also
used).
2. Three codons signal termination of polypeptide synthesisthe stop codons UAA, UAG, and UGA.
TABLE 9-1 THE "UNIVERSAL" GENETIC CODE
FIRST
POSITION
(5 END)
SECOND POSITION
THIRD
POSITION
(3 END)
Phe
Phe
Leu
Leu
Ser
Ser
Ser
Ser
Tyr
Tyr
Stop
Stop
Cys
Cys
Stop
Trp
Leu
Leu
Leu
Leu
Pro
Pro
Pro
Pro
His
His
Gln
Gln
Arg
Arg
Arg
Arg
Ile
Ile
Ile
Thr
Thr
Thr
Thr
Asn
Asn
Lys
Lys
Ser
Ser
Arg
Arg
Val
Val
Val
Ala
Ala
Ala
Ala
Asp
Asp
Glu
Glu
Gly
Gly
Gly
Gly
U
C
A
G
U
C
A
G
U
C
A
G
U
C
A
G
Note: The boxed codons are used for initiation. GUG is very rare.
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3. One codon signals initiation of polypeptide synthesisthe start codon AUG, which codes for methionine. An important
question is how a particular AUG sequence is designated as a start codon, whereas others located in a coding sequence
act only as an internal codon for methionine. In prokaryotes, special base-sequences serve this function; a different
mechanism is used for eukaryotes. In some organisms GUG is also used as a start codon for some proteins.
To date, the same codon-amino acid relations seem to exist for all organismsviruses, prokaryotes, and eukaryotesand the
code is said to be universal. A few exceptions exist: variations in the genetic code have been observed in certain
mitochondria, in the nucleus of certain yeasts and ciliates, and elsewhere. Furthermore, the particular exceptions appear
to be species-specific. The evolutionary significance of these differences is a widely discussed topic.
Key Concept
The "Universal Genetic Code" Concept

The triplet code is universal (i.e., the same code is used by all organisms). It also has redundancies (i.e., multiple codons
exist from most amino acids).
Transfer RNA and the Aminoacyl Synthetases
The decoding operation by which the base-sequence within an mRNA molecule becomes translated to an amino acid
sequence of a protein is accomplished by the tRNA molecules and a set of enzymes called the aminoacyl-tRNA
synthetases. These synthetase enzymes covalently attach the amino acid to the tRNA. Their action will be described
shortly.
The tRNA molecules are small, single-stranded nucleic acids ranging in size from 73 to 93 nucleotides. Like all RNA
molecules, they have a 3-OH terminus, but the opposite end terminates with a 5-monophosphate rather than a 5triphosphate, because tRNA molecules are cut from a large primary transcript. Due to pairing of complementary basesequences short double-stranded regions form, causing the molecule to fold into a structure in which open loops are
connected to one another by double-stranded stems (Figure 9-4). In two dimensions, a tRNA molecule is drawn as a
planar cloverleaf. Its three-dimensional structure is more complex, as is shown in Figure 9-5. Panel (a) shows a skeletal
model of the yeast tRNA molecule that carries phenylalanine, and panel (b) shows an interpretive drawing.
Three regions of each tRNA molecule are used in the decoding operation. One of these regions is the anticodon, a
sequence of three bases that can form base-pairs with a codon sequence in the mRNA. No normal tRNA molecule has
an anticodon complementary to any of the stop codons UAG, UAA, or UGA, which is why these codons are recognized
as stop
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Figure 9-4
The consensus tRNA cloverleaf structure with its bases numbered. The
hydrogen-bonded regions are indicated by dots between the bases.
A few bases present in almost all tRNA molecules are shown.
tRNA contains unusual bases: one of these, dihydrouracil (DHU), is
in the DHU loop, and another, pseudouridine (), is in the T C loop.
The extra arm varies in length in different tRNAs.
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(a)
(b)
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Figure 9-5
(a) Photograph of a skeletal model of yeast tRNAphe.
(b) Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure
of yeast tRNAphe.
(Courtesy of Dr. Sung-Hou Kim.)
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signals. A second site is the amino acid attachment site. The amino acid corresponding to the particular mRNA codon
that base-pairs with the tRNA anticodon is covalently linked to this terminus. These bound amino acids are joined
together during polypeptide synthesis. A specific aminoacyl tRNA synthetase matches the amino acid with the
anticodon; to do so, the enzyme must be able to distinguish one tRNA molecule from another. The necessary distinction
is provided by an as yet ill-defined region encompassing many parts of the tRNA molecule called the recognition region.
The different tRNA molecules and synthetases are designated by stating the name of the amino acid that can be linked
to a particular tRNA molecule by a specific synthetase; for example, leucyl-tRNA synthetase attaches leucine to
tRNALeu. When an amino acid has become attached to a tRNA molecule, the tRNA is said to be acylated or charged.
An acylated tRNA molecule is designated in several ways. For example, if the amino acid is glycine, the acylated tRNA
would be written glycyl-tRNA or Gly-tRNA. The term uncharged tRNA refers to a tRNA molecule lacking an amino
acid, and mischarged tRNA to one acylated with an incorrect amino acid.
At least one (and usually only one) aminoacyl synthetase exists for each amino acid. For a few of the amino acids
specified by more than one codon, more than one synthetase exists.
Accurate protein synthesis (the placement of the correct amino acid at the appropriate position in a polypeptide chain)
requires:
1. attachment of the correct amino acid to a tRNA molecule by the synthetase;
2. accuracy in codon-anticodon binding.
Several important experiments showing that codon-anticodon binding is based only on base-pair recognition and that
the identity of the amino acid attached to the tRNA molecule does not influence this recognition will be described below.
Experimental Mischarging of a tRNA Molecule
In this experiment tRNACys was charged with radioactive cysteine. The cystine was then chemically converted to
radioactive alanine, yielding alanyl-tRNACys. This mischarged tRNA molecule was then used in an in vitro system
containing hemoglobin mRNA and capable of synthesizing hemoglobin, the complete amino acid sequence of which
was known. Hemoglobin containing radioactive alanine was made, but the radioactive alanine was present at the sites
normally occupied by cysteine rather than at normal alanine positions. This experiment confirmed the hypothesis that
tRNA is a carrier molecule, and that the amino acid recognition region and the anticodon are distinct regions.
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Experimental Alteration of an Anticodon

The anticodon in the tRNA molecule is responsible for inserting the amino acid into the correct position. This was
demonstrated by chemical alterations of a single base of the anticodon which was sufficient to change the specificity of
the tRNA, Glycine tRNA with the anticodon UCC was chemically altered to UCU, which pairs with the codeword for
arginine: AGA. The altered glycine tRNA, when charged with radioactive glycine, inserted the glycine into the arginine
positions in the newly-synthesized polypeptide, directed by a synthetic mRNA (AGA)n. The native glycine (unaltered)
tRNA was not active with this message. Native arginine tRNA was also capable of inserting its labeled arginine into
polypeptide directed by (AGA)n synthetic mRNA.
Experimental Analysis of Error Frequency
Several amino acids are structurally similar and it is to be expected that synthetases might make occasional mistakes.
Valine and isoleucine constitute such a possibly ambiguous pair of amino acids and, in fact, isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase
activates valine with ATP to form valyl-AMP, which remains bound to the synthetase, at a frequency of about one per
225 activation events. This would mean that 1/225 of all isoleucine positions in proteins could contain a valine. For a
typical protein containing 500 amino acids of which 25 were isoleucines, about one copy of the protein in nine could be
altered. Since there are at least ten known examples of misacylation, there could be an error in almost every protein
molecule, although this does not occur. An editing mechanism exists.
The editing mechanism that corrects the valine-isoleucine error is a hydrolytic step in which valyl-AMP is cleaved and
removed from the enzyme. The hydrolysis is carried out by the isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase itself. Interestingly, the
signal that activates the hydrolytic function is the attempted binding of valine to tRNAIle. The number of times this
editing system fails and valyl-tRNAIle is formed is about 1 in 800. Thus, the overall error frequencythat is, the fraction
of isoleucine sites occupied by valineis (1/225)(1/800) = 1/180,000. If all possible amino acid misacylations occur at
this frequency, only about 0.17% of the proteins would be defective. A similar case, in which methionyl-tRNA
synthetase forms threonyl-AMP and homocysteyl-AMP has also been analyzed.
The Wobble Hypothesis
The pattern of redundancy in the code suggests that something is missing in the explanation of codon-anticodon
binding; the most striking aspect of the redundancy is that with only a few exceptions, the identity of the third codonbase appears to be unimportant. That is, XYA, XYB, XYC, and XYD usually correspond to the same amino acid.
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In 1965, Francis Crick made a proposal, known as the wobble hypothesis, that explains how some tRNA molecules
respond to several codons and also provides insight into the pattern of redundancy in the code. Up to that time it was
generally assumed that no base-pair other than G C, A T, or A U would be found in a nucleic acid. This is true of
DNA because the regular helical structure of double-stranded DNA imposes two steric constraints:
1. Two purines cannot pair with one another because there is not enough space for a planar purine-purine pair.
2. Two pyrimidines cannot pair because they cannot reach one another.
Crick proposed that since the anticodon is located within a single-stranded RNA loop, the codonanticodon interaction
might not be constrained to the same degree as the DNA double helix is. By model-building he showed that the steric
requirements were less stringent at the third position of the codon. By allowing a little play in the structure (this play is
called wobble), Crick demonstrated that other base pairs can exist between codon and anticodon. He required, first, that
the first two base-pairs be of the standard type in order to maximize stability, and second, that the third base-pair not
produce as much distortion as a purine-purine pair might cause. He included inosine (to replace G) in his model because
it was known to be in the anticodons of several tRNA molecules, and he proposed that the base-pairs listed in Table 9-2
were possible in the third position of the codon.
Analysis of the table reveals the four pairings we would expect, plus five others. Three of these (A-I, U-I, and C-I) arise
from the ability of inosine (a purine) to base-pair with both the RNA pyrimidines (C and U) and with the purine
adenine. Additionally, under wobble conditions, guanine and uracil can be expected to pair (a purine-pyrimidine pair),
which provides the other two unexpected pairs (G-U and U-G). This information explains how a single tRNA molecule
can theoretically respond to several codons.
There are two major species of the alanine tRNA of yeast. One of these responds to the codons GCU, GCC, and GCA.
Its anticodon is IGC, which is consistent with the entries in Table 9-2, and shows that only inosine can pair with U, C,
and A. (Remember the convention for naming the codon and the anticodonalways with the 5 end at the left. Thus the
codon 5-GCU-3 is matched by the anticodon 5-IGC-3.) Similarly, yeast tRNAAlaIl responds only to GCG; there are
two possible anticodons (CGC and UGC) because both C and U can bond to G. If the anticodon were UGC, tRNAAlaIl
would respond to both GCG and GCA, which is not the case. Thus, the anticodon cannot be UGC. The anticodon must,
therefore, be CGC, as indeed it is.
The most striking achievement of the wobble hypothesis is that it explains the arrangement of all the synonyms in the
code.
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TABLE 9-2 ALLOWED PAIRINGS ACCORDING TO THE WOBBLE HYPOTHESIS

THIRD POSITION (3 OH)
CODON BASE (IN mRNA)
A
G
U
C
FIRST POSITION (5 p END) ANTICODON BASE (IN

tRNA)
U, I
C, U
G, I, A
G, I
Polycistronic mRNA
Many prokaryotic mRNA molecules are polycistronic; they contain sequences specifying the synthesis of several proteins. A
polycistronic mRNA molecule must possess a series of start and stop codons. If an mRNA molecule encodes three proteins, the
minimal requirement would be the sequence:
Start, protein 1, stopstart, protein 2, stopstart, protein 3, stop.
Actually, an actual mRNA molecule is probably not so simplethe socalled ''leader sequence," which precedes the first start signal,
may be several-hundred bases long, and there is usually a sequence called a spacer of from 5 to 20 bases between one stop codon
and the next start codon. The structure of a tricistronic mRNA more typically resembles that shown in Figure 9-6.
Overlapping Genes
In all that has been said so far about coding and signal recognition, an implicit assumption has been that the mRNA molecule is
scanned for start signals to establish the reading frame (the actual nucleotide sequence translated into a protein). It is also
assumed that reading then proceeds in a single direction within the frame. The idea that several reading frames
Figure 9-6
Arrangement of cistrons (black) and untranslated regions (red) in a typical polycistronic mRNA molecule.
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might exist in a single segment was not considered for many years, primarily because a mutation in a gene that
overlapped another gene would then have to often produce a mutation in the second gene, and mutations affecting two
genes had not been observed. The notion of overlapping reading frames was also rejected on the grounds that severe
constraints would be placed on the amino acid sequences of two proteins translated from the same portion of mRNA.
However, because the code is highly redundant, the constraints are actually not so rigid.
If multiple reading frames were present in an organism, a single DNA segment could be utilized to maximum
efficiency. A disadvantage, however, is that evolution might be slowed. Single-base-change mutations would be
deleterious more often if multiple reading frames were present than if there were a unique reading frame. Nonetheless,
some organismnamely, small viruses and the smallest phages, have evolved with overlapping reading frames.
The E. coli phage X174 contains a single strand of DNA consisting of 5,386 nucleotides whose base sequence is
known. If a single reading frame were used, at most 1,795 amino acids could be encoded in the sequence and, if we take
110 as the molecular weight of an "average" amino acid, at most 197,000 molecular weight units of protein could be
made. However, the phage makes eleven proteins and the total molecular weight of these proteins is 262,000. This
paradox was resolved when it was shown that translation occurs in several reading frames from three mRNA molecules
(Figure 9-7). For example, the sequence for protein B is contained within the sequence for protein A, but translated in a
different reading frame. Similarly, the protein E sequence is totally within the sequence for protein D. Protein K is
initiated near the end of gene A, includes the base sequence of B, and terminates in gene C; synthesis is not in phase
with either gene A or gene C. Of note is protein A (also called A), which is formed by reinitiation within gene A and in
the same
Figure 9-7
Genetic map of X174 showing the overlapping
genes. Spacers are darkened.
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reading frame, so that it terminates at the stop codon of gene A. Thus, the amino acid sequence of A is identical to a
segment of protein A. In total, five different proteins obtain some or all of their primary structure from shared basesequences in X174. This phenomenon, known as overlapping genes, has been observed in the related phage G4 and in
the small animal virus SV40.
It should be realized that the single structural feature responsible for gene overlap is the location of each AUG initiation
sequence.
Polypeptide Synthesis
Preceding sections discussed how the information in an mRNA molecule is converted to an amino acid sequence having
specific start and stop points. This section examines the chemical problem of attachment of the amino acids to one
another.
Polypeptide synthesis can be divided into three stages: (1) initiation, (2) elongation, and (3) termination. The main
features of the initiation stage are the binding of mRNA to the ribosome, selection of the initiation codon, and the
binding of acylated tRNA bearing the first amino acid. In the elongation stage there are two processes: joining together
two amino acids by peptide bond formation, and moving the mRNA and the ribosome with respect to one another so
that the codons can be translated successively. In the termination stage the completed protein is dissociated from the
synthesis machinery, and the ribosomes are released to begin another cycle of synthesis.
We begin our discussion with a description of the structure of the ribosome.
Ribosomes
A ribosome is a multicomponent particle containing several enzymes needed for protein synthesis. It also brings
together a single mRNA molecule and charged tRNA molecules in the proper position and orientation to allow the basesequence of the mRNA molecule to be translated into an amino acid sequence (Figure 9-8(a)). The properties of the E.
coli ribosome are understood best, and it serves as a useful model for discussion of all ribosomes.
All ribosomes contain two subunits (Figure 9-8(b)). For historical reasons, the intact ribosome and the subunits have
been given numbers that describe how fast they sediment when centrifuged. For E. coli (and for all prokaryotes) the
intact particle is called a 70S ribosome (S is a measure of the sedimentation rate, described earlier for Figure 717) and
the subunits, which are unequal in size and composition, are termed 30S and 50S. A 70S ribosome consists of one 30S
subunit, and one 50S subunit.
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(a)
(b)
Figure 9-8
Ribosomes.
(a) An electron micrograph of
E. coli 70S ribosomes. A few ribosomal subunits
are also in the field; S denotes a 30S particle and L
denotes a 50S particle.
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(b) A three-dimensional model of the 70S

ribosome. The small subunit is light, and the
large subunit is dark.
(Courtesy of James Lake.)
Both the 30S and the 50S particles can be dissociated into RNA (called rRNA, for ribosomal RNA) and protein
molecules under appropriate conditions (Figure 9-9). Each 30S subunit contains one 16S rRNA molecule and 21
different proteins; a 50S subunit contains two RNA molecules (one 5S rRNA molecule and one 23S rRNA molecule)
and 32 different proteins. In each particle usually only one copy of each protein molecule is present, though a few are
duplicated or modified. Like tRNA molecules, rRNA molecules are cut from large primary transcripts. In many
organisms some tRNA molecules are cut also from the large transcripts containing rRNA.
Figure 9-9
Dissociation of a prokaryotic ribosome. The configuration of two overlapping circles will
be used throughout this chapter, for the sake of simplicity. The correct configuration
is shown in Figure 9-8(b).
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The basic features of eukaryotic ribosomes are similar to those ofbacterial ribosomes, but all eukaryotic ribosomes are
somewhat larger than those of prokaryotes. They contain a greater number of proteins (about 80) and additional RNA
molecules (four in all). The biological significance of the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic ribosomes is
unknown. A typical eukaryotic ribosome (an 80S ribosome) consists of two subunits, 40S and 60S. These sizes may
vary by as much as 10% from one organism to the next, in contrast to bacterial ribosomes, which have sizes that are
nearly the same for all bacterial species examined. The best-studied eukaryotic ribosome is that of the rat liver. The 40S
and 60S subunits can also be dissociated. A 40S subunit, which is analogous to the 30S subunit of prokaryotes, consists
of one 18S rRNA molecule, and about 30 proteins; and the 60S subunit contains three rRNA molecules (one 5S, one
5.8S, and one 28S rRNA molecule) and about 50 proteins. The 5.8S, 18S, and 28S rRNA molecules of eukaryotes
correspond functionally to the 5S, 16S, and 23S molecules of bacterial ribosomes. The bacterial counterpart to the
eukaryotic 5S rRNA is very likely present as part of the 23S rRNA sequence. The eukaryotic 5S ribosomal RNA is
synthesized in the nucleus while the 28S, 18S, and 5.8S rRNAs are transcribed in the nucleolus as a 45S precursor and
then processed to the three rRNA species.
Stages of Polypeptide Synthesis in Prokaryotes
Figure 9-10
Chemical structure of N-formylmethionine. If the HC=O group
at the left were an H, the molecule would be methionine.
Polypeptide synthesis in prokaryotes and eukaryotes follows the same overall mechanism, though there are differences
in detail, the most important being the mechanism of initiation. The prokaryotic system is best understood and will
serve as a model for our discussion.
An important feature of initiation of polypeptide synthesis is the use of a specific initiating tRNA molecule. In
prokaryotes the methionine in the tRNAMet is formylated to yield N-formylmethionine tRNA; the tRNA is often
designated tRNAfMet (Figure 910). Both tRNAfMet and tRNAMet recognize the codon AUG, but only tRNAfMet is
used for initiation. The tRNAfMet molecule is first acylated with methionine, and an enzyme (found only in
prokaryotes) adds a formyl group to the amino group of the methionine. In eukaryotes there is also a specific tRNAMet
for initiation. The initiating tRNA molecule is charged with methionine also, but formylation does not occur. The use of
these initiator tRNA molecules means that while being synthesized, all prokaryotic proteins have N-formylmethionine at
the amino terminus, and all eukaryotic proteins have methionine at the amino terminus. However, these amino acids are
frequently removed later (this is called processing), and all amino acids have been observed at the amino termini of
completed protein molecules isolated from cells.
Polypeptide synthesis in bacteria begins by the association of one 30S
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Figure 9-11
Early steps in protein synthesis in prokaryotes; formation of the 30S preinitiation complex
and of the 70S initiation complex.
subunit (not the entire 70S ribosome), an mRNA molecule, fMet-tRNA, three proteins known as initiation factors, and guanosine
5-triphosphate (GTP). These molecules constitute the 30S preinitiation complex (Figure 911). Since polypeptide synthesis begins
at an AUG start codon and AUG codons are found within coding sequences (that is, methionine occurs within a polypeptide
chain), some signal must be present in the basesequence of the mRNA molecule to identify a particular AUG codon as a start
signal. The means of selecting the correct AUG sequence differs in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In prokaryotic mRNA molecules a
particular base-sequence (AGGAGGUcalled the ribosome binding site or sometimes the Shine-Dalgarno sequence) exists near the
AUG codon used for initiation exists. It forms base-pairs with a complementary sequence near the 3 terminus of the 16S rRNA
molecule of the ribosome (Figure 9-12). In eukaryotic mRNA molecules, the 5 terminus binds to the ribosome with the help of
certain proteins which recognize the 5 cap (see Figure 9-17). Then the mRNA molecule slides along the ribosome until the first
AUG codon in frame, nearest the 5 terminus, is in contact with the ribo-
Figure 9-12
Initiation of translation in prokaryotes. Base-pairing between the
Shine-Dalgarno sequence (in box) in the mRNA and the complementary
region (red) near the 3 terminus of 16S rRNA. The AUG start codon
is shaded.
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some; the consequence of this mechanism for initiation in eukaryotes will be explained at the end of this section.
Following formation of the 30S preinitiation complex, a 50S subunit joins with this complex to form a 70S initiation
complex (Figure 9-11).
The 50S subunit contains two tRNA binding sites. These sites are called the A (aminoacyl) site and the P (peptidyl) site.
When joined with the 30S preinitiation complex, the position of the 50S subunit in the 70S initiation complex is such
that the fMet-tRNAfMet, which was previously bound to the 30S preinitiation complex, occupies the P site of the 50S
subunit. Placement of fMet-tRNAfMet in the P site fixes the position of the fMet-tRNA anticodon so that it pairs with
the AUG initiator codon in the mRNA. Thus, the reading frame (nucleotide sequence actually translated into a protein)
is unambiguously defined upon completion of the 70S initiation complex.
Once the P site is filled, the A site of the 70S initiation complex becomes available to any tRNA molecule whose
anticodon can pair with the codon adjacent to the initiation codon. After occupation of the A site, a peptide bond
between N-formylmethionine and the adjacent amino acid is formed by an enzyme complex called peptidyl transferase.
As the bond is formed, the N-formylmethionine is cleaved from the fMet-tRNA in the P site and a peptide bond is
formed between the initial methionine and the amino acid on the tRNA in the A site. Thus a dipeptide is formed on the
A site (Figure 913).
After the peptide bond forms, an uncharged tRNA molecule occupies the P site and a dipeptidyl-tRNA occupies the A
site. At this point two movements occur:
1. The tRNAfMet in the P site, now no longer linked to an amino acid, leaves this site.
2. The A site peptidyl-tRNA remains hydrogen-bonded to the mRNA (in the A site codon). This tRNA-mRNA unit
moves relative to the ribosome, so that the codon/anticodon bond is now in the ribosome's P-site.
The movement of peptidyl-tRNA from the A site to the P site and the movement of mRNA in relation to the ribosome is
termed translocation (see Figure 913). Step (2) requires the presence of an elongation protein EF-G and GTP. After
mRNA movement has occurred, the A site is again available to accept a charged tRNA molecule having a correct
anticodon.
When a chain termination codon (either UAA, UAG, or UGA) is reached no acylated tRNA exists that can fill the A
site, so chain elongation stops. However, the polypeptide chain is still attached to the tRNA occupying the P site.
Release of the protein is accomplished by proteins called release factors. In the presence of release factors, peptidyl
transferase separates the polypeptide from the tRNA; then the polypeptide chain,
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Figure 9-13
Elongation phase of protein synthesis: binding of charged tRNA, peptide bond formation, and translocation.
which has been held on the ribosome solely by the interaction with the tRNA in the P site, is released from the ribosome. The
70S ribosome then dissociates into its 30S and 50S subunits, completing the cycle.
If the mRNA molecule is polycistronic and the AUG codon initiating the second polypeptide is not too far from the stop
codon of the first, the 70S ribosome will not always dissociate completely, but may re-form an initiation complex with the
second AUG codon. The probability of such an event decreases with increasing separation of the stop codon and the next
AUG codon. In some genetic systems the separation is sufficiently great that more protein molecules are always translated
from the first gene than from subsequent genes. This is a mechanism for maintaining particular ratios of gene products
(discussed later in Chapter 11). Mutations sometimes arise that convert a sense codon (amino-acid specifying) to a stop
codonfor example, the mRNA molecule has a UAG codon at the site of a UAC codon. Such mutations, which will be
discussed further in the next chapter, cause premature termination of a polypeptide. If the mutation is sufficiently far upstream
from the normal stop codon
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Figure 9-14
Difference in the products translated from a tricistronic mRNA molecule by the ribosomes of prokaryotes
and eukaryotes. The prokaryotic ribosome translates all of the cistrons, but the eukaryotic ribosome translates
only one cistronthe one nearest the 5 terminus of the mRNA. Translated sequences are in black, stop
codons are white, and the leader and spacers are shaded.
of the gene containing the mutation, the distance to the next AUG codon may be so great that separation of the translating 70S
ribosome and the mRNA molecule is almost inevitable. In this case, genes downstream from the mutation will rarely be
translated. Such mutations are the most common type of polar mutation.
In eukaryotes reinitiation of polypeptide synthesis following an encounter of a ribosome with a stop codon does not occur. Also,
as pointed out earlier in this section, polypeptide synthesis in eukaryotes is initiated when a ribosome binds to the 5 terminus of
an mRNA molecule and slides along the first AUG codon. There is no mechanism for initiating polypeptide synthesis at any
AUG other than the first one encountered; eukaryotic mRNA is always monocistronic (Figure 9-14). However, a primary
transcript can contain coding sequences for more than one polypeptide chain and in fact this is a frequent arrangement in animal
viruses. In these cases, differential splicing generates several different mRNA molecules from the transcript (see Chapters 8 and
13). For example, if the AUG nearest the 5 terminus is excised, the second AUG will become available. Another mechanism
for producing several proteins from a single transcript is protein processing. In this case, a single giant polypeptide chain, called
a polyprotein, is made and then cleaved into several component polypeptide chains, each constituting a distinct protein.
Complex Translation Units
The unit of translation is almost never simply a ribosome traversing an mRNA molecule, but is a more complex structure, of
which there are several forms. Some of these structures are described in this section.
After about 25 amino acids have been joined in a polypeptide chain, the AUG initiation site of the encoding mRNA molecule is
completely free of the ribosome. A second initiation complex then forms. The overall configuration is two 70S ribosomes
moving along the mRNA at the same
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speed. When the second ribosome has moved along a distance similar to that traversed by the first, a third ribosome is able to
attach. This process, movement and reinitiation, continues until the mRNA is covered with ribosomes at a density of about one
70S particle per 80 nucleotides. This large translation unit is called a polyribosome or simply a polysome. This is the usual form
of the translation unit in all cells (both prokaryotic and eukaryotic). An electron micrograph of a polysome and an interpretive
drawing are shown in Figure 915.
The use of polysomes has a particular advantage to a cell; it increases the overall rate of protein synthesis compared to the rate
that would occur if there were no polysomes.
An mRNA molecule being synthesized has a free 5 terminus; since translation occurs in the 5 3 direction, each cistron
contained in the mRNA is synthesized in a direction that is appropriate for immediate translation. The ribosome binding site is
transcribed first, followed in order by the AUG codon, the region encoding the amino acid sequence, and finally the stop codon.
In bacteria, therefore, in which no nuclear membrane separates the DNA and the ribosome, there is no obvious reason why the
70S initiation complex should not form before the mRNA is released from the DNA! With prokaryotes this does indeed occur;
this process is called coupled transcription-translation. This coupled activity does not occur in eukaryotes. Recall that the
eukaryotic mRNA is first synthesized and processed in the nucleus and then later transported through the nuclear membrane to the
cytoplasm where the ribosomes are located.
Coupled transcription-translation speeds up protein synthesis in the sense that translation does not have to await release of the
mRNA from the DNA. Translation can also be started before the mRNA is degraded by nucleases. Figure 916(a) shows an
electron micrograph of a DNA
(a)
(b)
Figure 9-15
Polysomes.
(a) Diagram showing relative movement of the 70S ribosome and the mRNA,
and growth of the protein chain.
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(b) Electron micrograph of an E. coli polysome.

(Courtesy of Barbara Hamkalo.)
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(a)
(b)
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Figure 9-16
(a) Transcription of a section of the DNA of E. coli and
translation of the nascent mRNA. Only part of the
chromosome is being transcribed. The dark spots
are ribosomes, which coat the mRNA.
(From O. L. Miller, Barbara A. Hamkalo, and C. A.
Thomas, Science; 1977: 169, 392.)
(b) An interpretation of the electron micrograph of part (a).
The mRNA is in red and is coated with black ribosomes.
The large red spots are the RNA polymerase molecules;
they are actually too small to be seen in the photo.
The dashed arrows show the distances of each RNA
polymerase from the transcription initiation site.
Arrows 1, 2, and 3 have the same length as mRNA 1, 2, 3;
mRNA 4 is shorter than arrow 4, presumably because its
5 end has been partially digested by an RNase.
molecule to which are attached a number of mRNA molecules, each associated with ribosomes. The micrograph is
interpreted in panel (b). Note that the lengths of the polysomes increase with distance from the transcription initiation
site, because the mRNA is farther from that site and hence longer.
Key Concept
The ''Prokaryotic Simplicity" Concept

RNA synthesis and protein synthesis are coupled in prokaryotes, separate (due to the nuclear membrane) in eukaryotes.
Eukaryotic mRNA differs from prokaryotic mRNA in two major features. It is modified both by the addition of a cap at
the 5 end of the message and by the addition of about 200 adenlynic residues at the 3 end which are termed poly A.
These modifications do not take place in mitochondrial and chloroplast mRNA. The role of the poly A in translation is
not yet clear. The cap adds a 7-methylguanosine residue linked to a triphosphate at the 5 end of the mRNA. Thus this is
a 5 to 5 linkage
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Figure 9-17
Structure of the cap at the 5 end of eukaryotic mRNA. Note the unusual 5 to 5 linkage. All caps
contain 7-methylguanylate (shown in red) attached by a triphosphate linkage to the ribose of the 5
end of the mRNA. This cap was encountered earlier (Figure 8- 10). The 2 hydroxyl group of the
first mRNA ribose is also methylated while the second sugar is not always methylated.
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instead of the usual 5 to 3 linkage. (Figure 9-17). The cap may protect the mRNA from exonucleases, but its main role
is to promote and stimulate efficient translation. The 5 untranslated region at the cap end of the eukaryotic mRNA is
folded into a secondary structure held together by base-pairing. This secondary structure inhibits efficient translation.
Specific proteins, called cap-binding proteins, bind to the cap and unwind the secondary structure of the 5 end of the
mRNA. This facilitates efficient translation. These proteins are also involved in guiding the 40S eukaryotic ribosomal
subunit to the cap, and thus to the 5 end of the mRNA. Chapters 8 and 13 contain further information on mRNA
modification.
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Antibiotics
Many antibacterial agents (antibiotics) have been isolated from fungi. Most of these are inhibitors of protein synthesis.
For example: streptomycin and neomycin bind to a particular protein in the 30S particle and thereby prevent binding of
tRNAfMet to the P site; the tetracyclines inhibit binding of charged tRNA; lincomycin and chloramphenicol inhibit the
peptidyl transferase; and puromycin causes premature chain termination; erythromycin binds to a free 50S particle and
prevents formation of the 70S ribosome. A particular antibiotic has clinical value only if it acts on bacteria and not on
animal cells; the clinically useful antibiotics usually either fail to pass through the cell membrane of animal cells, or do
not bind to eukaryote ribosomes because of some unknown feature of their structure.
Some disease-causing bacteria exert their pathogenic effect because they excrete inhibitors of mammalian protein
synthesis. The agent causing diphtheria is an example; it binds to a factor necessary for movement of mammalian
ribosomes along the mRNA.
Key Concept
The "Antibiotic Action" Concept

The mechanism of action of most antibiotics is understood in terms of the antibiotic interfering with a specific step in
protein synthesis, or a step in the synthesis of the cell wall, or other indispensable component of the bacterial cell.
Twenty amino acids are normally incorporated into proteins synthesized by living cells. Researchers are now, however,
experimenting with the synthesis of proteins containing novel amino acids. Some of these "unnatural" amino acids, such
as fluorotyrosine (a substituted form of naturally occurring tyrosine) are expected to make the properties of the proteins
containing them more desirable for commercial purposes. For example, the folding properties of an enzyme used in a
laundry detergent might be altered so as to enhance the stability of the protein in hot water.
The incorporation of novel amino acids requires, of course, artificial expansion of the genetic code. First, new bases,
representing structural analogs of the naturally occurring ones (C, U, G, A) have been synthesized directly into mRNAs.
Second, tRNAs containing a base in the anticodon loop that pairs with the novel base in the synthetic mRNA were
prepared. Third, those new tRNAs were charged with the novel amino acids (e.g., iodotyrosine). Finally, those
components were formulated into an in-vitro translation system. The new base-pairings were observed to function as
efficiently as the standard ones!
New proteins have thereby been synthesized. The horizons for the
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development of proteins having either research value or industrial applications have been expanded. Although presently
the process is probably too expensive for preparing vast quantities of specific proteins, even the small quantities of the
novel proteins produced in this fashion can be employed by researchers to learn how to enhance the worth of nature's
own proteins to commercial ventures.
Summary
Translation is the production of proteins from the information encoded in DNA. That information (the genetic code)
consists of the 64 three-base codons standing for translational starts, stops, and amino acids. For most amino acids,
more than one codon exists, differing only in the third position. Charged tRNA molecules have an amino acid attached
to the 3 ends by aminoacyl tRNA synthetases, and their anticodon base pairs with mRNA codons. One tRNA reads
several codons since the first base of the anticodon (wobble position) pairs with the third base of several codons. A
reading frame is a series of sequential, nonoverlapping codons with one start and stop codon. Translation occurs on
ribosomes and consists of three stages: (1) Initiation, which brings a small ribosomal subunit, initiating tRNA, and
mRNA together. The start codon is chosen by the ShineDalgarno sequence in prokaryotes that use formylmethionine to
initiate; eukaryotes use the first AUG and methionine. The large subunit, containing the P (peptidyl) and A (aminoacyl)
tRNA sites then joins; (2) Elongation, which involves the binding of charged tRNAs, peptide bond formation by
peptidyl transferase, and the translocation of the mRNA by one codon. GTP and initiation and elongation factors are
required; (3) Termination, which occurs when a stop codon is reached. Release factors separate the polypeptide from the
tRNA in the P sites. Following termination, the ribosome may dissociate, or in prokaryotes, may begin translation again
at a new 3 AUG. Prokaryotic mRNAs thus can be polycistronic. Eukaryotic mRNAs are monocistronic, although one
mRNA can produce several proteins by differential mRNA processing or cleavage of a polyprotein. In prokaryotes,
transcription and translation are coupled, while in eukaryotes, they are separate.
Drill Questions
1. Which of the following statements are true of tRNA molecules? If false, explain.
(a) They are needed because amino acids cannot stick to mRNA.
(b) They are much smaller than mRNA molecules.
(c) They are synthesized without the need for intermediary mRNA.
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(d) They bind amino acids without the need for any enzyme.
(e) They occasionally recognize a stop codon if the Rho factor is present.
2. Which of the following properties are part of the normal functioning of aminoacyl tRNA synthetases?
(a) Recognition of the codon
(b) Recognition of the anticodon of a tRNA molecule
(c) Recognition of the amino acid recognition region of a tRNA molecule
(d) Ability to distinguish one amino acid from another
(e) Ability to remove an incorrectly coupled amino acid from a tRNA molecule
3. What are the s values of prokaryotic and eukaryotic ribosomes, their subunits, and their RNA molecules?
4. List three differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic translation (ignore differences in ribosome structure).
5. Which of the following are steps in protein synthesis in prokaryotes? If false, explain.
(a) Binding of tRNA to a 30S particle
(b) Binding of tRNA to a 70S ribosome
(c) Coupling of an amino acid to ribosome by an aminoacyl synthetase
(d) Separation of the 70S ribosome to form 30S and 50S particles.
6. What is the reading frame of an mRNA? What additional features would you expect an mRNA to have?
7. Translation has evolved in a particular polarity with respect to the mRNA molecule. What is this polarity, and what
would be the disadvantages of having the reverse polarity?
8. Which of the following is the normal cause of chain termination?
(a) The tRNA corresponding to a chain-termination triplet cannot bind an amino acid.
(b) There is no tRNA with an anticodon corresponding to a chaintermination triplet.
(c) Messenger RNA synthesis stops at a chain termination triplet.
9. Which processes in protein synthesis require hydrolysis of GTP?
Problems
1. A DNA molecule has the structure
TACGGGAATTAGAGTCGCAGGATC
ATGCCCTTAATCTCAGCGTCCTAG
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The upper strand is the template strand, and is transcribed from left to right. What is the amino acid sequence of the
protein encoded in this DNA molecule?
2. Which amino acids can replace arginine by a single base-pair change?
3. The amber codon UAG does not correspond to any amino acid. Some strains carry suppressors that are tRNA
molecules mutated in the anticodon, enabling an amino acid to be placed at a UAG site. Assuming that the anticodon of
the suppressor differs by only one base from the original anticodon, which amino acids could be inserted at a UAG site?
At a UAA site?
4. There are several arginine codons. Suppose you had a protein that contained only three arginines (Arg-1, Arg-2, Arg3). In a particular mutant Arg-1 is replaced by glycine. In another Arg-2 is replaced by methionine. In still another
mutant Arg-3 is replaced by isoleucine. Suppose several hundred other mutants at various sites are isolated. Which other
amino acids would you expect to find replacing Arg-1, Arg-2, and Arg-3, assuming only single-base changes?
5. Suppose that you are making use of the alternating copolymer GUGUGUGUGU as an mRNA in an in-vitro proteinsynthesizing system. Assuming that an AUG start codon is not needed in the in-vitro system, what peptides are made by
this mRNA?
6. The anticodon of a tRNA is 5-IGU-3.
(a) Which amino acid would this tRNA insert during translation?
(b) Which codons would be read by this tRNA?
(c) Assuming that only two tRNAs are needed to read this family of codons, what would the anticodon of the other
tRNA probably be?
1. How might various antibiotics be used to study the process of translation?
2. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of overlapping reading frames.
3. What do you think is the significance of the universality of the genetic code? What does this say about the biological
evolution of the system and its ability to change?
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Chapter 10
Philip C. Hanawalt
Professor of Biological Sciences,

Stanford University,
Stanford, California
Oberlin College
Major: Physics 1954
Graduate Degree:
Yale University,
M.S. Physics, 1955;
Ph.D. 1959, Biophysics
University of Copenhagen, Denmark, 19581960;
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, 19601961
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Our long term goal is to understand how the processing of damaged DNA in mammalian cells relates to mutagenesis,
carcinogenesis, aging, and human disease. Cellular protooncogenes have been found to be mutated, translocated, or
amplified in a variety of transformed cells. In serveral inherited human diseases the affected individuals are concerprone, and their cells are abnormally sensitive to DNA-damaging agents, apparently as a consequence of DNA repair
deficiencies. We have developed many of the biochemical techniques now used routinely to study DNA repair.
Recently we pioneered the development of methods to analyze the fine structure of DNA-damage processing in
mammalian chromatin. We have shown that UV-induced pyrimidine dimers are efficiently removed from the active
dihydrofolate reductase gene, but not from silent upstream sequences in hamster cells. We have also determined the
comparative rates of repair in a number of different genes and have shown that repair in an active gene in human cells is
much faster than in the nontranscribed alpha DNA or the overall genome. We have demonstrated differences in the
repair of pyrimidine dimers in transcriptionally active and inactive c-abland c-mos protooncogenes in mouse cells.
Recently we discovered that selective repair in active genes is due to preferential repair in the transcribed DNA strand.
Our current research focus in the elucidation of the features of DNA sequence, chromosome structure, or expression that
determine if a particular region of the genome is accessible to repair enzymes, if perferential repair differs with the type
of DNA damage present, and if damage tolerance processes differ among DNA sequences of different functions.
Obtain a strong grounding in basic physics and chemistry, then turn to genetics and biochemistry. otherwise, start to
work part-time in a molecular biology research laboratory at your earliest opportunity. That will be the most important
and rewarding experience.
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1. About different types of mutations
2. How mutations are produced
3. How damage to DNA is repaired
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There is no single molecule whose integrity is as vital to the cell as DNA. Indeed, survival of the species depends upon maintaining the
nucleotide sequence intact. The genetic material is, however, subject to constant challenge. During DNA replication, RNA transcription,
and even while in an inactive, resting state, damage can occur. Copying errors, breaks, and damage to nucleotide bases, if not corrected,
lead to permanent changemutation. Most mutations are potentially dangerous, since they lead to either blocks in DNA replication or the
production of defective proteins. Thus, in the course of hundreds of millions of years there have evolved efficient systems for correcting
occasional replication errors and for eliminating damage to DNA caused by environmental agents and intracellular chemicals.
We will begin our study of mutations and DNA repair by defining what it means to be a "mutant" and briefly surveying the various
types of mutations that occur in living organisms. Next, we will consider some of the ways in which both spontaneous and induced
mutation may arise, and examine the mechanisms of action of specific mutagenic agents.
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Finally, we will review some of the systems that have evolved to maintain the integrity of the DNA and to repair DNA
damage once it does occur.
Types of Mutations
Mutant refers to an organism or a gene that is different from the normal or wild type. His yeast or white-eyed
Drosophila are examples of mutants. Sometimes, the "normal" form of an organism found in nature lacks the ability to
carry out a certain biochemical reaction (for example, E. coli isolated from nature is unable to metabolize lactose, or has
a lac- phenotype). In many such instances, the "+" form is referred to as the "wild type," and any"-" form is referred to
as a mutant.
Mutation refers to any heritable change in the base sequence of a DNA molecule. The most common type of change is a
substitution, addition, or deletion of one or more bases (Table 10-1).
A mutagen is a physical or chemical agent that causes mutations to occur (or increases the frequency of their
occurrence).
Mutagenesis is the process of producing a mutation. If the mutation occurs in nature without the addition of a mutagen,
it is referred to as a spontaneous mutation, and the resulting mutants are spontaneous mutants. If it is caused by a
mutagen, the process is induced mutagenesis. In this chapter, we will concentrate on mutations occurring in living
organisms. Later, in Chapter 16, we will discuss site-specific mutagenesis, a form of induced mutagenesis in which
genetic engineering techniques are used to construct mutant DNA molecules containing mutations at specific,
preselected locations.
Mutations are classified in several ways. One distinction is based upon the number of bases changed in the DNA
molecule. A point mutation, for example, involves a single changed base-pair, while a multiple mutation involves
alterations in two or more base-pairs. A point mutation may be a base substitution, a base addition, or a base deletion
(Table 10-1), but the term is usually reserved for base substitutions.
A second distinction is based upon the consequence of the change in terms of the amino acid sequence affected. As
described in Table 10-1, a single-base substitution may cause little or no change in the amino acid sequence of the
protein or in the ability of the protein to function normally (silent mutations, neutral mutations), or it may lead to the
production of a nonfunctional and/or truncated polypeptide (missense mutations, nonsense mutations).
If the substitution produces a protein that is active at one temperature (typically at 30C or lower) and inactive at a
higher temperature (usually 4042C), the mutation is called a temperature-sensitive or ts mutant. If the mutation
generates a stop codon, causing protein synthesis to cease, the mutation is called a chain-termination or nonsense
mutation. Tempera-
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TABLE 10-1 EXAMPLES OF TYPES OF MUTATIONS

TYPES OF MUTATIONS
RESULT AT MOLECULAR
LEVEL
EXAMPLE
1. Transition:
One purine replaced by a different

purine; or one pyrimidine replaced
by a different pyrimidine.
A-T G-C
2. Transversion:
A purine replaced by a pyrimidine

or vice versa
A-T T-A
1. Silent mutation:
Altered codon codes for same

amino acid
GAG GAA
Glu Glu
2. Neutral mutation:
Altered codon codes for a different

but functionally similar amino acid
(Protein may be functional.)
GAG GAS
Glu Asp
3. Missense mutation:
Altered codon codes for a different,

dissimilar amino acid.
(Protein often nonfunctional.)
GAG AAG
Glu Lys
4. Nonsense mutation (= Chain termination

mutation)
New codon is a termination codon.

(Protein synthesis stops. Protein is
nonfunctional.)
GAG UAG
Glu Stop
I. Point Mutations: change in single base pair

A. Base Substitution Mutations:
Changes in DNA
Changes in protein
B. Frameshift Mutations: Addition or deletion of one or more base-pairs will result in a shift in the reading
frame of the resulting mRNA molecule, and lead to production of a nonfunctional protein.
1. Wild type base sequence:
ATG ACC AGG TC
2. Base addition:
3. Base deletion:
* Horizontal brackets indicate the affected segment.
ture-sensitive and chain-termination mutations are considered to be conditional mutations because they exhibit the mutant
phenotype only under certain conditions. Such mutations are extremely useful to the molecular biologist, since they can
facilitate the study of essential processes, such as DNA replication, without which a mutant organism could not survive.
With microorganisms, the phenotype is capitalized, while the genotype is written in lower-case italics. This convention does
not apply to higher organisms. The notation for bacterial mutants is summarized in Table 10-2. A complete description is of
course beyond the scope of this book; for additional information, please refer to a genetics or microbiology textbook.
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TABLE 10-2 SUMMARY OF NOTATION USED TO DESIGNATE BACTERIAL MUTANTS AND MUTATIONS
DESIGNATION*
PHENOTYPE OF GENOTYPE
Phenotype
Sub, Sub+
Lacking in or possessing ability to make a substance
Ant-r, Ant-s
Resistance or sensitivity to an antibiotic

Genotype
sub+
Wild-type gene for making a substance
Sub**
Mutant gene for making a substance
subA; subA63
Mutant subA gene; mutation number 63 in subA gene
ant
Gene for resistance or sentivity to a particular antibiotic
ant-r, ant-s
Genotype for resistance or sentivity to an antibiotic
* The arbitrary abbreviations ''sub" and "ant" mean "substance" and "antibiotic" in this table.
** The notation sub for sub is widespread. Because of possible amibiguity, the superscript minus is used throughtout this
book.
Biochemical Basis of Mutants

A mutant may be defined as an organism in which either the base sequence of the DNA or the phenotype has been changed. These
definitions are often the same, since a single base change in a DNA molecule can lead to an alteration in the amino acid sequence of a
protein. (Exceptions to this general rule occur in the cases of silent mutations and neutral mutations, which will be discussed soon.)
The chemical and physical properties of each protein are determined by its amino acid sequence, so that a single amino acid change is
capable of inactivating a protein.
From the discussion of protein structure in Chapter 4, it is easy to understand how an amino acid substitution can change the structure
and biological activity of a protein. For instance, consider a hypothetical protein whose three-dimensional structure is determined
entirely by an interaction between one positively-charged amino acid (for example, lysine) and one negatively-charged amino acid
(glutamic acid). A substitution of methionine, which is uncharged, for lysine would clearly destroy the three-dimensional structure, as
would the substitution of histidine, which is positively charged, for glutamic acid. Similarly, a protein might be stabilized by a
hydrophobic cluster, in which case substitution of glutamine (polar) for leucine (nonpolar) would also be disruptive.
A base substitution does not always yield a mutant phenotype. Because of the redundancy in the code, some base changes do not alter
the amino
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acid sequence (silent mutations), and some amino acid changes do not significantly affect the structure of the protein
(neutral mutations). (See Table 10-1.)
The shapes of proteins are determined by such a variety of interactions that sometimes an amino acid substitution is
only partially disruptive. For instance, an isoleucine might substitute successfully for leucine (and be neutral), but
replacement with a more bulky amino acid such as phenylalanine might cause subtle stereochemical changes, though
the hydrophobic cluster is preserved. This could be manifested as a reduction, rather than a loss, of activity of an
enzyme. A bacterium carrying such a mutation in the enzyme that synthesizes adenine might grow very slowly (but it
would grow) unless adenine were provided in the growth medium. Such a mutation is called a leaky mutation; these
mutations are not particularly useful for most genetic studies. However, several hereditary disorders in humans are due
to such leaky mutations. For example, in certain individuals, the gene that codes for the essential enzyme, glucose-6phosphate dehydrogenase, contains a point mutation, resulting in the production of a defective form of the enzyme
having greatly reduced catalytic activity. Individuals who possess this mutant gene develop severe hemolytic anemia
when exposed to a variety of common substances, including sulfonamide antibiotics, antimalarial drugs, mothballs, and
even certain types of dried beans (fava beans).
Generally speaking, the following types of amino acid substitutions are expressed as nonleaky mutations:
Polar amino acid Non-polar amino acid
Change of sign of amino acid (+ -)
Small side chain bulky side chain
Sulfhydryl any other side chain
Hydrogen-bonding amino acid Non-hydrogen-bonding amino acid
Proline (changes the shape of the polypeptide backbone) any other amino acid
Any change in the substrate-binding site
So far, only amino acid substitutions have been discussed. Certain other types of mutations tend to eliminate the activity
of the protein totally. These include base additions and base deletions (= frameshift mutations), in which all of the
amino acids starting from the mutant site are different, and chain termination mutations (= nonsense mutations), in
which a protein chain is terminated prematurely. Both will be discussed in greater detail later in this chapter.
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Mutagenesis
The production of a mutant requires that a change occur in the DNA base sequence. There are a number of distinct
mechanisms for altering the structure of DNA. These include base substitutions, additions, or deletions during
replication, base changes resulting from the inherent chemical instability of the bases or of the N-glycosylic bond, and
alterations resulting from the action of other chemicals and environmental agents. These mechanisms are responsible for
the occurrence of the following types of defects:
1. An incorrect base in one strand that cannot form hydrogen bonds with the corresponding base in the other strand.
This may occur if a base that has been inserted tautomerizes (i.e., isomerizes in such a way that it is capable of an
alternative form of hydrogen bonding) and allows a base substitution to occur during subsequent replication (Figure 101). A defect can also result from a replication error that, by chance, is not corrected, or by a spontaneous loss of an
amino group (deamination) converting cytosine to uracil (see Figure 10-4) or adenine to hypoxanthine.
2. Missing bases. The N-glycosylic bond joining a purine base to the deoxyribose is spontaneously broken at
physiological temperatures, though at a very low rate (Figure 10-2). This process is called depurination because the
purine is lost from the DNA without breaking the backbone of the DNA molecule, leaving a noninformational site. The
rate of spontaneous depurination is about 104 purines per day in a mammalian cell.
Figure 10-1
Base-pairing between the rare imino form of adenine and cytosine
and the enol form of thymine and guanine. The red H is the one that has
moved from the more common position.
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Figure 10-2
Spontaneous depurination of DNA.
3. Altered bases. Bases can be changed into strikingly different compounds by a variety of chemical and physical agents. For
instance, mutagens called alkylating agents (see Figure 10-7) add a methyl or ethyl group at an inappropriate position, such as the
06 position of guanine. Although alkylation does not interfere with DNA replication, it does cause the guanine to behave as
though it were an adenine during subsequent replications. Physical agents such as ultraviolet radiation can induce formation of
dimers between adjacent pyrimidines in a DNA strand (see Figure 10-11). This distorts the double helix and may block DNA
replication if not repaired.
4. Addition or deletion of one or more bases. Such changes may arise spontaneously during DNA replication, or may be induced
by certain chemical mutagens (intercalating agents) or biological agents (transposable elements).
5. Single-strand breaks. A variety of chemical agents can break phosphodiester bonds. Among the more common chemicals are
peroxides and metal ions such as Fe2+ and Cu2+. Ionizing radiation produces strand breaks directly, and indirectly by production
of highly reactive free radicals in the water surrounding the DNA.
6. Double-strand breaks. If a DNA molecule receives a sufficiently large number of randomly located single-strand breaks, two
breaks may be situated opposite one another, resulting in breakage of the double helix.
7. Cross-linking. Some antibiotics (for example, mitomycin C) and some reagents (the nitrite ion) can form covalent linkages
between a base in one strand and another base in the complementary DNA strand. This prevents strand separation during DNA
replication and also causes a local distortion of the helix. DNA cross-linking agents such as cis-platinum
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and psoralen (activated by ultraviolet light) have been used effectively in chemotherapy for cancer and
hyperproliferative skin diseases such as psoriasis.
Spontaneous Mutations and their Repair
Spontaneous mutations are those which arise naturally, not through the action of a mutagenic agent. They may arise
through (1) errors in DNA replication or (2) spontaneous alteration of a nucleotide within an existing DNA molecule.
As has already been described in Chapter 7, DNA polymerases occasionally catalyze the incorporation of an incorrect
base which cannot form a hydrogen bond with the template base in the parent strand. Such errors are usually corrected
by the editing (or proofreading) function of these enzymes. In the event that an occasional misincorporated base
isoverlooked during proofreading, a second correction system, called mismatch repair, exists to deal with such
mispaired bases. In mismatch repair, a pair of non-hydrogen-bonded bases is recognized as incorrect, and a
polynucleotide segment is excised from one strand, thereby removing one member of the unmatched pair.
If it is to eliminate errors, the mismatch repair system must be able to distinguish the correct base in the parental strand
from the incorrect base in the daughter strand. In E. coli, the critical information is provided by the presence or absence
of adenine methylation in the base sequence G-A-T-C. These bases carry methyl groups not found elsewhere in the
DNA. Methylation of the adenines in this sequence is associated with DNA replication. However, it does not take place
in the replication fork, but is somewhat delayed. The effect is that while parental strands are fully methylated, the newly
synthesized daughter strands near the replication fork are not yet methylated. The mismatch repair system recognizes
the degree of methylation of each strand, and when a mismatch is found, it preferentially excises nucleotides from the
undermethylated strandthat is, from the daughter strand (see Figure 10-3). The parent strand thus is always the template,
enabling the repair system to correct misincorporation errors. However, in spite of the existence of proofreading and
mismatch repair, errors occasionally escape detection and give rise to mutations.
Spontaneous mutations may also arise as a consequence of tautomeric shifts in the nucleotide bases. Each of the four
nitrogen bases is capable of existing in a rare, alternate isomeric form (tautomer), having different hydrogen-bonding
properties (Figure 10-1). The rare imino forms of adenine (A*) and cytosine (C*) base-pair with cytosine and adenine
respectively; while the rare enol forms of thymine (T*) and guanine (G*) hydrogen-bond with guanine and thymine,
respectively. A base might be incorporated in its normal form, then undergo a tautomeric shift after incorporation.
During a subsequent round of DNA replication, the presence of one of these rare tautomers in the template could result
in the
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Figure 10-3
Possible mechanism of mismatch repair in E. coli.
Mismatch repair enzyme recognizes mismatched basepair and
undermethylated daughter DNA strand. Mismatched
region is excised and repaired.
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incorporation of an incorrect base into the daughter DNA molecule. (A similar process occurs when mutagenic agents
called base analogues undergo tautomerization, as we will see later, in Figure 10-5.)
Depurination refers to the breakage of the N-glycosylic bond between a base (in this case a purine) and the deoxyribose
of the nucleotide, with the subsequent loss of the nitrogen base (Figure 10-2). Unless such damage is repaired prior to
DNA replication, there is a great likelihood that a mutation will arise, since the apurinic site lacks the "information"
necessary to specify the insertion of the correct complementary base into the new DNA strand. If the DNA polymerase
should happen to reach the apurinic site before repair had taken place, replication might come to a halt, and/or an
incorrect base might be inserted into the new DNA strand
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Figure 10-4
Scheme for repair of cytosine deamination. The same mechanism could
remove a uracil that is accidentally incorporated.
opposite the apurinic site. Once again, specific repair mechanisms involving enzymes called AP endonucleases (AP =
apurinic) exist to deal with such damage, and will be discussed in the next section.
Deamination is another process that can give rise to mutations. It has been estimated that, in an average human cell,
cytosine deamination occurs at a rate of 100 cytosines per genome each day. When cytosine loses an amino group, it
becomes uracil. After one round of replication, this would lead to replacement of the original G-C pair with an A-U
pair, which would then become an A-T pair after another round of replication. Since this would be mutagenic, cells
have evolved a mechanism for replacing the unwanted U by a C. The first step in their repair cycle (Figure 10-4) is
removal of the uracil by the enzyme uracil N-glycosylase. This enzyme cleaves the N-glycosylic bond and leaves the
deoxyribose in the backbone. A second enzyme, AP endonuclease (which acts on apurinic or "baseless" sites in
general), makes a single cut in the DNA backbone on the 5 side of the damaged site, and the sugar phosphate residue is
removed by a phosphodiesterase. DNA polymerase then fills the gap with the correct nucleotide and ligase seals the
gap. (This sequence, endonuclease-exonuclease-polymerase, is an example of a general repair mechanism called
excision-repair, described later in the chapter.) A specific glycosylase is also available to remove hypoxanthine, the
consequence of adenine deamination.
The latter part of this repair mechanism, namely that beginning with AP endonuclease (shown in Figure 10-4) is also
used in the repair of missing bases arising by depurination.
Mutational Hot Spots and 5-Methycytosine Deamination
If a hundred mutations in a single gene are mapped, they are, for the most part, distributed roughly equally over the
mutated sites. However, a few sites are represented by as many as 100 times the typical number of mutations; these sites
are called hot spots.
About 4% of the cytosines in a typical DNA molecule are in the methylated form-5-methylcytosine (MeC). The role of
methylcytosine
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(and other methylated bases) is not clearly understood in many cases. Earlier in this chapter, we described the role of
adenine methylation in mismatch repair, and we shall examine the additional role of cytosine methylation in regulation
of gene expression in vertebrates in Chapter 13. At any rate, methylated cytosines are not inherently harmful and do not
change the hydrogen bonding properties of the base. MeC pairs with guanine just as cytosine does.
MeC is also subject to alteration by spontaneous deamination, and this leads to a curious situation. When MeC is
deaminated, it becomes 5-methyluracil, which is another name for the normal base thymine. Therefore, the G-MeC base
pair becomes a G-T pair, which in subsequent replication yields an A-T pair. Note that the main mismatch repair system
is certainly able to convert the G-T pair back to a correct G-C pair, but only if it is able to distinguish between the
parental and daughter strand on the basis of degree of adenine methylation. Unfortunately, spontaneous deamination can
also occur in nonreplicating DNA (e.g., in a resting cell or in a phage), where both strands have been equally methylated
by the adenine-methylating system. The mismatch repair system thus receives no signal indicating that the G-C pair is
the correct one, and could just as well convert the G-T pair to an A-T pair. The mutation frequency consequently can be
quite high at a MeC site. A given G-MeC A-T transition will, of course, only produce a mutation if the change
causes an amino acid substitution that affects the activity of the gene product. Such MeC sites do not occur very often,
so hot spots should not be particularly frequent. Direct determination of the base sequence of several genes and of hot
spot mutants has shown that, indeed, MeC accounts for most of the hot spots for spontaneous mutagenesis.
A repair system does exist that is capable of correcting the results of MeC deamination. A specific mismatch repair
enzyme recognizes mismatched G-T base-pair and always removes the mispaired thymine, rather than the guanine, so
that the correct (G-C) base-pairing sequence can be restored. The new cytosine can be remethylated at a later time.
Induced Mutations
During its lifetime, an organism may be exposed to a variety of physical, chemical, and biological agents capable of
causing damage to its genetic material. Each agent has its own characteristic mechanism of action, and each has a
tendency to cause specific types of damage to the DNA molecule. In the following sections, we will look at some of
these mutagenic agents and examine their mechanisms of action.
Base-Analogue Mutagens
A base analogue is a substance other than a standard nucleic acid base that can be incorporated into a DNA molecule by
the normal process of polymerization. Such a substance must be able to pair with the base on
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Figure 10-5
Mutagenesis by 5-bromouracil.
(a) Structural formulas of thymine and 5-bromouracil.
(b) A standard adenine-thymine base pair.
(c) A base pair between guanine and the enol form of 5-bromouracil. The red H in the
dashed circle shows the position of the H in the keto form.
the complementary strand being copied, or the 3 5 editing function will remove it. However, if it can tautomerize, or if it
has two modes of hydrogen bonding, it will be mutagenic.
The substituted base 5-bromouracil (BU) is an analogue of thymine inasmuch as the bromine has about the same size as the
methyl group of the thymine (Figure 10-5). In subsequent rounds of replication, BU functions like thymine and primarily
pairs with adenine. Thymine can sometimes (but rarely) assume an enol form that is capable of pairing with guanine (Figure
10-2), and this tautomeric shift occasionally gives rise to mutants in the course of replication. The mutagenic activity of 5bromouracil stems from a shift in the keto-enol equilibrium caused by the bromine atom; that is, the enol form exists for a
greater fraction of time for BU than for thymine. If BU replaces a thymine, in subsequent rounds of replication, it
occasionally undergoes a tautomeric shift and causes a guanine to be inserted into a complementary daughter DNA strand
(Figure 10-6). During the next round of replication, the guanine specifies a cytosine in the newest daughter strand, resulting in
formation of a G-C base pair (an A-T G-C transition mutation).
Chemical Mutagens
A chemical mutagen is a substance that can alter a base that is already incorporated into a DNA molecule and thereby change
its hydrogen-
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Figure 10-6
A mechanism of 5-bromouracil (or BU)-induced mutagenesis. (a) During replication, BU,
in its usual keto form, substitutes for T and the replica of an initial A T pair becomes an
A Bu pair. In the first mutagenic round of replication the BU, in its rare enol form, pairs
with G. In the next round of replication, the G pairs with a C, completing the transition
from an A T pair to a G C pair.
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Figure 10-7
Structures of three chemical mutagens.
bonding specificity. Three very powerful chemical mutagens are nitrous acid (HNO2), hydroxylamine (HA), and
ethylmethane sulfonate (EMS). Their chemical structures are shown in Figure 10-7.
Nitrous acid primarily converts amino groups to keto groups by oxidative deamination. Thus cytosine, adenine, and
guanine are converted to uracil (U), hypoxanthine (H), and xanthine (X), respectively. These bases can form the base
pairs U-A, H-C, and X-C. Consequently, deamination of cytosine and adenine result in G-C A-T and A-T G-C
transitions, respectively. Since both G and X can pair with C, this third change should not be directly mutagenic (Figure
10-8(a)). Nitrous acid is also capable of causing transitions and transversions via depurination of the DNA molecule.
Hydroxylamine reacts specifically with cytosine and converts it to a modified base (N-4-hydroxycytosine) that pairs
only with adenine, so that a G-C base pair ultimately becomes an A-T pair (a transition) (Figure 10-8(b)).
EMS and a related substance methylmethane sulfonate (MMS) are alkylating agents that have been used extensively in
genetic research. The alkylating agents include environmental carcinogens such as nitrosamines, which require
metabolic activation, and also very strong and reactive mutagens such as methylnitrosourea and N-methyl-N-nitro-Nnitrosogua-nidine (MNNG). Chemical mutagens such as nitrous acid and hydroxylamine, which are exceedingly useful
in prokaryotic systems, are not particularly useful as mutagens in higher eukaryotes (because the chemical
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Figure 10-8
Examples of modes of action of three chemical mutagens.
(a) Nitrous acid deaminates adenine hypoxanthine; also acts on guanine, cytosine.
(b) Hydroxylamine modifies only cytosine;
(c) Methylmethane sulfonate (MMS) alkylates guanine (also thymine). dr = deoxyribose.
conditions necessary for reaction are not easily obtained; the alkylating agents, however, are highly effective. Many sites in DNA are
alkylated by these agents. Of prime importance for the induction of mutations is the addition of an alkyl (i.e., methyl or ethyl) group to the
hydrogen-bonding oxygen of guanine and thymine, producing 0-6-alkylguanine and 0-4-alkylthymine, respectively. These alkylations
impair the normal hydrogen bonding of the bases, and cause mispairing of C with T and T with G, leading to the transitions G-C A-T
and A-T G-C (Figure 10-8(c)).
Mutagenesis by Intercalating Agents
Acridine orange, proflavine, and acriflavine (Figure 10-9), which are substituted acridines, are planar, three-ringed molecules whose
dimensions are
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Figure 10-9
Structures of two mutagenic acridine derivatives.
roughly the same as those of a purine-pyrimidine pair. In aqueous solutions these substances form stacked arrays, and
are also able to stack with a base-pair by insertion between two base-pairs (a process called intercalation). Since the
thickness of the acridine molecule is approximately that of a base-pair, and because the two bases of the pair are
normally in contact, the intercalation of one acridine molecule causes adjacent base-pairs to move apart by a distance
equal to that of the thickness of one base-pair (Figure 10-10). This can result in insertions or deletions of one base-pair.
According to one proposed model, frameshift mutations can arise spontaneously as a result of ''looping out" of one
strand of a DNA molecule during DNA replication, recombination, or repair. These loops are most likely to occur in
regions of a DNA molecule containing repetitive base sequences capable of forming intrastrand base pairs. Formation of
such a loop in the template strand of a DNA molecule would be expected to result in base deletions, while a similar
process occurring in the newly synthesized daughter strand could lead to base insertions. Intercalating
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Figure 10-10
Proposed mechanism for misalignment mutagenesis generated by intercalation
of an acridine molecule in the replication fork. Acridine is present only in the first round of
replication; the second round serves to produce a true-breeding mutant. The left and right
paths generate a base addition and deletion. The growing daughter strand is shown in red
solid rules and dashes.
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agents have been postulated to induce frameshift mutations by helping to stabilize such DNA loops (Figure 10-10).
Ultraviolet Irradiation
Ultraviolet light is a fairly potent mutagen. The main DNA lesions are two chemically different types of covalent
dimers: cyclobutane-pyrimidine dimers, and (604) pyrimidine dimers (Figure 10-11). The latter only account for 20% of
the total dimers, but are correspondingly more mutagenic. In E. coli the number of mutants induced by ultraviolet light
can be reduced by exposure to visible light (photoreactivation), which implicates cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers since
(6-4) dimers cannot be photoreactivated. Bacterial mutants that lack the ability to carry out SOS repair (lexA- and recAmutants) are not mutagenized by ultraviolet light. These and other experimental results have made it clear that
mutagenesis by UV light is almost exclusively a result of error prone SOS repair. Error-prone repair of pyrimidine
dimers leads to the production of both transitions and transversions. Photoreactivation, SOS repair, and two other repair
systems employed by cells to deal with UV damage are discussed later in this chapter.
Mutagenesis by Insertion of Long Segments of DNA (Transposable Elements)
E. coli, and many other organisms as well, contain mobile DNA segments that are hundreds to thousands of base-pairs
long (called transposable elements). When a transposable element replicates, one replica often remains in the original
insertion site, and the other replica is inserted in another region of the chromosome in a complex process discussed in
Figure 10-11
Structure of a cyclobutylthymine dimer. Following ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, adjacent thymine residues
in a DNA strand are joined by formation of the bond shown in red. Although not drawn to scale, these
bonds are considerably shorter than the spacing between the planes of adjacent thymines, so that the
double-stranded structure becomes distorted. The shape of the thymine ring also changes as the C=C
double bond of each thymine is converted to a CC single bond in each cyclobutyl ring.
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Chapter 14. This process of insertion of a replica at a second site is called transposition. When transposition occurs, the
sequence frequently inserts itself into a bacterial gene, thereby mutating that gene.
Some transposable elements contain sequences for termination of transcription. If such an element inserts between two
genes that are transcribed as a polycistronic mRNA or between the promoter and the first gene, all genes downstream
from the insertion site will not be transcribed. These mutations belong to a class called polar mutations.
Mutator Genes
In E. coli there are genes that, when present in a mutant state, cause mutations to appear very frequently in other genes
throughout the genetic map. These genes are called mutator genes. This is a misnomer, because the function of these
genes is probably to keep the mutation frequency low; only when the product of the mutator gene is itself defective will
there be widespread production of mutations.
Of the many mutator genes that have been observed, four types that yield strong phenotypic effects are:
1. A mutant DNA polymerase that reduces or eliminates the 3 5 exonuclease activity of the editing function.
2. A mutant methylating enzyme (the dam enzyme) responsible for methylation of the sequences that the mismatch
repair system uses to discriminate parental strands from daughter strands.
3. A mutant enzyme that cannot carry out the excision step of mismatch repair.
4. Mutations in the regulatory circuits that maintain the error-prone SOS repair system in an "off" state.
Key Concept
The "Mutation Variation" Concept

Mutations, which represent changes in the nucleotide sequence of genes, generate the wide-ranging diversity that
characterizes the biological kingdom.
Reversion
So far we have discussed changes from the wild-type to the mutant state. The reverse process, in which the wild-type
phenotype is regained, also occurs; this process is called back mutation, reverse mutation, or, most commonly,
reversion. It may occur spontaneously, or may be induced by
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a variety of mutagenic agents. There are several different ways in which reversion may occur. In some cases, the back
mutation occurs at the same site as the original mutation and restores the wild-type base sequences. This represents a
"true reversion." In other instances, the wild-type phenotype is restored as a result of a second mutation occurring at a
different site. Such an event may be thought of as a "pseudoreversion," and mutations of this latter type are described as
second-site or suppressor mutations. This second site may be situated elsewhere within the same gene (intragenic
suppression) or within a different gene (intergenic suppression). We will first consider the intragenic type of revertants.
Intragenic Revertants
Let's consider a hypothetical protein containing 97 amino acids whose structure is determined entirely by an ionic
interaction between a positively-charged (+) amino acid at position 18 and a negative one (-) at position 64 (Figure 1012). If the (+) amino acid is replaced by a (-) amino acid, the protein is clearly inactive. Three kinds of reversion or
suppression events would restore activity (Figure 10-12(a)):
1. The original (+) amino acid could be put back, either as a result of restoration of the identical base sequence or,
because the genetic code is redundant, by substitution of a base sequence that codes for the same amino acid.
2. A different (+) amino acid could be put in position 18.
3. The (-) amino acid at position 64 could be replaced by a (+) amino acid; this second mutation would restore the
activity of the protein. A possibility that would not generally work, but which might work in a specific case, is to insert
a (+) amino acid at position 17 or 19.
Figure 10-12(b) shows another more complicated example of an intragenic reversion. In this case the structure of a
protein is maintained by a hydrophobic interaction. The replacement of an amino acid with a small side chain by a bulky
phenylalanine changes the shape of that region of the protein. A second amino acid substitution providing space for the
phenylalanine might restore the protein structure.
The analysis of second-site amino acid substitutions has been an important aid in determining the three-dimensional
structure of proteins because the following rule is always obeyed: If a substitution of amino acid A by amino acid X,
which creates a mutant, is compensated for by a substitution of amino acid B by amino acid Y, then A and B are either
three-dimensional neighbors, or both are contained in two interacting regions.
Revertants of frameshift mutations usually occur at a second site. It is of course possible that a particular added base
could be removed or a particular deleted base could be replaced by a spontaneous event, but this
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Figure 10-12
Several mechanisms of reversion. In panel (a) the charge of one amino acid is changed, and the protein loses
activity. The activity is returned by (I), restoring the original amino acid, or (II) by replacing the (-) amino acid by
another (+) amino acid, or (III) by reversing the charge of the original (-) amino acid. In each case the attraction
of opposite charges is restored. In panel (b) the structure of the protein is determined by interactions between
six hydrophobic amino acids. Activity is lost when the small circular amino acid is replaced by the bulky
hexagonal one, and is restored when space is made by replacing the convex amino acid with the small rectangle.
would not occur very often. Second-site reversion of a frameshift mutation has two requirements, illustrated in Figure 10-13:
1. The reverting event must be very near the original site of mutation, so that very few amino acids are altered between the two
sites.
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Figure 10-13
Reversion by base deletion from an acridine-induced, base-addition mutant.
2. The segment of the polypeptide chain in which both changes occur must be able to withstand substantial alteration.
Intergenic Suppression
Intergenic suppression refers to a mutational change that eliminates or suppresses the mutant phenotype. One type,
which occurs when two proteins interact, is a mutation in the binding site of a protein A that prevents the protein from
interacting with protein B. A second mutation, in the binding site of protein B, alters this binding site so that the mutant
protein B can bind to the mutant protein A. As a result, the interaction between the two proteins is restored. The
occurrence of intergenic suppression of this kind is an important indicator of the interaction between two proteins and is
a splendid example of a genetic result giving information about molecular structure.
A second type of intergenic suppression has the remarkable property that the second-site mutation not only eliminates
the effect of the original mutation, but also suppresses mutations in many other genes as well. This type of suppression,
which is produced by mutations in certain tRNA molecules and aminoacyl tRNA synthetases, can be seen most clearly
when suppression of chain termination mutations is examined.
Chain termination mutations (also called nonsense mutations) are common, for they can arise in many ways. For
example, a single-base change in any of the codons AAG, CAG, GAG, UCG, UUG, UGG, UAC, and UAU can give
rise to the chain termination codon UAG. If such a mutation occurs within a gene, a mutant protein with little or no
function will result, because no normal tRNA molecule exists whose anticodon is complementary to UAG. Only a
fragment of the wild-type protein is produced, and this usually fails to function unless the mutation is very near the
carboxyl terminus of the protein.
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In certain bacterial strains the presence of a chain termination mutation is not sufficient to stop polypeptide synthesis.
For example, a phage may have acquired a UAG codon in a gene encoding a critical protein. When the phage infects
most host bacteria, no phage progeny will be produced. In a particular bacterial strain, however, the mutant phage may
grow normally, indicating that the mutation is made silent by some element in the bacterium. Such a bacterium is said to
be able to suppress the mutation and to contain a suppressor.A bacterium able to suppress a particular type of chain
termination mutationin the example a UAG codonis usually able to do so with a large number of mutations in that class,
whether the mutation is in a phage or in the bacterium itself. In general, other types of chain termination mutations, for
example, UGA will not be suppressed. The explanation for this phenomenon is that the bacterium (called a suppressor
mutant ) contains an altered tRNA molecule that can respond to a particular stop codon. For UAG, the altered tRNA
might contain the anticodon CUA, which can pair with that codon. Such a tRNA molecule is called a suppressor tRNA
(or a nonsense suppressor tRNA), and the mutation on which it can act is said to be suppressor-sen-sitive.
What has been mutated in the production of a suppressor tRNA? Clearly it must be a normal tRNA gene. Therefore, in
the example just given, a tRNALys molecule whose anticodon is CUU has been altered to have an anticodon CUA,
which can hydrogen-bond to the codon UAG.
Inasmuch as a single base change is sufficient to alter the complementarity of an anticodon and a codon, there are (at
most) eight tRNA molecules having a complementary anticodon that, with a single changed base, will also suppress a
UAG codon. The following amino acids (whose codons are also indicated) thus can be put in the site of a chain
termination codon: Lys (AAG), Gln (CAG), Glu (GAG), Ser (UCG), Trp (UGG), Leu (UUG), and Tyr (UAC and
UAU). Note that these are the same amino acid codons that can be altered by mutation to form a UAG site. Suppressors
also exist for chain-termination mutants of the UAA and UGA types. These too are mutant tRNA molecules whose
anticodons are altered by a single-base change.
In conventional notation, suppressors are given the genetic symbolsupfollowed by a number (or occasionally a letter)
that distinguishes one suppressor from another. A cell lacking a suppressor is designated sup0and sup.
Several features of nonsense suppressors should be recognized:
1. Not every UAG suppressor can restore a functional protein by suppressing each UAG chain termination codon. Thus,
a UAG codon produced by mutating the leucine UUG codon might be suppressed by a suppressor tRNA that inserts
tyrosine, serine, or tryptophan, but might not be able to tolerate a substitution by the electrically charged amino acids
lysine, glutamine, or glutamic acid.
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2. Suppression may be incomplete in that the activity of the suppressed mutant protein may not be as great as that of the
wild-type protein, and the stop codon may not always be read as a sense codon.
3. A cell can survive the presence of a suppressor only if the cell also contains two or more copies of the tRNA gene.
Clearly, if a tRNASer molecule that reads the UCG codon is mutated, then the UCG codon can no longer be read as a
sense codon. This will lead to chain termination wherever UCG occurs, and a cell harboring such a mutant tRNA
molecule will fail to complete virtually every protein made by the cell. In any living cell containing a suppressor tRNA,
therefore, there must always be an additional copy of a wild-type tRNA that can function in normal translation.
If a cell contains a UAG suppressor, the proteins terminated by a single UAG codon will not be terminated, and the
existence of a suppressor tRNA should be lethal. There are two ways that this problem can be avoided:
1. Protein factors active in termination (see Chapter 9) respond to chain-termination codons even though a tRNA
molecule that recognizes the codon is present; i.e., suppression is weak.
2. Normal chain termination often uses pairs of distinct termination codons such as the sequence UAG-UAA. The
existence of a UAG suppressor thus would not prevent termination of a double-terminated protein.
Suppression of missense mutations also occurs. For example, a protein in which valine (nonpolar) has been mutated to
aspartic acid (polar), resulting in loss of activity, is restored to the wild-type phenotype by a missense suppressor that
substitutes alanine (nonpolar) for aspartic acid. Such a mutation can occur in three ways: (1) a mutant tRNA molecule
may recognize two codons, possibly by a change in the anticodon loop; (2) a mutant tRNA can be recognized by a
noncognate aminoacyi tRNA synthetase and be misacylated; and (3) a mutant synthetase can charge a noncognate
tRNA molecule. Examples of each type of suppression are known. Suppression of missense mutations is necessarily
inefficient. If a suppressor that substitutes alanine for aspartic add worked with, say, 20% efficiency, then in virtually
every protein molecule synthesized by the cell,at least one aspartic acid would be replaced, and the cell could not
possibly survive. The usual frequency of missense suppression is about 1%.
Reversion as a Means of Detecting Mutagens and Carcinogens
In view of the increased number of chemicals present as environmental contaminants and because many cancer-causing
agents (carcinogens) are
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also mutagens, tests for the mutagenicity of these substances have become important. One simple method for screening
large numbers of substances for mutagenicity is a reversion test using nutritional mutants of bacteria. In the simplest
reversion test, known numbers of a mutant bacterium are plated on growth medium containing a potential mutagen, and
the number of revertant colonies that arise is counted. If the substance is a mutagen, the number of colonies will be
greater than that obtained in the absence of the mutagen. However, such simple tests fail to demonstrate the
mutagenicity of many carcinogens. These substances are not directly mutagenic (or carcinogenic), but are converted to
actively mutagenic compounds by enzymatic reactions that occur in the livers of mammals, and which have no
counterpart in bacteria. The normal function of these enzymes is to protect the organism from various noxious
substances that occur naturally, by enzymatically converting them to nontoxic substances. However, when the enzymes
encounter certain man-made and natural compounds, they convert these substances (which may not be themselves
directly harmful) to mutagens or carcinogens. The enzymes are contained in the microsomal fraction of liver cells.
Addition of the microsomal fraction to the bacterial growth medium allows these substances to undergo enzymatic
"activation," and enables researchers to determine their mutagenicity under conditions more closely resembling those
found in the liver. This is the basis of the Ames test for potential carcinogens.
In the Ames test, histidine-requiring (His) mutants of the bacterium Salmonella typhimurium, which contain either a
base substitution or a frameshift mutation, are used to test for reversion to His+. The frequency of spontaneous His+
revertants is low in this mutant, but mutants are readily produced in one or both of these mutants by most known
mutagens. Solid medium is prepared containing a very small amount of histidine, sufficient to initiate the growth of
individual cells, but not enough to support colony formation. Minimal histidine is necessary because many mutagenic
agents act only on cells that are actively involved in DNA replication, and two rounds of DNA replication and cell
division are often required for the new mutant phenotype to be expressed. A small amount of rat liver extract and about
108 His mutants are spread on each plate. Then the substance to be tested is applied to one set of plates (Group A =
experimental group), while distilled water is applied to the plates in the control group (Group B), which lacks the
carcinogen. The number of colonies appearing on the plates in Group B (control) is usually about 5 to 10 (these are the
spontaneous revertants). When a known mutagen is present, more colonies will be present on the plates in Group A. The
number of colonies on the Group A plates depends upon the concentration of the substance being tested and, for a
known mutagen, correlates roughly with its known effectiveness as a mutagen (and hence, as a potential carcinogen).
The Ames test has not been used with thousands of substances andn mixtures (industrial chemical, food additives,
pesticides, hair dyes, and the
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like) and numerous unsuspected substances have been found to stimulate reversion in this test. This does not mean that
the substance is definitely a carcinogen, but only that it has a high probability of being so. As a result of these tests,
many industries have reformulated their products to render them nonmutagenic. Ultimate proof of carcinogenicity is
determined by testing for tumor formation in laboratory animals. The Ames test and several other microbiological tests
are used to reduce the number of substances that need to be tested in animals, since to date, only a few percent of the
more than 300 substances known to be carcinogens from animal experiments have failed to increase the reversion
frequency in the Ames test.
DNA Repair Mechanisms
We have already considered a few of the ways in which cells maintain the integrity of their genetic information.
Misincorporated bases may be detected and removed by the editing function of DNA polymerase. Those which escape
correction during proofreading may later be recognized and removed by the mismatch repair system (see Figure 10-3).
Spontaneous depurinations and deaminations may be corrected by actions of the AP endonucleases and/or the uracil-Nglycosylases, working in conjunction with DNA polymerase and ligase (Figures 10-1 and 10-2). Let us now consider
some of the other ways in which DNA damage can be repaired.
Repair by Direct Reversal
The simplest mechanism for repair of altered bases is to restore them to normal without major surgery on the DNA
molecule. In the case of pyrimidine dimers formed in DNA by ultraviolet light (see Figure 10-11), this reversal can be
accomplished very simply by an enzyme that recognizes and binds to these dimers. This enzyme, called photolyase, is
activated by visible light and cleaves the dimers to yield intact pyrimidines. Photolyase is found in many types of cells,
but operates only on pyrimidine dimers and only when activated by light (300600 nm).
Another example of direct reversal is the methyltransferase (an alkyltransferase) that recognizes 06 methyl guanine in
DNA and removes the offending methyl group by attaching it instead to its own cysteines. The exchange reaction
restores the normal guanine in the DNA, but inactivates the enzyme. The importance of this particular repair scheme,
which is used to repair damage caused by alkylating agents such as MMS, is underscored by the fact that an entire
protein molecule is expended for each 06 methyl guanine repaired.
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Excision-Repair
The most ubiquitous repair scheme, and one that can deal with a large variety of structural defects in DNA, is called
excision-repair. This multistep enzymatic process is best understood in E. coli, (in which it was originally discovered).
It is a mechanism by which pyrimidine dimers can be repaired in the DNA without photolyase. The essential steps of
this process, as it occurs in E. coli, are illustrated in Figure 10-14. Variations on this basic ''cut and patch" theme occur
in other organisms. In the first step, incision, a repair endonuclease recognizes the distortion produced by a thymine
dimer (or other bulky lesions) and makes two cuts in the sugar-phosphate backbone, 1213 nucleotides apart, on each
side of the dimer; (one cut is located eight nucleotides to the 5 side, the other four to five nucleotides to the 3' side). In
E. coli, the product of three genes (uvrA, uvrB, and uvrC) act in concert to produce the incisions. In other systems, a
single incision is adequate to initiate the repair sequence. At the incision site illustrated in Figure 10-14, there is a 5-P
group on the side of the cut containing the dimer, and a 3-OH group on the other side. The 3-OH group is recognized
by polymerase I, which can then synthesize a new strand while simultaneously displacing the DNA segment carrying
the thymine dimer. In the final step of the process, ligase joins the newly synthesized segment to the original DNA
strand.
The excision-repair system has been shown to preferentially repair pyrimidine dimers that are located in certain
essential regions of the genome, notably within expressed genes. In genes that are being actively
Figure 10-14
Scheme for excision-repair of a
thymine dimer by the "cut and patch" mechanism.
The thymine dimer and the repair patch are both shown in red.
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transcribed, the repair is somehow targeted selectively to the strand that is being used as a template for mRNA
synthesis. This special treatment makes sense becuase a pyrimidine dimer poses an absolute block to the process of
transcription, and could kill a cell quite directly if it prevented expression of an essential gene.
In mammalian cells, recall that chromatin structure is much more complex than it is in bacteria such as E. coli. Thus, the
process of excision repair involves many more enzymes. At least a dozen different genes are involved in recognizing
and excising the damaged DNA segment. Individuals who suffer from a rare genetic disorder known as xeroderma
pigmentosum (XP) are extremely sensitive to sunlight and have a tendency to develop skin cancer after very short
exposures to the sun. Recent evidence has shown that xeroderma pigmentosum can result from a mutation in any one of
seven different genes involved in various steps in the human excision-repair process. Cells from XP patients are
sensitive to UV light and have a reduced ability to remove thymine dimers from their DNA. Another known genetic
disease, Cockayne's syndrome, also is characterized by sensitivity to ultraviolet light, but without the tendency to
develop skin cancer. Its victims do suffer from a variety of other problems, including neurological and developmental
abnormalities. It now appears that some of the genes involved in the excision-repair pathway may play a dual role. In
fact, one of the proteins involved in the unwinding of the damaged segment of DNA (the XPB gene product, which
functions as a helicase) also functions as a component of a crucial transcription factor (TFIIH), which is involved in
regulating the activity of all protein-encoding genes. This could explain the observation that the defect in Cockayne's
syndrome affects the preferential repair of expressed genes, as discussed above.
Recombinational Repair
The excision repair systems just described are responsible for the removal of many thymine dimers and other lesions.
However, before sufficient time has elapsed for their repair, many dimers have interfered with various cellular
processes. The deleterious effects of some of the remaining dimers are eliminated by recombinational repair, which is
carried out by the system responsible for genetic recombination.
In order to discuss the mechanism of recombinational repair, it is necessary to know the effect of a thymine dimer on
DNA replication. When polymerase III reaches a thymine dimer, the replication fork fails to advance. A thymine dimer
is still capable of forming hydrogen bonds with two adenines because the chemical change in dimerization does not
alter the groups that engage in hydrogen-bonding. However, the dimer introduces a distortion into the helix, and when
an adenine is added to the growing chain, polymerase III reacts to the distorted region as if a
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mispaired base had been added; the editing function then removes the adenine. The cycle begins againan adenine is added and
then it is removed; the net result is that the polymerase is stalled at the site of the dimer. (The same effect would occur if,
instead of a dimer, radiation or chemical damage resulted in the formation of a base with which no nucleoside triphosphate
could base-pair.) Evidence that such a phenomenon occurs after ultraviolet irradiation is the existence of an ultraviolet-lightinduced idling processthat is, rapid cleavage of deoxynucleoside triphosphates to monophosphates without any net DNA
synthesis (i.e., without advance of the replication fork). A cell in which DNA synthesis is permanently stalled cannot complete
a round of replication, and does not divide.
There are basically two different ways in which DNA synthesis can get going againpostdimer initiation and transdimer
synthesis.
One way a cell could deal with a thymine dimer is to pass it by and reinitiate chain growth beyond the block, perhaps at the
starting point for the next Okazaki fragment (Figure 10-15). The result of this process is that the daughter strands would have
large gaps, one for each unexcised thymine dimer. There is no way to produce viable daughter cells by continued replication
alone, because the strands having the thymine dimers would continue to turn out gapped daughter strands, and the first set of
gapped daughter strands would be fragmented when the growing fork enters a gap. However, by a recombination mechanism
known as sisterstrand exchange proper double-stranded DNA molecules can be produced.
The essential idea in sister-strand exchange is that a single-stranded segment free of any defects is excised from a "good" strand
on the homologous DNA segment and inserted into the gap created by the bypassing of the thymine dimer during replication
(Figure 10-16). This recombinational event requires the RecA protein. The gap created in the donor molecule by excision of the
"patch" is then repaired by polymerase I and ligase. If this exchange and gap-filling are done for each thymine dimer, two
complete daughter strands can be formed, and each can serve in the next round of replication as a template for synthesis of
normal DNA molecules. Note that the system fails if two thymine dimers in opposite strands are very near to one another
because then no undamaged sister-strand segments are available to be excised. Many of the molecular details of
recombinational repair are not yet known, so the model shown in Figure 10-16 must be considered to be a working hypothesis
reflecting our present state of knowledge.
Figure 10-15
Blockage of replication by thymine dimers (represented by joined lines) followed by re-starts several bases
beyond the dimer. The black region is a segment of ultraviolet-light-irradiated parent DNA. The red region
represents synthesis of a daughter molecule from right to left. The daughter strand contains gaps.
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(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Figure 10-16
Recombinational bypass.
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(a) A Molecule containing a thymine dimer (red box)

in strand a is being replicated.
(b) Replication is blocked at the site of the dimer, leaving
a gap because an Okazaki fragment can not be completed.
(c) That gap is filled by a sister-strand recombination event
in which a segment of the parent strand d is utilized. That
now leaves a gap in strand d.
(d) The daughter strand c can serve as a template for repair
DNA synthesis to fill the gap in strand d. DNA synthesized
after irradiation is shown in red. Heavy and thin lines are used
only to identify strands of the same polarity.
Recombinational repair is an important mechanism because it eliminates the necessity for delaying replication for the
many hours that would be needed for excision repair to remove all thymine dimers. It may also be the case that some
kinds of damage cannot be removed by excision repairfor example, alterations that do not cause helix distortion but do
stop DNA synthesis.
Since recombinational repair occurs after DNA replication, in contrast with excision repair, it is often called
postreplicational repair. It should be noted, however, that what is repaired is the gap in the daughter strand, rather than
the thymine dimer.
In spite of the evidence that thymine dimers and other helix-distorting lesions block the progression of DNA
polymerase, it is clear that most types of cells, including mammalian cells, can tolerate large numbers of persisting
lesions without resorting to recombinational strand exchange. Somehow replication is able to overcome the lesions,
albeit with an expected high error rate at those noncoding sites.
The SOS Response
While most DNA repair mechanisms are constitutive (i.e., active all the time) a few are activated in response to some
signal such as a blocked replication fork. Most notable is the SOS response system, characterized in E. coli as a
complex regulatory scheme in which the products of two genes, recA and lexA, govern the expression of a number of
other genes involved in DNA repair (Figure 10-17). Some of these genes (uvrA and uvrB) are involved in excision
repair, while others like umuC and umuD seem to be required to help replication bypass the offending lesion. In order to
continue DNA replication across a region containing a thymine dimer, the editing function of polymerase III must be
relaxed; otherwise the helical distortion caused by the dimer would trigger pol III's
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Figure 10-17
is not activated and thus does
The SOS response. In uninduced cells the RecA protein
not facilitate self-proteolysis of the LexA protein . The LexA protein functions as a
represser, turning off transcription of many different genes, including the recA gene and
the lexA gene itself (i.e., it is autoregulatory). DNA-damaging agents induce the SOS
response by activating RecA protein to RecA
which facilitates the self-cleavage
and several other proteins including the repressor. After LexA

of LexA protein
protein is cleaved, it cannot function as a represser, resulting in transcription of all of the
genes regulated by the LexA protein. As the SOS genes repair the DNA damage, RecA* returns
to RecA, LexA is no longer cleaved, and accumulation of LexA represses the SOS genes.
3prime; 5 proofreading activity, and the replication fork would become stalled. Relaxation of proofreading is not
without its own inherent hazards. It leads to error-prone DNA replication, and results in a higher-than-normal level of
mutagenesis. Because this is detrimental to the cell, expression of the genes involved in the SOS response must be
carefully regulated in order to maintain the fidelity of DNA replication under normal circumstances. In the presence of
certain types of potentially-lethal DNA damage, the system is switched "on" as a last-ditch effort to allow the cell to
survive; (hence the name "SOS" response). The enhanced mutagenesis
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that results may be seen as a benefit in that it may result in progeny that, through mutation, are better adapted to live in
the noxious environment that led to the induction of the SOS system.
The genes of the SOS response are ordinarily maintained in an "off" state. This is accomplished by the lexA gene
product, the LexA represser,
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which binds to an operator sequence near each gene and prevents its transcription. The LexA repressor even represses
its own expression, so that only small amounts of this protein are synthesized routinely. (Regulation of gene expression
in prokaryotes will be discussed in greater detail in Chapter 11.) The RecA protein plays two different, complementary
roles in the SOS response. First, it inhibits the editing function of DNA polymerase III. It binds to the distorted region
of the DNA molecule containing the dimer; when pol III encounters this region, the RecA protein interacts with the
polymerase subunit involved in proofreading. This results in inhibition of pol Ill's editing function and allows the
replication to proceed.
Binding of the RecA protein to the single-stranded DNA also has a second effect: it causes a conformational change in
the RecA protein ( RecA*). This activated form of the RecA* protein interacts with the LexA repressor protein,
stimulating the LexA repressor to inactivate itself by proteolytic cleavage. With the repressor inactivated, all of the
genes involved in the SOS response can be expressed, and the enzymes required for DNA repair are synthesized.
(Although this also leads to high levels of expression of the lexA gene, the repressor will continue to be cleaved as long
as the activated RecA is present.) Eventually, DNA repair will be completed and the RecA protein will once again lose
its proteolytic activity. This will allow LexA repressor levels to increase, shutting off the expression of the genes
involved in the SOS response, and allowing pol III to resume normal proofreading.
The first evidence for the SOS system was obtained 25 years before the mechanism began to be understood. The
experiment, illustrated in Figure 10-18, involved an analysis of the survival of UV-irradiated bacteriophage plated on
E. coli. The survival of the UV-irradiated phage was markedly enhanced if the bacterial host had also been irradiated
with a low UV dose. However, in that case, a much higher percentage of mutants were obtained among the surviving
phages. This phenomenon (termed UV reactivation) is now understood in terms of the SOS system. The low
Figure 10-18
UV reactivation of ultraviolet-light-irradiated phage .
The dashed line shows the survival curve (for
plaque-forming ability) obtained when phage
irradiated with various doses of ultraviolet light
are plated on unirradiated bacteria. The solid line
represents survival of plaque-forming ability, when
ultraviolet-light irradiated are plated on lightly
irradiated bacteria.
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UV dose to the bacteria activates the SOS error-prone replication of the damaged phage. (As you recall, bacteriophages
are dependent upon host enzymes for bacteriophage DNA replication.)
There are examples of inducible cellular responses to other types of environmental stress, such as heat shock, oxidative
DNA damage, or agents that produce 06 methyl guanine. In the latter case, there is an adaptive response in E. coli that
increases the level of the methyltransferase enzyme 100-fold when the cells are "conditioned" by growth in the presence
of agents that produce this lesion.
Key Concept
The "DNA Repair" Concept

Despite the inherent chemical stability of ds DNA, from time to time it sustains damage, and hence its continual repair
is necessary for cells to function properly.
Future Practical Applications?
Mutagenesis Research
Mutations in one particular gene, the gene that codes for p53 (a 53,000 dalton molecular weight protein) are believed to
be responsible for almost 50% of all human cancers.
More than 90% of the mutations in that gene are missense mutations that change the identity of an amino acid. Those
amino acid changes are usually in a hydrophobic region of the protein, and are believed to alter the 3-D conformation of
the protein.
The normal, wild type version of p53 is thought to interact with specific genes, controlling their transcription, and
thereby indirectly suppressing the formation and growth of tumors.
Cancer researchers are looking forward to answering several questions about the molecular biology of p53, including
the following: Which carcinogens are most active in mutating the p53 gene? How does the p53 protein act to suppress
tumor growth? Which drug therapy strategies might be successful in causing the mutated p53 protein to revert back to
its wild type conformation? Answers to those questions will likely advance clinical treatment of a variety of cancers.
DNA Repair Research
Defects in DNA repair systems have been implicated as a cause of hereditary colorectal cancer, a relatively common
genetic disease. Mutations in the genes that code for mismatch repair mechanisms (Figure 10-1) have
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been discovered. Those mutations correlate with the development of colon cancer in patients who harbor them. Thus, in
the absence of a robust proofreading system, mismatched base-pairs are not corrected. Mutations therefore eventually
accumulate in other genes, including some which regulate the cell-division process. Once a "cell-division regulator"
gene is mutated, it is likely that a tumor will grow in the affected tissue such as the colon.
Now that such "repair genes" have been recognized it should be possible to devise screening tests so that individuals
who are at risk for developing colon cancer can be identified.
Summary
Mutagenesis is the process by which mutations (changes in base sequence of a DNA molecule) are created. An
organism carrying a mutation is called a mutant. A base substitution is a change in a single nucleotide, and can be a
missense mutation (causing the change of a single amino acid) or a nonsense mutation (causing protein-synthesis
termination). Base substitutions may be either transitions, e.g., Py-Pu to Py-Pu, or transversions, e.g., Py-Pu to Pu-Py. A
frameshift mutation is an addition or loss of a nucleotide causing an alteration of the reading frame. A silent mutation
causes no change in the phenotype. The phenotype of a conditional mutant is seen only under certain conditions.
Mutations may be spontaneous (due to uncorrected replication errors or natural changes), or induced by a chemical or
physical mutagen. Base-analogue mutagens are incorporated into DNA via normal base-pairing interactions during
DNA replication, but in future rounds of replication they form incorrect base-pairs, leading to a mutation. Chemical
mutagens alter existing bases in DNA, changing their base-pairing properties or leading to error-prone DNA replication.
Ultraviolet radiation can also induce error-prone replication. Intercalating agents insert between adjacent base-pairs in
DNA and cause frameshift mutations during DNA replication. Mutations can also be caused by transposable elements
that insert into genes, or by mutator genes that, if mutated, lead to mutation in other genes. Mutational hot spots are
highly mutable regions of DNA. Reversion or suppression is the process by which a mutant phenotype is returned to
wild-type, and may occur by a change at another site in the same gene (intragenic) or in a different gene (intergenic).
The Ames test uses reversion to test for the possible mutagenic effects of chemical compounds.
Processes exist to repair the various DNA alterations that may occur in living organisms. Mismatch repair is used to
replace an incorrect base that was not corrected by proofreading. This repair system recognizes a pair of non-hydrogenbonded bases, excises the one that is incorrect, and
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replaces it with the proper base. A pathway involving the enzyme uracil-N-glycosylase is responsible for repair of
cytosine deamination. Four mechanisms exist for the repair of thymine dimers. Photolyase is an enzyme that cleaves the
cyclobutyl ring of the dimer when activated by visible light. The excision repair system makes a cut in the backbone on
either side of the dimer, allowing the displacement and subsequent replacement of the portion of the strand containing
the dimer. Recombinational repair involves postdimer reinitiation of DNA synthesis and sister-strand exchange, and
prevents long delays of replication. The SOS response system also prevents delay of replication; this system allows for
transdimer synthesisat the expense of a higher rate of base misincorporation by the replication enzymes.
Drill Questions
1. In what two ways does 5-bromouracil (BU) function as a mutagen? What type of mutations would occur from its use?
2. Several hundred independent missense mutants, altered in the A protein of tryptophan synthetase, have been
collected. Originally, it was hoped that at least one mutant for each of the 186 amino-acid positions in the protein would
be found. However, fewer than 30 of the positions were represented with one or more mutants. Suggest some
possibilities to explain why this set of missense mutants was so limited.
3. Since nonsense suppressors are mutant tRNA molecules, how does the cell survive loss of a needed tRNA by such a
mutation?
4. Suppose a hypothetical enzyme contains 156 amino acids. (This number has no significance in the problem.) Assume
amino acid 28, which is glutamic acid, is replaced in a mutant by asparagine and as a result, all enzymic activity is lost.
Suppose in this mutant protein, amino acid 76, which is asparagine, is replaced by glutamic acid and full activity of the
enzyme is restored. What can you say about amino acids 28 and 76 in the normal protein?
5. Two DNA alterations occur so frequently that they are considered to be the weak points of a DNA molecule. What
are these two changes?
6. Uvr+ bacteria possess the excision-repair system. The ability of ultraviolet-irradiated T4 phage to form plaques is the
same on both Uvr+ and Uvr- bacteria. How might you explain this fact?
7. Which of the enzymes listed below is involved in repair of both thymine dimers and deaminate cytosine in E. coli?
(a) DNA polymerase III
(b) Photolyase
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(c) Uracil N-glycosylase

(d) DNA polymerase I
(e) AP endonuclease
Problems
1. Which of the following amino acid substitutions would probably yield a mutant phenotype? Explain your reasoning.
(a) Pro to His
(b) Lys to Arg
(c) Ile to Thr
(d) Ile to Val
(e) Ala to Gly
(f) Phe to Leu
(g) Try to His
(h) Arg to Ser
2. Consider a bacterial gene containing 1,000 base-pairs. As a result of treatment of a bacterial culture with a mutagen,
mutations in this gene are recovered at a frequency of one mutant per 105 cells. One of these mutants is grown, and a
pure culture of this mutant is obtained. This culture is then treated with the same mutagen and revertants are found at a
frequency of one-per-105 cells. Would you expect the gene product obtained from the revertant to have the same amino
acid sequence as the wild-type cell? Explain.
3. A particular mutant shows absolutely no activity. Despite an exhausting search for revertants by your colleagues,
using such mutagens as 5-bromouracil, nitrous acid, and UV light, none is found. What sort of mutation do you think
exists in the original mutant? Why? What mutagen would you use to try to obtain a revertant?
4. A bacterial repair system called X removes thymine dimers. You have in your bacterial collection the wild-type (X+)
and an X- mutant. Phage, when ultraviolet-irradiated and then plated, gives a larger number of plaques on X+ than on
X- bacteria. It has been proposed on the basis of survival curve analysis that the X enzyme is inducible. To test this
proposal, UV-irradiated phage are adsorbed to both X+ and X- bacteria in the presence of the antibiotic
chloramphenicol (which inhibits protein synthesis). No thymine dimers are removed in the X+ cell and 50% are
removed in the X- cell. The same results were obtained in the absence of chloramphenicol.
(a) Is X an inducible system?
(b) Suppose 5% of the thymine dimers had been removed in the
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presence of chloramphenicol and 50% in its absence; how would your conclusion be changed?
1. Consider the effects of life on Earth of the breakdown of the ozone layer (which would allow more UV light to
penetrate to the Earth's surface). What might be the eventual outcome of that situation?
2. Would different types of organismsfor example, bacteria, fruit flies, frogs, and humansbe expected to sustain different
types of DNA damage?
3. How might it be established whether DNA damage-repair mechanisms evolved first to repair replication errors, and
only secondarily, to repair damage from environmental influences; or vice versa?
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PART III
COORDINATION OF MACROMOLECULAR FUNCTION IN CELLS
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Chapter 11
Sankarl . Adhya
Developmental Genetics Division,

National Cancer Institute,
National Institute of Health,
Bethesda, Maryland
University of Calcutta
Graduate Degree:
University of Calcutta,
Ph.D. 1963;
University of Wisconsin,
Ph.D. 1966
Postgraduate Training:
University of Rochester,
19661968;
Stanford University, 19681969
My laboratory studies the control of gene expression during growth and development, with emphasis on structurefunction of regulatory proteins and DNA elements in transducing information from environmental signal to gene
transcription.
Many biologists are curious about evolutionhow we came about. I wonder where our present and constantly exploding
knowledge in molecular biology will take us, say, even 50 years from now. How will it influence our thinking? How
will it be applied to our living? I even feel envy of the biologists of the future when I think about their research, even
though I haven't the slightest idea about what they will be working on.
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1. About the need for regulation of gene expression, and
the differences in positive and negative regulation of
transcription.
2. How mutations led to the understanding of how certain
operons are regulated.
3. How regulation of several specific operons is
accomplished.
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In earlier chapters, we have learned that chromosomal DNA is organized into genes, and how the encoded one-dimensional
information is first transcribed into RNA and then translated into protein, as three-dimensional information. This three-dimensional
information is responsible for all biological processes, essential or auxiliary. However, the behavior of an organism depends not only
on the nature of the proteins that are expressed, but also on the extent to which they are expressed and the environmental conditions
under which this expression occurs. Of course, some housekeeping proteinsproteins which build cell architecture, for examplemust be
made all the time. If all proteins were made all the time, there would not be any variation in the behavior patterns of cells. Remember
that organisms consume large amounts of energy in the processes of transcription and translation. The ability to synthesize materials
only as needed, therefore, would make sense for economy and adaptation. There are devices to insure that proteins are synthesized in
exactly the amounts they are needed and only when they are needed. In general, the synthesis of particular gene products is controlled
by mechanisms
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that are collectively called ''gene regulation." Regulation of gene expression not only exists, but makes cellular
adaptation, variation, differentiation, and development possible.
The regulatory systems of prokaryotes and eukaryotes are somewhat different. Prokaryotes are generally free-living
unicellular organisms that grow and divide indefinitely as long as environmental conditions are suitable and the supply
of nutrients is adequate. Their regulatory systems thus are geared to provide the maximum growth rate in a particular
environment, except when such growth would be detrimental. This strategy also seems to apply to the free-living
unicells such as yeast, algae, and protozoa.
The requirements of tissue-forming eukaryotes are different from those of prokaryotes. In a developing organismfor
example, in an embryoa cell must not only grow and produce many progeny cells, but also must undergo considerable
change in morphology and biochemistry, and then maintain that changed state. Furthermore, during the growth and cell
division phases of the organism these cells are challenged less by the environment than are bacteria, since the
composition of their growth media does not change drastically with time. Some examples of such media are blood,
lymph, other body fluids, or, in the case of marine animals, sea water. Finally, in an adult organism, growth and cell
division in most cell types has stopped, and each cell needs only to maintain itself and its properties. Many other
examples could be given; the main point is that because a typical eukaryotic cell faces different contingencies than a
bacterium, the regulatory mechanisms of eukaryotes and prokaryotes are not the same. In this chapter we consider
regulation in prokaryotes. Eukaryotes are examined in Chapter 13.
Principles of Regulation
Since the best understood regulatory mechanisms are those used by bacteria and bacteriophages, these are the bases of
all important present-day concepts of such regulation. Obviously, gene expression can be regulated by controlling the
synthesis of mRNA or protein. Mechanisms for both exist in prokaryotes. In E. coli, the maximum number of copies of
a protein present depends upon its nature and need. For example, a cell may contain only 20 copies of lac repressor, a
protein described later, but possesses over 100,000 copies of Ef-Tu, a protein factor needed for polypeptide synthesis.
Regulatory signals exist to determine the maximum amount of each protein by controlling the rate of transcription or
translation. E. coli cells have enzymes that give them the capability of using compounds other than glucose for food,
protecting themselves from toxic environments, synthesizing useful compounds only when needed, etc. However, the
enzymes that participate in these adaptive processes are normally absent; they are made only when the need arises. Then
on-off regulatory activities are obtained by allowing synthesis (or translation) of a particular mRNA
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when the gene product is needed, and prohibiting synthesis when the product is not needed.
Key Concept
The "Regulation" Concept

A multitude of regulatory mechanisms function in cells to ensure that the supply of various macromolecules matches up
with the cell's ever-changing needs.
In bacteria, few examples are known in which a system is completely switched off. In the off state, a basal level of gene
expression almost always remains, often consisting of only one or two transcriptional events per cell generation; hence,
very little synthesis of the gene product occurs. For convenience, when discussing transcription, the term "off" will be
used; but it should be kept in mind that usually levels are very low rather than absent. In only one known case in
bacteria (namely, in spores) is expression of most genes totally turned off. In eukaryotes complete turning off of a gene
is quite prevalent.
In bacterial systems, when several enzymes act in sequence in a single metabolic pathway, usually either all or none of
these enzymes are produced. This phenomenon, coordinate regulation, results from control of the synthesis of a single
polycistronic mRNA molecule that encodes all of the gene products. This type of regulation does not occur in
eukaryotes, because eukaryotic mRNA is usually monocistronic, as discussed in Chapter 8.
Transcriptional Regulation
Several mechanisms for regulation of transcription are common; the particular one used often depends on whether the
enzymes being regulated act in degradative or synthetic metabolic pathways. That is, does the action of the enzymes in
question break down a substance into a more useful compound (degradative), or is the desired molecule being
"built" (synthetic)? In a multistep degradative system, the availability of the molecule to be degraded frequently
determines whether or not the enzymes involved in the pathway will be synthesized. In contrast, in a biosynthetic
pathway the final product is often the regulatory molecule. The molecular mechanisms for each of the two regulatory
patterns vary widely, but usually fall into one of two major categoriesnegative or positive regulation (Figure 11-1).
In negatively-regulated systems, a specific protein (called a repressor protein) that inhibits transcription of a specific
gene (or genes) may be present in the cell. In some cases the repressor alone acts to prevent transcription, and a
molecule (called an inducer) which is an antagonist of the repressor is needed to allow transcription. In other instances
of negative regulation, the repressor on its own does not inhibit transcrip-
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Figure 11-1
The distinction between negative and positive regulation. In negative regulation
an inhibitor, bound to the DNA, must be removed before transcription can
occur. In positive regulation an activator molecule must bind to the DNA.
A system may also be regulated both positively and negatively; then, the system
is "on" when the positive regulator is bound to the DNA and the negative
regulator is not bound to the DNA.
tionit does so only when complexed with a specific signal molecule. In a positively regulated system, a protein called an
activator works to increase the frequency of transcription of an operon. To be effective inducers, some activator
molecules must first associate with a signal molecule. Keep in mind that the terms positive or negative, when applied to
regulation, refer to the action of a protein that can bind to the gene's regulatory region. If, when bound, this protein
allows transcription, the system is said to be positively regulated. On the other hand, if the bound protein prevents
transcription, the system is considered to be negatively regulated.
Repressors and activators are not mutually exclusive in their action and nature. Some systems are both positively and
negatively regulated; such a system can respond with a high degree of sensitivity to different conditions in the cell. In
addition, systems exist in which the same regulatory protein acts as a repressor under one set of circumstances, and as
an activator under another.
A degradative system may be regulated either positively or negatively. In a biosynthetic pathway, the final product
usually negatively regulates its own synthesis; in the simplest type of negative regulation, the absence of the product
results in an increase in its synthesis, and the presence of the product decreases its synthesis.
In both prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems, enzyme activity rather than enzyme synthesis may also be regulated. That
is, the enzyme may be present, but its activity is turned on or off. When this occurs, the product of the enzymatic
reaction (or in the case of a biosynthetic pathway, the final product of a sequence of reactions) usually inhibits the
enzyme activity. This mode of regulation is called feedback inhibition. Small molecules other than reaction products are
also frequently used either to activate or inhibit a particular enzyme. Such a molecule is termed an allosteric effector
molecule, and will be described later in this chapter.
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The E. Coli Lactose System and the Operon Model

In E. coli two proteins are necessary for the metabolism of lactosethe enzyme b-galactosidase (which cleaves lactose to
yield galactose and glucose), and a transport protein called lactose permease (required for the entry of lactose into a
cell). The existence of two different proteins in the lactose-utilization system was first shown by a combination of
genetic experiments and biochemical analysis.
In order to carry out genetic experiments involving bacteria, it is often essential to introduce a second copy of the gene
of interest into the bacterial cell. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is by means of a plasmid, a small, circular
double-stranded DNA molecule capable of independent replication within the cell. Some plasmids such as the F
plasmids (F plasmids are discussed in detail in Chapter 14) can also become integrated into the bacterial chromosome
and replicate along with the bacterial DNA. As well, many bacterial cells are capable of transferring a copy of a plasmid
to another bacterium that lacks a plasmid. Occasionally, the plasmid that is transferred had earlier acquired additional
genes originally found on a bacterial chromosome.
Those genetic features have been exploited by microbial geneticists to understand many aspects of gene function. For
example, if a bacterium containing an F plasmid transfers a copy of its plasmid to a new bacterium, the recipient will
then possess two copies of certain bacterial genesthe original copy present on its chromosome, plus a second copy
carried by the F plasmid. Such cells are referred to as partial diploids (Figure 11-2), and have been very informative as
will be detailed shortly.
First, hundreds of mutants unable to use lactose as a carbon source (Lac- mutants) were isolated. Some of the mutations
were in the E. coli chromosome itself, and others were in a second copy of the lactose utilization genes carried on the F
lac plasmid. A bacterial cell lacking an F plasmid was "mated" with one containing an F plasmid. The partial diploid
cell which resulted contained two copies of the lactose utilization genesone on the bacterial chromosome and the other
on the plasmid. For example: If the bacterial plasmid was lac+ (i.e., carried the genes necessary for lactose metabolism)
and the bacterial chromosome was lac- (unable to use lactose as a carbon source), we would write the genotype of the
partial diploid cell as F lac+/lac-. (By convention, the genotype of
Figure 11-2
Bacterial cell containing two copies
of the lac operon genes: one on the
chromosome and one on the F plasmid. In Table
11-1 the plasmid genes are printed in red.
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the plasmid is to the left of the diagonal line, and the chromosome to the right.)
As long as one complete set of lactose utilization genes is present within the cell (either on the plasmid or on the
chromosome) these diploids always exhibit a lac+ phenotype (i.e., they make both permease and galactosidase). Other
partial diploids were then constructed in which both the F lac plasmid and the chromosome carried lac- genes (i.e.,
neither by itself contained all of the genetic information necessary for the cell to metabolize lactose). When these partial
diploids were tested for the Lac+ phenotype, it was found that some were now able to utilize lactose, while others were
not. All of the Lac- mutants initially isolated fell into two groups: those having a mutation in the lacZ gene, and those
with a defect in the lacY region.
The partial diploids F lacY- lacZ+/lacY+ lacZ-, and F lacY+ lacZ-/lacY- lacZ+, had a Lac+ phenotype (producing both
-galactosidase and permease), but the genotypes F lacY- lacZ+/lacY- lacZ+, and F lacY+ lacZ-/lacY+ lacZ-, had the
Lac- phenotype. That is, they contained two functional copies of one gene, but lacked a functional copy of the other.
The existence of two groups was good evidence that the lac system consisted of at least two genes (lacY and lacZ), and
that a cell must have a functional copy of each in order to metabolize lactose.
Further experimentation was needed to establish the precise function of each gene. Experiments in which cells were
placed in a medium containing 14C-labeled lactose showed that no lactose would enter a lacY- cell, whereas it readily
entered a lacZ- mutant. Treatment of a lacY- cell with lysozyme (an enzyme that destroys part of the cell wall and
makes it permeable) enabled labeled lactose to enter a lacY- cell, indicating that the product of the lacY gene is involved
with the transport of lactose into the cell through the cell membrane (i.e., lactose permease). Enzymatic assays showed
that -galactosidase is present in lacZ+ cells, but not lacZ+ cells; this provided the initial evidence that the lacZ gene is
the structural gene for -galactosidase. Genetic mapping showed that the lacY and lacZ genes are adjacent. Another
gene called lacA is located next to the lacY gene (Figure 11-3). It codes for a galactoside transacetylase enzyme, whose
physiological role is unknown.
These observations show a very sensitive on-off mechanism that allows
Figure 11-3
Arrangement of genes in the lac operon.
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the production of enzymes involved in lactose metabolism only when the cell needs them; they also provide a classic
example of inducible enzyme synthesis:
1. When a culture of Lac+ E. coli was grown in a medium that contained no lactose (or any other related -galactoside
compound), the intracellular concentrations of -galactosidase and permease were extremely lowpossibly one or two
molecules per bacterium. However, when lactose was present in the growth medium, the number of these molecules
was increased about 105-fold.
2. When lactose was added to a Lac+ culture growing in a lactose-free medium (that also lacks glucose for reasons
which will be discussed later), the synthesis of both -galactosidase and permease began nearly simultaneously, as
shown in Figure 11-4. Analysis of the mRNA present in the cells before and after the addition of lactose showed that no
lac mRNA (the mRNA which codes for -galactosidase and permease) was present prior to the addition of lactose, and
that it was in fact the addition of lactose that triggered the synthesis of lac mRNA.
This kind of analysis is done by growing cells in a radioactive medium in which all newly-synthesized mRNA is
radioactive, isolating the mRNA, and allowing it to renature with previously obtained lac DNA. Since the
Figure 11-4
The "on-off" nature of the lac system. Lac mRNA appears very soon after lactose
is added; -galactosidase and permease appear subsequently because of the time
required for sequential translation. When lactose is removed, no more lac mRNA is
made, and the amount of lac mRNA decreases owing to the usual degradation of
mRNA. Both -galactosidase and permease are stable. Their concentration remains
constant even though no more can be synthesized. A third protein of the lac system,
-galactoside transacetylase, is synthesized coordinately with -galactosidase and
permease. This protein, the product of the A gene, is not involved in lactose metabolism.
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Figure 11-5
Structure of Iso-propylthiogalactoside (IPTG).
only RNA that will anneal to the lac DNA is lac mRNA, the amount of radioactive DNA-RNA hybrid molecules is also
a measure of the amount of lac mRNA. These two observations led to the view that the lactose system is inducible,
regulated at the level of transcription, and that lactose acts as an inducer.
Lactose itself is rarely used in experiments to study the induction phenomenon for a variety of reasonsone is that galactosidase catalyzes the cleavage of lactose, resulting in a continual decrease in lactose concentration. Eventually,
the cell would use up all of the available lactose and the system would be switched off. This complicates the analysis of
many types of experiments (kinetic experiments, for example). Instead of lactose itself, a sulfur-containing analogue
called isopropylthiogalactoside (IPTG) (Figure 11-5) is used; this analogue is an inducer, but not a substrate, of galactosidase. That is, IPTG will "switch on" enzyme synthesis but it will not be metabolized.
Mutants have been isolated in which lac mRNA is made in both the presence and absence of an inducer, indicating that
regulation of the expression of lac genes had been eliminated. Such mutants provided the key to understanding
induction. In these mutants, lac genes were said to be constitutively expressedthat is, they were "on" all the time.
Mutations that lead to constitutive expression are called constitutive mutations. Tests were performed using partial
diploids carrying two constitutive mutations, one on the chromsome and one on a plasmid. These tests showed that the
mutants fall into two groups, termed lacI- and lacOc. The characteristics of the mutants are shown in Table 11-1. As
shown in that table (entry 1), in the absence of an inducer (IPTG in this case) the lacI+ cell fails to make lac mRNA,
whereas this mRNA is made by a lacI- mutant (entry 2) even in the absence of an inducer. Thus, the lacI gene is
apparently a regulator gene whose product is an inhibitor that keeps the system turned off unless an inducer is present.
Entries 3 and 4 show that the presence of a functional lacI gene anywhere in the cell (on the chromosome or on the
plasmid) is sufficient to regulate (i.e., make responsive to an inducer) any lacI- system in the cell, whether it is on the
same DNA molecule or not. The lacI-gene product must therefore be a diffusable entity. Wild-type copies of the lacI
gene are present in a lacI+/lac- partial diploid, so the system is inhibited in the presence of IPTG (it would not be if the
lacI+ gene were not present). The lacI gene product, a protein molecule, is called the Lac repressor. Genetic mapping
experiments place the lacI gene adjacent to the lacZ gene, establishing the gene order lacI, lacZ, lacY. How the
repressor prevents synthesis of lac mRNA will be explained shortly.K
The Oc mutations have properties different from the lacI- mutations. Mapping experiments show them to be located in a
very small segment between the lacI and lacZ genes. A significant characteristic of lacOc mutations that was found by
examining the partial diploids shown in entries 6 and 7 is that -galactosidase is synthesized constitutively in an OclacZ
+/O+lacZ- cell, but is made in an OclacZ-/O+lacZ+ cell only when an
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TABLE 11-1 CHARACTERISTICS OF PARTIAL DIPLOIDS HAVING COMBINATIONS OF lacI

AND lacO GENES. PLASMID GENES ARE SHOWN IN RED.
GENOTYPE
lacZ EXPRESSION
INDUCER ABSENT
(WITHOUT IPTG)
INDUCER PRESENT
(WITH IPTG)
PHENOTYPE
1. I+ O+ lacZ+
Inducible
2. I- O+lacZ+
Constitutive
3. F I-O+lacZ+/I+ O+lacZ+
(or -)
Inducible
4. F I+O+lacZ+/I-O+lacZ+
Inducible
5. I+OclacZ+
Constitutive
6. F I+Oc lacZ+/I+O+lacZ-
Constitutive
7. F I+OclacZ-/I+O+lacZ+
Inducible
8. F I+Oc lacZ-/I-O+lacZ+
Inducible
9. F I+Oc lacZ+/I-O+lacZ-
Constitutive
Interpretations of the phenotypes observed from the above genotypes:

1 + 2 indicate that the presence (in these cases on the bacterial chromosome) of a function I gene product
(i+) is required to "turn off" expression of the lacZ+ gene. In lacI- cells, the lacZ gene is expressed
constitutively.
3 + 4 indicate that a functional lacI gene anywhere in the cell (on either the bacterial chromsome or a
plasmid) is capable of regulating the expression of the lacZ+ gene.
59 indicate that mutations in a second gene, the lacO gene, can also lead to constitutive expression of the
lacZ+ gene. The lacO+ gene can only regulate expression of copies of the lacZ+ gene located adjacent to
it, on the same chromosome or plasmid.
inducer is present. It should be noted that the Oc mutation causes constitutive expression of lac genes only when the
mutation and the genes are on the same DNA molecule. As only the genes cis (adjacent) to the Oc mutation are affected
by it (i.e., expressed constitutively), the Oc mutation is said to be cis-dominant. Since the presence of an O+ gene on
one DNA molecule cannot alter the constitutive behavior of an Oc lac system on another DNA molecule in a partial
diploid, the O+ region does not code for a diffusable product. Actually, the O region is a noncoding region of DNA, and
is involved in regulation. This region is called an operator; the repressor protein binds to the O+ operator and prevents
expression of the lac structural genes.
Another class of Lac- mutants (called P-) have been isolated in which no lac mRNA is made. These mutations have
been mapped to a small region adjacent to the operator, and in experiments with partial diploids, have been shown to
have a cis-dominant effect, in that they only prevent transcription of structural genes on the same DNA molecule as the
mutant. Because of this, the P region, like the O region, must define a noncoding DNA site, and has been determined to
be a promoter.
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(a)
(b)
Figure 11-6
(a) Genetic map of the lac operon (not drawn to scale).
The P and O sites are actually much smaller than the genes.
(b) Diagram of the lac operon in (I) repressed and (II) induced
states. The inducer alters the shape of the repressor, so the
repressor can no longer bind to the operator.
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The regulatory mechanisms of the lac system were first explained by the operon model, which has the following
features (Figure 11-6):
1. The lactose-utilization system consists of two kinds of components: structural genes that code for products needed to
transport and metabolize lactose, and regulatory elements (the lacI gene, the operator (O), and the promoter (P)).
Together, the structural genes and regulatory elements comprise the lac operon.
2. The products of the lacZ and lacY genes are encoded in a single polycistronic mRNA molecule. The transacetylase
enzyme mentioned earlier is also encoded in this molecule.
3. The lac operon promoter is immediately adjacent to the operator region. RNA polymerase binds to the promoter and
initiates transcription of the lacZ, lacY, and lacA genes into the mRNA molecule.
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4. The lacI gene product (the repressor) is always produced, (at about 20 copies per cell) and binds to the operator.
5. When the repressor is bound to the operator, initiation of transcription of lac mRNA by RNA polymerase is
prevented.
6. Inducers stimulate mRNA synthesis by binding to and deactivating the repressor, a process called derepression. Thus,
in the presence of an inducer the operator is unoccupied, and the promoter is available for initiation of mRNA synthesis.
That is an example of negative regulation. Note that regulation of the operon requires that the operator be adjacent to the
structural genes of the operon (lacZ, lacY, and lacA); however, proximity of the lacI gene is not necessary, because the
repressor is a soluble protein and is therefore diffusable throughout the cell.
The operon model is supported by a wealth of experimental data and explains many of the features of the lac system, as
well as numerous other negatively regulated genetic systems. One aspect of the regulation of the lac operonthe effect of
glucosehas not yet been discussed. Examination of this feature indicates that the lac operon is also subject to positive
regulation.
-galactosidase forms glucose by cleaving lactose. (The other cleavage product, galactose, is metabolized by enzymes
of the galactose operon, described later.) Thus, if both glucose and lactose are present in the growth medium, the
activity of the lac operon is not needed, so no lac mRNA is made in the presence of glucose. Another regulatory
element is therefore needed for initiating lac mRNA synthesis, which is regulated by the concentration of glucose.
However, the inhibitory effect of glucose on the expression of the lac operon is quite indirect, as explained later.
The small molecule cyclic AMP (cAMP) is universally distributed in animal tissues, and in multicellular eukaryotes it is
important in regulating the action of many hormones (Figure 11-7). It is also present in E. coli and many other bacteria.
Cyclic AMP is synthesized by the enzyme adenylate cyclase, and its concentration is related to glucose concentration.
So, when the glucose level in the cell is high, the cAMP concentration is low. Conversely, when the glucose level is
low, the cAMP concentration is high.
Figure 11-7
Structure of cyclic AMP.
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TABLE 11-2 CONCENTRATION OF CYCLIC AMP IN CELLS GROWING IN MEDIA HAVING THE
INDICATED CARBON SOURCES
CARBON SOURCE
Glucose
Glycerol
Lactose
Lactose + glucose
Lactose + glycerol
cAMP CONCENTRATION
Low
High
High
Low
High
In a medium containing glycerol (or any other carbon source that enters the cell by a channel different from the type used by
glucose), or under starvation conditions, the cAMP concentration in bacterial cells is high (Table 11-2). It is cAMP that
links the lac operon activity with the intracellular concentration of glucose.
E. coli (and many other bacterial species) contain a protein called cAMP receptor protein (CRP) that is encoded in a gene
called crp. Mutants of either crp or the adenylate cyclase gene are unable to synthesize lac mRNA, indicating that both CRP
function and cAMP are required for lac mRNA synthesis. CRP and cAMP bind together to form a complex (denoted cAMPCRP) that is a regulatory element for the lac system. The cAMP-CRP complex must be bound to a specific base sequence
(called an activation site) in the promoter region in order for transcription of the lac operon to occur (Figure 11-8). Thus, the
cAMP-CRP complex is a positive regulator, in contrast to the repressor, a negative regulator. The lac operon is therefore
regulated both positively and negatively.
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Figure 11-8
Four states of the lac operon showing that
lac mRNA is made only if cAMP-CRP is present and repressor
is absent. The symbol as represents the activation sites.
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Figure 11-9
Fitting of the two protruding -helical segments of a cAMP-CRP
dimer to the adjacent major grooves of the DNA activation
site. One subunit of CRP is shown in red and the other
in pink. The structure of CRP is known from x-ray diffraction analysis
of crystals of the pure protein. The center of the DNA dyad
symmetry is marked by an X in the middle of the
minor groove between the two major grooves. Recall that
a similar binding phenomenon was described in Chapter 5 (Figure 5-13).
Using mixtures containing purified lac DNA, repressor, cAMP-CRP, and RNA polymerase, two key points have been
established:
1. When there is not enough cAMP-CRP in the cell (due to high levels of glucose), the cAMP-CRP complex is not
formed. In the absence of the cAMP-CRP complex, RNA polymerase binds weakly to the lac promoter, so transcription
is rarely initiated. However, if cAMP-CRP is bound to the activation site in the lac promoter, it enhances the binding of
RNA polymerase and its subsequent initiation of transcription. When cAMP-CRP is bound to the activation site, it
affects RNA polymerase activity by making direct contact with the enzyme. The cAMP-CRP complex has two
domainsone binds to DNA, and the other to RNA polymerase (Figure 11-9).
2. Because there is partial overlap in the promoter and operator of the lac operon, when the lac repressor is bound to
DNA at the operator region, it physically blocks the binding of RNA polymerase to the promoter.
The Galactose Operon: Two Promoters and DNA Looping
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The galactose operon of E. coli is also an inducible system, regulated by cAMP-CRP and a repressor. The gal operon
has three cistronsgalE, galT, and galK that encode enzymes that metabolize galactoseand is transcribed into
polycistronic mRNA molecules. The operon contains two promoters, P1 and P2. The cAMP levels in the cell influence
the gal operon
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Figure 11-10
Regulation of transcription of the gal operon
from the two promoters, P1 and P2. In the absence
of cAMP-CRP, gal mRNA is made mostly from the
P2 promoter. At high cAMP-CRP concentrations,
gal mRNA is made principally from the P1 promoter.
in an interesting way: The cAMP-CRP complex binds to a noncoding DNA site in the operon and regulates transcription initiation from the
two promoters in opposite fashionscAMP-CRP activates transcription from promoter P1, but inhibits transcription from promoter P2.
When the intracellular cAMP concentration is thus high, transcription of the operon is initiated at the P1 promoter, but at a low cAMP
level, it is initiated at the P2 promoter. This mechanism of dual control insures that the galactose-metabolizing enzymes are synthesized
whether the cells are growing in glucose, or in another carbon source. By using a mixture of purified components in an in vitro system and
varying the cAMP concentration, it has been shown that the amount of synthesis of gal mRNA from the two promoters is inversely related
to the level of cAMP (Figure 11-10). Note that the total amount of gal mRNA made at any level of cAMP is constant.
The negative regulator, the gal repressor, is the product of the galR gene. The galR gene, unlike the lacI gene (its counterpart in the lac
operon), is located quite far from the operon it regulates. Gal repressor inhibits transcription from both promoters. To act, it must bind to
two operator elements, designated OE and OI, present in the operon on opposite sides of the promoters (Figure 11-11). When cells are
exposed to galactose, galactose acts as an inducer and causes derepression of the
Figure 11-11
The regulation of the gal operon of E. coli. The two operators, OE and OI are shaded. The map is not drawn to scale.
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(a)
(b)
(c)
Figure 11-12
DNA looping in the gal operon. A repressor dimer binds to each operator
(a) and the dimers associate together, generating a loop of the intervening
DNA by mechanisms (b) or (c). The gal promoter region is shaded.
operon by preventing the binding of the repressor to OE and OI. Mutations of galR (a trans-acting mutation), or to
either of the two operators (a cis-acting mutation), cause constitutive (i.e., constant) expression of the operon.
The repressor of the gal operon functions differently from its counter-part in the lac system. Instead of physically
blocking the binding of RNA polymerase, the two repressor molecules (one bound to each operator) interact with each
other, causing the formation of a loop in the DNA. This loop of DNA, in the region between the two operators, contains
the promoters to which RNA polymerase is bound (Figure 11-12). This looping prevents the RNA polymerase from
initiating transcription. While the exact mechanism of repression is not known, it is believed that the formation of DNA
loops permits physical contact between regulatory protein molecules and RNA polymerase bound to areas spatially
separated on the DNA molecule; this contact somehow serves to regulate the rate and efficiency of transcription.
The Arabinose Operon
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The arabinose operon in E. coli, which encodes enzymes involved in the utilization of the sugar arabinose, provides
another example of variation in the behavior of regulatory proteins. The ara operon, like lac and gal, is inducible, and
not normally expressed. The ara enzymes are made only when the cells are exposed to arabinose. The expression is
regulated by a protein called AraC, which by itself acts as a repressor. When arabinose is present, the sugar binds to
AraC and converts it into an activator. The arabinose-AraC complex activates transcription from the ara promoter. If
the gene encoding AraC is deleted, the ara operon is never expressedeven in the presence of arabinose. The arabinose
operon thus provides an example of a regulatory protein that acts as a repressor under one condition, and as an activator
under another.
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The Tryptophan Operon and Attenuation

In some operons, a single molecule does not by itself act as a repressor. The repressor for such an operon requires the presence
of a small molecule (called a corepressor) in order to bind to the operator. In its absence, the repressor (called an aporepressor)
is unable to bind to the operator, and the genes of the operon are expressed. In E. coli, the expression of enzymes involved in the
synthesis of many amino acids and vitamins are regulated in this fashion. The cell represses the synthesis of the appropriate
enzymes when an amino acid or vitamin is present in excess. This system of repression, which is present in the tryptophan
operon, is highly economical in its use of energy.
There are five genes that encode the enzymes involved in tryptophan biosynthesis. The arrangement of the five cistrons (named
trpE, trpD, trpC, trpB, and trpA), the promoter, and the operator is shown in Figure 11-13. Together, these components form an
operon, and following the definition of an operon, can be transcribed into a polycistronic mRNA molecule. In the trp operon,
tryptophan acts directly in the repression system.
The regulatory protein of the repression system of the trp operon is called the Trp repressor, and is the product of the trpR gene
(which is located elsewhere on the chromosome). Mutations in either the trpR gene (trpR-), or in the operator (0c), cause
constitutive initiation of trp mRNA synthesis, just as in the lac and gal operons. The tryptophan molecule (acting as a
corepressor) must bind to Trp repressor (the aporepressor) to achieve repression. The reaction scheme of this process is:
Only when tryptophan is present does an active repressor molecule thus inhibit transcription. When the external supply of
tryptophan is depleted
Figure 11-13
The E. coli trp operon. For clarity, the regulatory region is enlarged with respect to the coding region. The
proper size of each region is indicated by the number of base-pairs. The regulatory elements are shown in red.
L is the leader mRNA segment; LP, the leader peptide; and a, the attenuator. The trpR gene codes for the
repressor, and is located elsewhere on the chromosome.
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(or at least reduced substantially), the equilibrium in the above equation shifts to the left, the operator is unoccupied,
and transcription begins. This is the basic ''on-off" regulatory mechanism of the trp operon.
Since the trp operon codes for a set of biosynthetic (rather than degradative) enzymes, neither glucose nor cAMP-CRP
influences the activity of the operon. Furthermore, there is more to regulation of the trp operon than the simple on-off
system just described. When a small amount of tryptophan is available (but not enough to allow cell growth without the
concomitant synthesis of tryptophan) starvation is prevented by a modulating system in which the amount of
transcription in the derepressed state is determined by the concentration of tryptophan. In the on state, a second level of
regulation subjects the expression to a finer control, a control more sensitive to tryptophan concentration. This is
provided by two factors:
1. Premature termination of transcription upstream of the first structural gene.
2. Regulation of the frequency of this termination by the intracellular concentration of tryptophan.
Thus tryptophan synthesis has a two-part regulation system. High levels of tryptophan shut off the system at the level of
the corepressor. In this case, transcription never begins because the promoter is blocked. If tryptophan levels are not
high enough to engage the corepressor, the system becomes subject to "fine-tuning." If tryptophan levels are sufficiently
low, the entire operon is transcribed.
Note in Figure 11-13 that the trp operon has two additional regions, LP and a. At the 5-end, upstream from the first
cistron, the trp mRNA contains a 162-base segment called leader RNA (designated L in the figure). This leader
sequence has several notable features (also see Figure 11-14):
1. An AUG codon and a downstream UAG stop codon in the same reading frame define a region encoding a
polypeptide consisting of 14 amino acids, called the leader polypeptide (lp) (Figure 11-14(a)).
2. Two adjacent tryptophan codons are located in the trp mRNA at positions corresponding to the tenth and eleventh
amino acids in the leader polypeptide. We will see the significance of these repeated codons shortly.
3. Four segments of the leader RNA (denoted 1, 2, 3, and 4) are capable of base-pairing in two mutually exclusive ways;
by forming either the stem-loops 12 and 34 (Figure 11-14(b)), or just the stem-loop 23 (Figure 11-14(d)).
This arrangement enables premature termination of transcription to occur in the trp leader region by the following
mechanism.
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(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Figure 11-14
The leader region of trp mRNA and the accepted model for the mechanism of attenuation control in E. coli trp operon.
(a) The 5 terminal region of trp mRNA, called the leader RNA. It shows the encoded 14 amino acid leader polypeptide
with the 2 Trp codons, the chain terminating UGA codon, and the beginning AUG codon of the TrpE protein (bold face).
If tryptophan is present, transcription terminates at RNA position 140 as indicated. Four different segments (designated
1, 2, 3, and 4), preceding the termination point potentially participate in alternative stem-loop structures as shown in
(b), (c), and (d).
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(b) Free mRNA. It allows the formation of stem-loops 12 and 34.

(c) mRNA structure in presence of high concentration of tryptophan. Ribosome reaches region 2, preventing stem-loop
12 but allowing stem-loop 34 formation.
(d) Low concentration of tryptophan. Ribosome stalls in region 1, allowing formation of stem-loop 23 and preempting
stem-loop 34.
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In the trp operon of wild-type bacteria, when tryptophan is present transcription terminates after making only 140 basepair mRNA, and before any of the structural genes are transcribed. In the absence of tryptophan, transcription continues,
allowing the synthesis of trp enzymes. Mutanta that have a deletion in part or all of a 28-base-pair-long segment
preceding position 160, make trp enzymes at a rate that is six to seven times greater than that of a wild-type cell
growing in the absence of tryptophan, indicating that this region must have a regulatory role. This region (called an
attenuator) has all the usual features of a transcription termination site, including a potential stem-loop configuration in
the mRNA (stem-loop 34) followed by a sequence of several uridine residues. Transcription terminates following the
seventh residue. Features of the leader RNA sense the level of tryptophan in the cell and modulate the amount of
transcription accordingly. The mechanism for effecting this premature termination is based upon the potential of the
RNA to form the alternative stem-loops 12 (protector), 23 (pre-emptor), and 34 (attenuator). The directive to terminate
or read through depends upon whether or not the stem-loop 34 attenuator structure is formed.
Termination of transcription at the attenuator is mediated through translation of the leader peptide region. Because there
are two tryptophan codons in this sequence, the translation of the sequence is sensitive to the concentration of charged
tRNAtrp. That is, if the supply of tryptophan is inadequate, that amount of charged tRNAtrp will be insufficient, and
translation will be stalled at the tryptophan codons. Two points should be noted:
1. All base-pairing is eliminated in the segment of the mRNA that is in contact with the ribosome.
2. If the stem-loops 12 and 34 are formed simultaneously, then stem-loop 23 cannot be present.
Figure 11-14(c) shows that the end of the Trp leader peptide is in segment 1. Usually a translating ribosome is in contact
with about ten bases in the mRNA past the codons being translated. Thus, when the final
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codons of the leader are being translated, segments 1 and 2 are partially covered by the ribosome, and so are not basepaired. Recall that in a coupled transcription-translation system, the leading ribosome is not far behind the polymerase.
Therefore, if the ribosome is in contact with segment 2 when the synthsis of segment 4 by RNA polymerase is being
completed, then segments 3 and 4 are able to form the stem-loop 34 without segment 2 competing for segment 3. The
presence of the 34 stem-loop configuration allows termination to occur when the terminating sequence of seven uridines
is reached. If there is very little tryptophan present, the concentration of charged tRNAtrp becomes inadequate, and the
translating ribosome stalls at the tryptophan codons (Figure 11-14(d)). These codons are located fourteen bases before
the beginning of segment 2. Segment 2 is thus free before segment 4 has been synthesized, so the stem-loop 23 can
form. In the absence of stem-loop 34, termination of transcription does not occur, and the complete mRNA molecule is
made, including the coding sequences for the trp structural genes. Hence, if tryptophan is present in excess, termination
of transcription occurs, and little enzyme is synthesized; if tryptophan is absent termination does not occur, and the
enzymes are made. At intermediate concentrations, the fraction of initiation events that result in completion of trp
mRNA synthesis will depend upon how often translation is stalled at the tryptophan codons, which in turn depends on
the concentration of tryptophan. Keep in mind that this is an example of the coupled transcription-translation processes
found in prokaryotes (refer back to Chapter 9, Figure 9-16, for an illustration of these events). This system is exquisitely
sensitive to tryptophan levels because transcription depends on the speed of translation of the leader sequence.
Many operons responsible for amino acid biosynthesis (for example, leusine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, and histidien
operons) are regulated by attenuators equipped with the base-pairing mechanism for competition described in the
tryptophan operon. In the histidine operon, which also has an attenuator system (that is, prematurely terminated
mRNA), a similar base sequence encodes a leader polypeptide having seven adjacent histidine codons (Figure 11-15).
In the phenylalanine operon, seven phenylalanine codons are also present in the leader, but they are divided into three
groups (Figure 11-15).
(a)
(b)
Figure 11-15
Amino acid sequence of the leader peptide and base sequence of the corresponding portion of
mRNA from (a) the phenylalanine operon and (b) the histidine operon. The repeating amino acid
is shaded in red.
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Specific Versus Global Regulators

Regulatory proteins, both positive and negative, can be highly specific; for example the Lac repressor controls only the
lac operon and no other genes in E. coli. Alternatively, regulatory proteins can have a more global effect on gene
expression. cAMP-CRP, for example, controls the expression of many genes in E. coli, and so does a regulatory protein,
called LexA. LexA is a negative regulator that controls genes that encode enzymes involved in the repair of DNA
damage induced by ultraviolet light. These genes are scattered around the E. coli chromosome, and LexA protein binds
to the operator regions of all these genes. When the cells are exposed to a sublethal dose of ultraviolet light, LexA is
inactivated, and the DNA-repair genes are expressed to carry out the repair job. A set of genes or operons which is
regulated by a global regulatorpositive or negativeis called a regulon. Specific and global regulators are frequent in
bacterial cells.
Autoregulation
The synthesis of some gene products, whose requirements in a cell vary greatly, is regulated by a mechanism called
autoregulation. In the simplest autoregulated system, the gene product is also a regulator: it binds to a DNA site at or
near the promoter. The autoregulation could be positive or negative. When the concentration of the gene product
exceeds what the cell can use, the product molecules occupy the DNA site and transcription is inhibited. At a later time
when the concentration of unbound molecules decreases, the molecule bound to DNA leaves the site, allowing
transcription by RNA polymerase from a free promoter. This is negative autoregulation. The synthesis of some
regulatory proteins (e.g., CRP) is negatively autoregulated in this way. In a positively autoregulated system, the gene
product acts as an activator of its own gene. An elegant example of positive autoregulation is the synthesis of a
repressor protein of bacteriophage, . This system is described in the next chapter.
Autoregulation at the level of translation has also been recognized. For example, when protein components of
ribosomes become excessive, they negatively regulate their own synthesis by binding to mRNA. This blocks the
binding of intact ribosomes, and thus translation, too.
Constitutive Genes
Many genes in bacteria have no on-off regulatory mechanism. They are expressed all the time, at rates predetermined by
the nucleotide sequence of their promoters (promoter strength). Such constitutive genes generally code for the living
cells' housekeeping proteins, which are needed in a given amount. Examples of such genes are the lacI gene that
encodes the Lac repressor, or genes encoding glucose-metabolizing enzymes, whose
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levels remain constant in a changing environment. The strength of promoters of constitutive genes, as well as of inducible or repressible
genes, determines the maximum rate at which cognate genes can be expressed.
Post-Transcriptional Control
Frequently, unequal amounts of proteins are made from different cistrons of an operon. For example, the ratios of the numbers of copies of
-galactosidase, permease, and transacetylase made from the lac operon are 100:50:20. These differences, which result from
posttranscriptional regulation are achieved in two ways:
1. Translational control. The lacZ gene is translated first (Figure 11-16). The frequency with which it is translated is determined by the
efficiency with which a ribosome binds the Shine-Dalgarno sequence (described earlier in Chapter 9, Figure 9-12) around the starting AUG
codon in lacZ mRNA. Frequently the translating ribosome detaches from the mRNA molecule at the end of lacZ translation. The frequency
at which the next cistron lacY is translated is also determined by the efficiency at which a ribosome (either dissociated from the end of the
lacZ cistron or recruited from the cell's surplus supply) binds to the AUG codon of lacY. The same rule regulates the translation efficiency at
the lacA cistron.
The efficiency at which the ribosome binds to the critical binding sequence on mRNA is also known to be modulated (inhibited) by
formation of secondary structures involving this region and either another part of the mRNA or another regulatory RNA molecule with
complementary base sequences.
2. mRNA stability. mRNA is unstable: The half-life is on the order of a few minutes in bacteria. We have discussed before that lac mRNA
Figure 11-16
Translation of lac mRNA into proteins. All ribosomes attach to the mRNA at the ribosome binding site.
At each stop codon some ribosomes detach.
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quickly disappears if the inducer (Figure 11-5) is removed from the cell. This instability helps cells quickly shift their
spectrum of protein synthesis in response to radical changes in the environment. Degradation of lac mRNA is initiated
from its 3 terminus. Hence, at any given instant there are more copies of the lacZ portion of mRNA than of the lacY
portion of mRNA, and more copies of the lacY mRNA than of lacA mRNA. Thus the amounts of the three lac enzymes
made also depends upon the availability of the corresponding mRNA segments. In prokaryotes this mode of regulation
occurs frequently.
In some systems, mechanisms also exist by which the degradation of mRNA from its 3 end is substantially reduced by
formation of RNA secondary structures resistant to degradation, which enchances the amount of translation of the
mRNA molecule.
The overall expression of an operon thus is regulated by controlling transcription initiation of an mRNA molecule and
premature transcription termination of the polycistronic mRNA (in some cases); whereas the relative concentration of
the proteins encoded by the mRNA are determined by controlling both the degradation rate of the mRNA and the
frequency of initiation of translation of each cistron. These general concepts of gene control have been firmly
established by demonstrating that transcriptional or translational reactions with purified components are regulated by
regulatory DNA elements and proteins. The chemical and physical basis of most of the gene regulatory macromolecular
interactions are not well understood. Currently, they are the focus of intensive research among molecular biologists.
Control by Proteolysis
Unlike mRNA, most proteins are stable during normal growth unless they cease to be useful or become deleterious to a
cell and must be removed for cell growth to succeed. An example of the second type of protein in E. coli is SulA,
encoded by the sulA gene. When chromosomal DNA is damaged, the synthesis of SulA is induced along with DNA
repair enzymes. The SulA protein inhibits cell division to provide time for DNA repair. When the repair process is
completed, and SulA is no longer needed, it is quickly degraded by a protease called Lon. Mutant cells defective in Lon
protease do not divide, and ultimately die when subjected to DNA-damaging agents.
Key Concept
The "Protein Levels" Concept

The net amount of a protein in a cell represents a balance between the rate it is produced and also by the rate at which it
is degraded or exported from the cell.
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Feedback Inhibition and Allosteric Control

When a large amount of an amino acid is available in a cell, the synthesis of the enzymes that make the amino acid is
repressed because those enzymes are not needed any more, as previously explained. However, the cell contains a large
amount of the enzymes before repression begins, and could continue to catalyze the amino-acid biosynthetic reactions.
But the cell has a mechanism by which the synthesis of the amino acid can be quickly stopped. Wasteful synthesis
almost never occurs. For example, high concentrations of the amino acid isoleucine actually inhibit the activity of the
first enzyme of the 5-enzyme pathway that catalyzes the synthesis of isoleucine from threonine (Figure 11-17). The
bound enzyme is unable to catalyze the reaction. This stops isoleucine biosynthesis immediately. This process of very
specific inhibition of catalytic activity of an enzyme in a biochemical pathway by binding to a product of a later enzyme
in the same pathway, is called feedback, or end product inhibition. In feedback inhibition, isoleucine binds reversibly to
a site different from the active site, and changes the structure of the enzyme protein, which keeps it from recognizing its
substrate. Proteins, whose shape or conformation is changed
Figure 11-17
Feedback inhibition of the pathway
for synthesizing isoleucine. Isoleucine
is boxed to indicate that it is the feedback
inhibitor of the enzyme (1), as indicated
by the dashed arrow.
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Figure 11-18
Conformational change of an enzyme protein by binding to an allosteric
effector results in the inability to bind to its substrate. Compare this
conformational change with the models for enzyme action illustrated earlier
in Chapter 4 (Figure 4-12).
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by binding to a small molecule at a site different from the active site, are called allosteric proteins (Figure 11-18). Small
molecules that bring about the allosteric changes are called allosteric effectors. Effectors bind to the protein by weak
bonds (hydrogen-bonds, ionic bridges, and Van der Waal's attractions), and not by covalent bonds. This makes a
reversal of the binding process possible (when the end-product concentration falls to a low level, the enzyme needs to
be reactivated).
Some biosynthetic pathways are responsible for the synthesis of two products from a common precursor. A hypothetical
example of such a branched pathway is the following:
In this type of pathway it would be undesirable for a single product to inhibit enzyme 1, because both branches would
be blocked. In general, the most economical kind of inhibition prevailsnamely, D inhibits enzyme 2, and F inhibits
enzyme 4. In this way, neither D nor F prevents the synthesis of the other. Conversion of A to B is wasteful if both D
and F are present; therefore, in many branched pathways it is found that D and F together inhibit enzyme 1.
The elegance of feedback inhibition in a branched pathway is shown in Figure 11-19, which shows a well-studied
multibranched pathway in which lysine, methionine, and threonine are synthesized from aspartate. Note how these
amino acids inhibit enzymes 4, 6, and 8 immediately after the main branch in the pathway. Furthermore, three
isoenzymes (different proteins that catalyze the same reaction)1a, 1b, and 1care separately inhibited by lysine,
homoserine, and threonine, respectively. Each of the three isoenzymes carries out the reaction at a different rate, each
one synthesizing as much aspartyl phosphate as is needed to form the appropriate amount of the product that inhibits the
isoenzyme. When an isoenzyme is thus inhibited, the amount of aspartyl phosphate required to synthesize the needed
amino acids is still made.
Feedback inhibition occurs in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes, but has been more fully described in the latter. It can
occur in a variety of ways; for example, binding of the product (which acts as an inhibitor) to the enzyme causes a
physical change in the shape of the enzyme and thereby alters its catalytic properties. The changes in the properties of
the regulatory proteins we have discussed in this chapter are all examples of allosteric conformational changes induced
by the binding of specific small molecule effectors to Lac and Gal repressors (from repressor to inactive repressor),
CRP (from inactive activator to activator), AraC (from repressor to activator), and the Trp repressor (from inactive
repressor to repres-
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Figure 11-19
Feedback inhibition of the pathway for synthesizing lysine, methionine, and
threonine. The boxed molecules are inhibitors. The dashed arrows lead from
an inhibitor to the enzyme that is inhibited.
sor). Note that allosteric inhibition or activation allows a very rapid response to changes in the cellular environment,
whereas induction and repression provide an adjustment mechanism for longer-lasting changes in the environment.
A variety of commercially important proteins, including hormones, antibodies, and growth stimulating proteins have
been experimentally engineered into bacteria such as E. coli. In several instances, the desired protein product is secreted
from the cell into the culture medium. That of course makes collection of the protein product relatively straightforward.
In many cases, however, the desired "foreign" product is degraded in the bacterial cell before it is secreted. The
destruction of those protein products is usually the result of degradation by proteolytic enzymes produced as part of the
bacterium's normal metabolism. Perhaps as many as a dozen different proteolytic enzymes may be active in bacterial
cells.
Researchers have begun to develop mutant strains of bacteria lacking
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one or more of those proteases. Many of the bacterial strains lacking those enzymes nevertheless grow well. They also
exhibit greatly increased yields of the desired protein product. Thus, increases in the productive capacity of bacterial
strains that are genetically engineered for the production of foreign proteins is likely in the future.
Summary
The synthesis of particular gene products is controlled by mechanisms collectively called gene regulation. Gene
regulation generally occurs at the level of transcription or translation. Transcriptional regulation can be characterized as
positive or negative. In negative regulation an inhibitor (repressor) bound to the DNA must be removed before
transcription can occur. In positive regulation an activator molecule must bind to the DNA to allow transcription. The E.
coli lactose system was first explained by the operon model, and is an example of both negative and positive regulation.
In this system, lactose is an inducer that alters the shape of a repressor (lacI) so the repressor can no longer bind to its
operator. Transcription of the lactose operon, however, also requires the presence of the cAMPCRP activator complex.
Other relatively well understood operons include the galactose operon, the arabinose operon, and the tryptophan operon.
Each has its own set of components, and each works in a unique fashion.
Regulatory proteins, both positive and negative, can be highly specific (lacI), or may have a global effect (CRP) and
control the expression of several genes. Some gene products can also regulate their own expression (autoregulation).
The overall expression of an operon is regulated by controlling transcription initiation and premature transcription
termination, whereas the relative concentration of protein is determined by controlling the degradation rate of the
mRNA, the frequency of initiation of translation, and the degradation rate of the protein itself. The activity of the
protein can also be under the control of allosteric interactions or feedback inhibition.
Drill Questions
1. What distinguishes negative from positive regulation? How would you distinguish between negative and positive
autoregulation?
2. What are the main features of a repressor, corepressor, and aporepressor?
3. What do the terms induced and derepressed mean in relation to gene functions?
4. What is the genetic evidence that lac Oc mutations are cis-dominant?
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5. Explain how the regulatory protein AraC can be both a repressor and an activator.
6. Why does attenuation not occur in eukaryotes?
7. List two mechanisms that a bacterial cell uses to control the amount of mRNA present inside the cell.
8. List three mechanisms a bacterial cell uses to control the amount of protein present inside the cell.
Problems
1. Suppose E. coli is growing in a growth medium containing lactose as the sole source of carbon. The genotype is I- Z+
Y+. Glucose is then added. Which of the following will happen?
(a) Nothing
(b) Lactose will no longer be utilized by the cell.
(c) Lac mRNA will no longer be made.
(d) The lac repressor will bind to the operator.
2. Imagine a mutant lactose repressor (denoted lac Ix) that could interact with its operator and prevent transcription
initiation, but could not interact with its inducer (lactose or IPTG). What would be the lac Z phenotype (i.e., expressed
or not expressed), in the presence and absence of inducer, corresponding to the following genotypes?
(a) Ix O+ Z+
+IPT
-IPTG
(b) Ix O+ Z-/I+ O+ Z+
+IPTG
-IPTG
(c) Ix O+ Z+/I+ O+ Z-
+IPTG
-IPTG
3. Ribonuclease P is an enzyme needed for the proper maturation of tRNAs. It has been shown that some mutations in
ribonuclease P cause increased expression of the trp biosynthetic operon. Explain.
4. An E. coli mutant is isolated that renders the cell simultaneously unable to utilize a large number of sugars, including
lactose, zylose, and sorbitol. However, genetic analysis shows that each of the operons responsible for utilization of
these sugars is free of mutation. What are the possible phenotypes of this mutant?
1. Imagine an enzyme that must be synthesized in response to an environmental stimulus (e.g., lacZ in response to
lactose). What are the advan-
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tages and disadvantages for regulating this enzyme at the transcriptional versus posttranscriptional level?
2. Genetic analysis has been fundamental in identifying and characterizing the individual components of a regulatory
system. For example, the lactose operon was initially characterized by making hundreds of lac- mutants and looking at
their genetic interactions. Once a regulator protein (lacI, galR, AraC, trpR, CRP) has been identified, how might the
genetic consequences of inactivating that regulatory protein be used to discriminate between negative and positive
control?
3. Why is the autogenous type of regulation common for abundant proteins that are incorporated into macromolecular
assemblies? (For example, ribosomal proteins in prokaryotes are autogenously regulated at the level of translation.)
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Chapter 12
Bacteriophage
David Parma
Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Senior Research Associate,

NeXstar Pharmaceuticals,
Boulder, Colorado
University of California, Davis
Major: Biological Sciences, B.S. 1964;
Genetics, M.S. 1965
Graduate Degree:
University of Washington, Ph.D. 1968
Carnegie Institute of Washington, 19681970
Larry Gold
Professor Of Biochemistry,
University of Colorado,
Boulder, Colorado
and
Chief Scientist,
NeXstar Pharmaceuticals,
Boulder, Colorado
Yale University
Major: Biochemistry, 1963
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Graduate Degree:
University of Connecticut,
Rockefeller University, 19671969
What is the nature of your current research?
One of our biggest projects began with Craig Tuerk's development of a technology called SELEX (for Systematic
Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment) and the emergent development of a companion technology called
SPERT (for Systematic Polypeptide Evolution by Reverse Translation). In short, one can evolve either nucleic acid or
polypeptide ligands aimed at any target, in much the same way that antibodies can be developed toward nearly any
target. Both SELEX and SPERT are in-vitro techniques with a deep capacity to be useful in many areas of basic
science. We hope to answer, experimentally, questions related to the functional possibilities of nucleic acids and also to
help answer two big and related evolutionary questions: Why are there proteins in the present biosphere? and, What are
the real chemical capacities of RNA?
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1.The molecular structure of bacteriophage and the
phage life cycle.
2. Several unique features of the replication cycle of
specific bacteriophage.
3. Theh lysogenic life cycle of lambda phage.
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Bacteriophage, or phage, have played an important role in the development of molecular biology. Because of their relative simplicity,
the availability of enormous numbers of mutants,and ease of propagation, phage have been extraordinarily useful in the study of basic
processes such as replication, transcription, translation, and regulation. In this chapter, we shall examine some basic features of phage
biology and provide a few examples of reproductive strategies by looking at particular stages of the life cycles of certain phages.
A bacteriophage is a bacterial parasite. By itself, it can persist, but a phage can reproduce only within a bacterial cell. Although phage
possess genes encoding a variety of proteins, all known phage use the ribosomes, protein-synthesizing factors, amino acids, and
energy-generating systems of the host cell.
Phage must perform four minimal functions for continued survival. These are:
1. Protect their nucleic acid from environmental chemicals that could alter the molecule (for example, break the molecule or cause a
mutation).
2. Deliver their nucleic acid to the inside of a bacterium.
3. Convert an infected bacterium to a phage-producing system which yields a large number of progeny phage.
4. Release phage progeny from an infected bacterium.
These problems are solved in a variety of ways by different phage species.
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Figure 12-1
Two-dimensional view of three basic phage structures. The nucleic
acid is shown in red. See Figure 1-2 (Chapter 1) for an electron micrograph
of a tailed phage.
TABLE 12-1 PROPERTIES OF THE NUCLEIC ACID OF SEVERAL PHAGE TYPES
PHAGE
HOST DNA OR
RNA
FORM
WEIGHT, 106
UNUSUAL BASES
X174
DNA
ss, circ
1.8
None
M13, fd, f1
DNA
ss, circ
2.1
None
PM2
PB
DNA
ds, circ
None
186
DNA
ds, lin
18
None
B3
PA
DNA
ds, lin
20
None
Mu
DNA
ds, lin
25
None
T7
DNA
ds, lin
26
None
DNA
ds, lin
31
None
N4
DNA
ds, lin
40
None
P1
DNA
ds, lin
59
None
T5
DNA
ds, lin
75
None
SPO1
DNA
ds, lin
100
HMU for thymine
T2, T4, T6
DNA
ds, lin
108
Glucosylated HMC for

cytosine
PBS1
DNA
ds, lin
200
Uracil for thymine
MS2, Q, f2
RNA
ss, lin
1.0
None
PP
RNA
ds, lin
2.3, 3.1, 5.0*
None
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Note: Abbreviations used in this table are: E, E. coil; B, Bacillus subtilis; PA, Pseudomonas aeruginosa; PB, Ps.
aeruginosa BAL-31; PP, Ps. phaseolica; ss, single-stranded; ds, double-stranded; circ, circular; lin, linear; HMU,
hydroxymethyluracil; HMC, hydroxymethylcytosine.
*6 contains three molecules.
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Phage particles also differ in their physical structures from species to species, and often certain features of their life
cycles are correlated with their structure. The three basic structures are shown in Figure 121.
The most common type of nucleic acid in phage is double-stranded linear DNA; however, double-stranded circular
DNA, single-stranded linear and circular DNA, and single- and double-stranded linear RNA are also found (Table 121).
The molecular weight of phage nucleic acid has a hundredfold range of variation among species, in sharp contrast with
bacteria, for which the weight rarely varies more than about 10%. Phage with larger nucleic acid molecules possess
more genes, and consequently can have more complex life cycles and are less dependent on bacterial enzymes for their
reproduction. An unusual feature of the DNA of some phage is the presence of bases other than the standard A, T, G, C,
as shown in the table. For example, T4 contains glucosylated 5-hydroxymethylcytosine instead of cytosine, and SP01
has hydroxymethyluracil instead of thymine. Phage nucleic acid is always isolated from the extracellular environment
by an enclosing protein shell called either coat or the capsid and is thereby protected from harmful substances.
Stages in the Lytic Life Cycle of a Typical Phage
Phage life cycles fit into two distinct categories: the lytic and the lysogenic cycles. A phage in the lytic cycle converts
an infected cell to a phage factory, and many phage progeny are produced. Figure 66 (Chapter 6) illustrated the basic
features of the lytic cycle. A phage capable only of
lytic growth is called virulent. The lysogenic cycle, which has been observed only with phage containing doublestranded DNA, is one in which no progeny particles are produced; the phage DNA usually is inserted into the
chromosome of the host bacterium. A phage capable of such a life cycle is called temperate.* In this section the lytic
cycle is outlined.
There are many variations in the details of the life cycles of different phage. There is, however, what may be called a
basic lytic cycle, which is the following (Figure 122):
1. Adsorption of the phage to specific receptors on the bacterial surface. These receptors serve the bacteria for purposes
other than phage adsorption. (For example, the receptor for phage T6 is involved in transporting nucleosides into the
bacterial cell.)
2. Passage of the DNA from the phage through the bacterial cell. Some types of tailed phage use an injection sequence
shown schematically in Figure 123.
* Most temperate phage also undergo lytic growth under certain circumstances.
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Figure 122
Schematic diagram of the life cycle of a typical phage.
Figure 123
Injection sequence of a tailed phage. In the injection stage the tail sheath contracts
and drives a core protein tube through the cell wall like a hypodermic syringe.
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3. Conversion of the infected bacterium to a phage-producing cell. Following infection by most (but not all) phages, a
bacterium loses the ability either to replicate or to transcribe its DNA; sometimes it loses both. This shutdown of host
DNA or RNA synthesis is accomplished in many different ways depending on the phage species.
4. Production of phage nucleic acid and proteins. The phage redirects the biosynthetic pathways of the infected cell to
make copies of phage nucleic acid and synthesize phage proteins. This reprogramming is accomplished by transcribing
and then translating phage genes. Transscription of phage genes is almost always initiated by the bacterial RNA
polymerase, but after the first set of transcriptions, the bacterial polymerase is usually modified to recognize phagespecific promotors, or a phage-specific RNA polymerase is synthesized. Transcription is regulated, and phage proteins
are synthesized sequentially in time as they are needed. Distinct classes of mRNA are made at various times after
infection; the major division is between early mRNA and late mRNA. Early mRNA usually encodes the enzymes
required for take over of the bacterium for phage DNA replication, and for the synthesis of late mRNA. Late mRNA
encodes the components of the phage particle, proteins needed for packaging of nucleic acid in the particles,
and enzymes required to break open the bacterium. The more complex phage usually synthesize several classes of early
mRNA, which are made in a particular time sequence. We will study an example of this in phage T7.
5. Assembly of phage particles. This process is often called morphogenesis. Two types of proteins are needed for the
assembly process: structural proteins, which are present (possibly in modified form) in the phage particle, and catalytic
proteins, which participate in the assembly process, but do not become part of the phage particle. A subset of the latter
class consists of the maturation proteins, which convert intracellular phage DNA to a form appropriate for packaging in
the phage particle. Usually 501000 particles are produced; the number depends on the phage species.
6. Release of newly synthesized phage. With most phages a phage called a lysozyme or an endolysin is synthesized late
in the cycle of infection. This protein causes disruption of the cell wall, so that phage are released to the surrounding
medium. This disruptive process is called lysis.
The events just described occur in an orderly sequence, as exemplified by the life cycle of E. coli phage T4 listed below
(times in minutes at 37C):
t=0
Phage adsorbs to bacterial cell wall. Injection of phage DNA probably occurs within
seconds of adsorption.
t<1
Synthesis of first phage mRNA begins.
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t = 23
Synthesis of host DNA, RNA, and protein is turned off.
t=5
Degradation of bacterial DNA begins. Phage DNA synthesis is initiated.
t=9
Synthesis of late mRNA begins.
t = 12
Completed heads and tails appear.
t = 13
First complete phage particle appears.
t = 25
Lysis of bacteria; release of about 300 progeny phage.
The total duration of the cycle is typical, most phage having a life cycle of 2060 minutes, which is comparable to the
generation times of most bacteria. The life cycles of animal viruses are considerably longer24 to 48 hoursbut this is
again comparable to the life cycle of an animal cell.
Specific Phage
On the scale of biological complexity, phage are relatively simple forms
of life. However, phage are sufficiently complex that there is not a single phage type for which all of the molecular
details of its life cycle are completely understood. The best known are a small number of phage species that grow in E.
coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Salmonella typhimurium. Special features of each phage have resulted in particular phage
being more suited to the study of certain processes. For example, regulation of transcription is best understood in phage
and T7; the study of morphogenesis has been more successful with phage T4 and than with other phage; and phage
P1 and P22 gave the first clues to understanding transduction. T5 has yielded the best information about DNA injection.
T4 has been most profitable in the study of DNA synthesis, and the study of T7 has shown clearly how a phage takes
over a bacterium.
In the following sections several well-understood features of a few phage will be described.
Key concept
The ''Simple Genome" Concept

Viral genomes are extraordinarily simple, in part because viruses borrow functions from their host cells.
E. coli Phage T4
E. coli T4 is large by bacteriophage standards (Table 12-1). Its genome contains 166,000 base-pairs of DNA, sufficient
coding capacity for about 200 average-sized genes. The nucleotide sequences of more than 100 genes of known
function, and of almost 100 open reading frames of
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Figure 12-4
5-Hydroxymethylcytosine. If the CH2OH (red) in HMC
were replaced by hydrogen, the molecule would be cytosine.
unknown function (approximately 90% of the genome) have been determined. The large genome of T4 allows it to be
less dependent on host functions and have a more complex life cycle than is possible for smaller phages. In this section
we will consider examples of increased independence and complexity in T4 DNA metabolism.
Unlike other phage, T4 DNA replication proceeds normally in thymine-requiring hosts in the absence of added thymine,
because T4 encodes its own thymidylate synthetase. In fact, T4 specifies a number of enzymes involved in nucleotide
metabolism (dihydrofolate reductase, nucleotide reductase, thioredoxin reductase). These enzymes do more than
duplicate E. coli functions; they are responsible for the high rate of replication in infected cells.
A second complexity of T4 DNA metabolism is that T4 DNA contains a modified form of cytosine, called 5hydroxymethylcytosine (HMC), which base-pairs with guanosine (Figure 12-4). This base is further modified by
glucosylationthat is, a glucose molecule is coupled to the -OH group of HMC. As we shall see, HMC plays an important
role in the T4 life cycle.
E. coli does not encode enzymes for HMC synthesis; but rather, its biosynthesis is directed by two T4 enzymes: dCMP
hydroxymethylase and dNMP kinase
The E. coli enzyme, nucleoside diphosphate kinase, forms all nucleoside triphosphates in E. coli, then converts dHDP to
dHTP, the immediate precursor of HMC in DNA (Figure 12-5).
As indicated in Figure 12-5, T4 also encodes nucleases that attack cytosine containing DNA and thus degrade the host
chromosome to mononucleotides. If T4 DNA did not contain HMC, it too would be degraded by these nucleases.
Most dCMP (whether produced de novo or from degradation of the host DNA) is converted to dHMP as just described.
However, some will be converted to dCTP, which can be incorporated into replicating T4 DNA. Of course, this DNA
would be susceptible to attack by the phageencoded nucleases. To prevent dCTP incorporation, another phage-specified
enzyme, dCTPase, hydrolyzes both dCTP and dCDP to dCMP, the substrate for dCMP hydroxymethylase.
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Although HMC containing DNA is resistant to many DNases (including most restriction enzymes (see Chapter 15)), E.
coli does possess an endonuclease that attacks certain nucleotide sequences containing HMC. To avoid this damage,
HMC is glucosylated. This is accomplished by two phage enzymes, -glycosyl transferase (gt) and -glycosyl
transferase
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Figure 12-5
Pathway for biosynthesis of hydroxymethylcytosine (HMC) DNA induced by phage T4. Boxed elements are
macromolecules; thin boxes indicate enzymes and heavy boxes indicate DNA. Substances found only in
phage-infected cells are shown in black. C-DNA is cytosine-containing DNA.
(gt), each of which transfers a glucose from uridine diphosphoglucose (UDPG) to HMC that is already in DNA. Glucosylation is an
example of postreplicative modification.
The E. Coli endonuclease is inactive against glucosylated DNA. A simple genetic experiment shows that the protection of HMC
DNA from endonucleolytic attack is the only essential function of glucosylation. A T4 gt-gt- double mutant cannot carry out
glucosylation, so its newly synthesized DNA is attacked by the E. coli HMC endonuclease. However, T4 gt-gt- double mutants do
grow on an E. coli mutant (rglB-), which lacks this nuclease, even though the phage DNA is nonglucosylated.
An important property of T4 DNA molecules packaged in phage particles is that they are terminally redundant (Figure 12-6)that is, a
sequence of bases (about 1% of the total) is repeated at both ends of the molecule. Terminal redundancy is a feature of the DNA of
many phage
Figure 12-6
A terminally redundant molecule.
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Figure 12-7
A circularly permuted collection of terminally redundant DNA molecules.
species and can be generated in several ways, as will be described below.
Another feature of T4 DNA is that although each phage particle contains one DNA molecule, the molecules differ from
phage to phage, even if the population was produced by replication of a single phage particle and its progeny. A sample
of T4 DNA molecules is circularly permuted, the meaning of which is shown in Figure 12-7. The figure indicates
schematically that the termini of the DNA molecules in the population can be found at many different bases within an
overall sequencein reality, probably at any point in the base-sequence. Note that circular permutation is a property of a
phage population, whereas terminal redundancy is a property of an individual phage DNA molecule. Both terminal
redundancy and circular permutation are a consequence of the mechanism by which DNA is packaged into the phage
head.
The mechanism of packaging of T4 DNA in a phage head is not yet fully understood. The basic problem is how the long
strand of DNA is tightly folded so that it will fit in the capsid. It is thought that packaging begins by the attachment of
one end of a DNA molecule to a protein contained in a precursor of the phage head. Then either a condensation protein
or a small, very basic molecule (such as a polyamine) induces folding (Figure 12-8). The best-understood feature of the
process is that
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Figure 12-8
Proposed model for filling a T4 head. Cleavage and rearrangement of head
proteins is known to occur at several stages of the process.
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Figure 12-9
Origin of circularly permuted T4 DNA molecules. Alternate units are
shown in different colors for clarity only.
the molecule is cut from long concatemers. The cuts are not made in unique base-sequences in the DNA, because if they
were, T4 DNA could not be circularly permuted. Instead, the cuts are made at positions that are determined by the
amount of DNA that can fit in a head. Presumably a free end of the DNA molecule enters the head, and this continues
until there is no more room: then the concatemer is cut. This is known as the headful mechanism and it explains how
both terminal redundancy and circular permutation arise (Figure 12-9). The essential point is that the DNA content of a
T4 particle is greater than the length of DNA required to encode the T4 proteins. Thus, when cutting a headful from a
concatemeric molecule, the sequence at the end of the packaged DNA is a duplicate of the sequence packaged firstthat
is, the packaged DNA is terminally redundant. The first segment of the second DNA molecule that is packaged is not
the same as the first segment of the first phage. Furthermore, since the second phage must also be terminally redundant,
a third page-DNA molecule must begin with still another segment. The collection of DNA molecules in the phage
produced by a single infected bacterium thus is a circularly permuted set.
E. Coli Phage T7
Phage T7 is a midsized phage (Table 12-1). Its DNA has a molecular weight of about 26 106 and has no unusual
bases. It has a terminal
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Figure 12-10
Electron micrograph of phage
T7. Note the very short tails.
redundancy of 160 base-pairs, but it is not circularly permuted. The DNA molecule is encased in a head that is attached
to a very short tail (Figure 12-10).
T7 has fewer genes than T4 (about 50), which simplifies analysis of its life cycle. Furthermore, most of the gene
products have been identified by gel electrophoresis, and many have been sequenced by chemical means. The complete
sequence of 39,930 base-pairs of T7 DNA has been determined; this information allows direct inspection to locate all of
the promoters, termination sites, regulatory sites, spacers, leaders, initiation codons, termination codons, and genes. A
great deal is known about the molecular biology of T7; however, we shall only outline how it regulates transcription.
T7 transcription occurs in three temporal stages (Figure 12-11), with Class I transcripts occurring first. Class I
transcripts originate at three promoters (pI) located very near the left end of the T7 DNA molecule. These transcripts
end at the termination site, TE, and are made by E. coli RNA polymerase. As expected, the pI sequences strongly
resemble those of E. coli promoters.
Two class I gene products are essential for the transition to class II and III transcription. One of those is a protein kinase
enzyme that phosphorylates and thereby inactivates E. coli RNA polymerase (though inactivation is not complete). The
second enzyme is T7 RNA polymerase. Only T7 RNA polymerase recognizes the promoters (pII and pIII) for class II
and III transcripts. The sequences of these T7 specific promoters are very different from those recognized by E. coli
RNA polymerase.
T7 RNA polymerase does not recognize the terminator, TE. Hence, class II transcripts proceed past the site to the
terminator T (Figure 12-11). Class II transcripts encode replication proteins, the major structural protein of the phage
head, and a second inhibitor of E. coli RNA polymerase. This latter protein completely inhibits the remaining activity of
E. coli RNA polymerase.
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Figure 12-11
A simplified transcription map of T7. The DNA and gene numbers are in black;
the three classes of transcripts are in red. The red numbers indicate the
time interval (in minutes at 37C) during which the transcript is made. The
termination site indicated by the black arrow is about 90% efficient;
thus 10% of the class II and III molecules are extended further, as
indicated by the dashed lines.
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Termination at T is only 90% efficient, meaning that 10% of the transcripts proceed to the right end of the DNA
molecule. The extended region encodes the tail, maturation, and lysis proteins, which are required in small quantities
compared to the head proteins.
Since DNA replication proteins are enzymes, they are needed in only very small amounts compared to the head and tail
proteins. Late in infection when there is no need to continue making these enzymes, class II transcription shuts off, and
class III transcription begins.
Class III transcripts are initiated at seven pIII promoters to the left of T and encode both structural and lysis proteins.
These transcripts, like those of class II, terminate at T with 90% efficiency. However, there are three additional pIII
promoters to the right of gene 12 (Figure 12-11), so that only gene 11 and 12 expression is entirely dependent on readthrough.
The mechanism of temporal regulation of class II and III transcription is unusual and rather unsophisticated in
comparison to phage Shutoff of class II transcription depends on promoter strength and the synthesis of a transcription
inhibitor. Class II promoters are weak compared to those of class III. One of the proteins encoded in class II transcripts
reduces all transcription. When this protein is made, transcription is initiated only at strong (pIII) promoters.
The mechanism that delays class III expression is quite uncommon. Most phage species inject their DNA within a few
seconds of adsorption, injection of T7 DNA takes about 10 minutes. Thus there is a period when pII promoters are the
only promoters available to T7 RNA polymerase. Entry of pIII promoters into the cell occurs around seven minutes
after adsorption.
Let us now summarize how the three classes of transcripts are regulated. At first, E. coli RNA polymerase makes class I
transcripts. An inhibitor, translated from class I transcripts, prevent further synthesis of these transcripts. T7 RNA
polymerase, translated from class II transcripts prevents their further synthesis. Slow injection delays entry of pIII
promoters into the cell; however, once pIII promoters are available, class III transcripts are made. The net result is early
synthesis of the DNA replication proteins and late synthesis of the structural proteins of the phage particle.
E. Coli Phage M13
Figure 12-12
Electron micrograph of
phage M13.
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E. coli phase M13 (Figure 12-12) differs from other bacteriophage discussed in this chapter in many ways. It is one of
the smallest known phage (Table 12-1). Its genome is composed of only 10 genes (Figure 12-13), all of which are
essential. The phage particles contain a circular DNA molecule (the viral or (+) strand) that is only 6,407 nucleotides
long. M13 is a rod-shaped, filamentous phage that can package circular DNA molecules that are several times longer
than its viral strand. The phage adsorbs only to male strands of E. coli, but does not lyse infected cells. The infected
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Figure 12-13
Genetic map of M13. Genes are designated by roman
numerals: II-replication protein; V-single-stranded DNA
binding protein; VIII-major coat protein; IX-minor coat
protein. The origins of replication are in the intergenic
space between genes II and IV.
cells continue to grow and divide, producing 100200 phage per cell, per generation.
In this section, we will consider M13 DNA replication and its role in recombinant DNA technology.
The M13 replication cycle can be divided into three stages (see Table 12-2). In the first stage, the infecting viral (+)
strand is converted to a double-stranded circular DNA molecule (replicating form or RF), ss RF. In stage two, the
double-stranded circles produce daughter double-stranded circles, RF RF. In the final stage, double-stranded circles
produce viral (+) single strands, RF ss.
TABLE 12-2 REPLICATION CYCLE OF M13
STAGE
TIME, MINUTES EVENT

AT 33C
ss RF
01
RF RF 120
RF ss
Adsorption and penetration; viral single strand converted to parental

RF; RF transcribed
Parent RF replicates and 100200 progeny RF are formed; RF
transcription continues
25
Replication of RF molecules stops
2030
Rolling circles form progeny viral DNA; from these, about 500 ss
molecules are produced; DNA is packaged into phage particles which
are excreted
Note: Abbreviations used are ss, single-stranded phage DNA; RF, circular replication form.
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Figure 12-14
A diagram of the replication of phage M13. E. coli replication enzymes convert the single-stranded phage DNA
into the RFI form, which is then nicked by the M13 gene II protein. Rolling circle replication (see Figure 79 in
Chapter 7) ensues to generate a daughter strand (red) and a displaced (+) single strand that is coated with E.
coli ssb (filled circles) early in infection,or M13 gene V protein (open circles) late in infection. When the entire
(+) strand is displaced, it is cleaved from the daughter (+) strand and circularized by the joining activity
of the M13 gene II protein. The cycle is ready to begin anew.Note that the (-) strand is never cleaved.
Viral (+) strands coated with M13 gene V protein are packaged into phage particles after the
gene V protein is displaced by gene VII protein.
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Although there are three stages of replication, there are only two mechanisms; one for producing (-) strands and one for
(+) strands. The complementary or (-) strand serves two important functions. It is the template for all M13 transcription,
and for (+) strand synthesis. The origins for both (-) and (+) strand replication are located in the intergenic space
between genes II and IV (Figure 12-13). M13 proteins are not required
for the synthesis of (-) strands, as might be expected in view of the (-) strand's role as a template for transcription.
The first step of (-) strand replication is the synthesis of an RNA primer by E. coli RNA polymerase at the (-) origin on
a single-stranded (+ strand) viral DNA molecule. The primer is 30 nucleotides long, and is extended from its 3'-OH end
by E. coli DNA polymerase III around the circle until it reaches the 5'-P end of the primer.E. coli DNA polymerase I
then degrades the primer and replaces it with deoxynucleotides. The two ends of the (-) strand are immediately sealed
by E. coli DNA ligase. The resulting supercoiled, double-stranded molecule is known as RFI (replication form I).
M13 gene II protein is required for viral "daughter" strand synthesis. These strands are made from RFI templates by a
variation of the rollingcircle model (Figure 1214). Synthesis is initiated when M13 gene II protein nicks the (+) strand at
the (+) origin. Using the E. coli replication proteins (Rep, ssb, and DNA polymerase III), the (+) strand is extended from
its 3'-OH end at the nick. As the old (+) strand is displaced by the elongating new (+) strand, it is coated with ssb. When
the new (+) strand reaches the origin, it is nicked again by gene II protein, freeing the old (+) strandwhose 3'-OH and 5'P ends are joined by gene product II.
Note that replicating RF's do not directly produce double-stranded daughter molecules. The products of one round of
replication are a singlestranded (+) circle, and a double-stranded RF molecule.
At early times during infection the daughter (+) strands serve as templates for the synthesis of (-) strands, accounting for
RF RF replication. During this period RFs are also transcribed, producing a coat protein (gene VII product) that
associates with the cytoplasmic membrane; and gene V product, a single-stranded DNA binding protein, which is
necessary for the final stage of replication.
The switch from RF RF to RF ss occurs when sufficient gene V protein has accumulated to bind the new viral
strands, and prevent them from serving as templates for (-) strand synthesis. The gene V protein and viral DNA complex
then move to the cell membrane where the gene V protein is displaced by coat protein. The completed virus particles are
excreted through the cell membrane without lysing the cell.
If the M13 DNA molecule is enlarged by inserting foreign DNA at a site near the minus origin, no phage functions are
altered. The enlarged molecule replicates and is packaged into a larger coat (unlike T4, the size of the DNA molecule
determines the size of the phage particle). M13 is, therefore, a very useful tool in DNA cloning. Using recombinant
DNA
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techniques, foreign DNA is replicated as a part of the M13 molecule. The DNA packaged in phage particles is an
abundant source of single-stranded DNA for sequencing, site-directed mutagenesis, and other procedures.
E. Coli Phage l: The Lytic Cycle
is a temperate E. coli phage (Figure 12-15). It can engage in both a lytic cycle in which progeny phage are produced,
and a lysogenic cycle in which a phage-DNA molecule is inserted into the bacterial chromosome. Special features of the
elegant regulatory systems of determine which pathway is used in any given infection.
Figure
12-15 Electron micrograph of phage
The DNA of has two components: a double-stranded segment containing 48,489 nucleotide pairs of known sequence,
and a 12 nucleotide single-strand extension at the 5'-P terminus of each strand. The two terminal single-strand
extensions have complementary base sequences, and are called cohesive ends. Immediately following injection of the
DNA, the cohesive ends base-pair, yielding a circle (Figure 12-16). The adjacent 5'-P and 3'-OH groups are quickly
sealed by E. coli DNA ligase, and the circle is then supercoiled. No phage gene products are involved in this process.
The arrangement of the genes of phage is shown in Figure 12-17. As is typical for phage, the genes are clustered
according to function. For example, the head, tail, replication, and recombination genes form four distinct groups.
Clustering and transcription of the members of a cluster
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Figure 12-16
(a) A diagram of a DNA molecule showing the complementary singlestranded ends
(cohesive ends). Note that 10 of the 12 bases are G or C.
(b) Circularization by means of base-pairing between the cohesive ends. The doublestranded region that is formed is designated cos.
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Figure 12-17
Genetic map of phage . Regulatory genes and functions are indicated in red. All genes
are not shown. Major regulatory sites are indicated by black solid circles. Regions
nonessential for both the lytic and lysogenic cycles are denoted by a heavy line.
from the same DNA strand allow to regulate transcription with a small number of regulatory sites (Figure 12-17).
In this section we will consider the regulatory events of the lytic cycle and replication and maturation of DNA. In the
next section we will examine the regulatory events of the lysogenic pathway and the factors that determine which
pathway will be followed.
Transcription of occurs in three temporal stages: very early, early, and late. Very early and early transcription precede
the decision to follow the lytic or lysogenic pathway. Hence, they are the same in both types of infections. Very early
mRNA encodes regulatory proteins, early transcripts encode replication and recombination enzymes, and late lytic
mRNA encodes the structural proteins of the phage particle and lysis proteins.
In marked contrast to T7, uses E. coli RNA polymerase to transcribe all of its mRNA. Qualitative control of
transcription is accomplished by regulating both initiation and termination. Initiation is regulated by encoded
activators (cl, ell) and repressers (cl, cro) that control promoter accessibility. Termination is controlled by phagespecific antiterminators (N and Q), proteins that allow RNA polymerase to transcribe beyond specific termination sites.
Temporal (i.e., over time) regulation is achieved by sequential expression of regulatory proteins. Consider the following
example. A DNA
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segment contains the sequence

p A B t1 C t2
in which p is a promoter, A B C are genes, and t1 and t2 are terminators. Initially, RNA polymerase will attach top and transcribe A
and B. Assume that B encodes an antiterminator so that RNA polymerase ignores t1. In this case, before the C product can be made,
the B product must be made; thus the C product will be synthesized at a later time than the A product.
Figure 12-18(a) shows a portion of the genetic map of , with three regulatory genes (cro, N, and Q), three promoters (pL, pR, and
pR'), two operators (oL and oR), and four termination sites (tL1, tR1, tR2, and tR3). Immediately after infection, E. coli RNA
polymerase initiates transcription at the strong promoters (pL, pR, and pR'). These transcripts terminate at tL1, tR1, and tR3. Only two
genes are encoded in these very early transcripts, N and cro (control of represser operator); both arecrucial for regulation. The N gene
product is an antiterminator. It binds to DNA at the nut (N utilization) sites (Figure 12-18(a)), allowing RNA polymerase to
transcribe beyond the terminators tL1 and tR1.
The longer (early) transcripts from pR terminate at tR2, expressing the replication genes O and P, and the antiterminator Q, as well as
cro. The early transcripts, extended beyond tL1, express recombination genes. At this point, if the infection follows the lytic
pathway, the Q antiterminator binds to the qut (Q utilization) site permitting transcripts initiated at pR' to continue beyond tR3 into the
late region (head, tail, and lysis genes).
Figure 12-18
(a) A genetic map of the regulatory genes of phage . Genes are listed above the line; sites are below the line. The
mRNA molecules are red. The dashed black arrows indicate the sites of action of the N, Cro, and Q proteins.
(b) A blowup of the oR region showing its tripartite structure. The suboperators, oR3, oR2, and oR1 (shown in red)
are each 17 nucleotides long. Each is capable of binding cl repressor or Cro protein. pR (dashed line) overlaps oR1
and the right half of oR2, while pRM (dotted line) overlaps oR3 and the left half of oR2.
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Late in the lytic cycle, only structural proteins need to be synthesized. Transcription from pL and pR is repressed by the
Cro protein which binds to oL and oR (Figure 12-18(a)), preventing RNA polymerase from binding to pL and pR. In
order to understand how the Cro protein inhibits transcription, we must examine the structure of oR and pR more closely
(oL and pL have analogous structures).
Actually oR is tripartite (Figure 12-18(b)). The three parts of oR (oR3, oR2, and oR1) are similar but not identical
sequences, and each can bind a molecule of the Cro repressor. Since oR1 and the right half of the oR2 overlap pR, the
binding of RNA polymerase to pR is prevented by Croprotein bound to either oR2 or oR1. Since oR3 does not overlap
pR, crorepressor bound to oR3 has no effect on pR.
Early in infection Cro protein is present at low concentrations and binds only to oR3, which has a much higher affinity
for Cro protein than oR2 and oR1. Since transcription from pR and expression of the cro gene continue, the
concentration of cro product increases. Late in infection the concentration of Cro protein is sufficiently high that it binds
to the low affinity operators oR2 and oR1, shutting off further transcription from pR. Thus pR' is the only active
promoter at late times. Note that the delay in production of late proteins in comparison to early proteins is primarily a
result of the time required to transcribe and translate the N and Q genes.
It was mentioned earlier that DNA circularizes shortly after infection and that the cohesive ends base-pair to form the
double-stranded cos region. Clearly, at some stage of the life cycle the single-stranded termini must be regenerated,
since the DNA is linear within a phage head. This is accomplished by a cutting system, called terminase (or Ter), which
cuts within the cos region of progeny DNA. However, the cuts are not made in progeny circles; instead, DNA
replication and cutting are coordinated in a way that is found with many phage species. The earliest stage of replication
of DNA is the bidirectional mode described earlier in Chapter 7 (see Figures 7-4 and 7-25). Progeny circles do not
continue to replicate in this way, but switch to the rolling circle mode, yielding a long linear branch (Figure 12-19).
Progeny DNA molecules are cut from the branch of the rolling circles by terminase. The circular portion of the
Figure 12-19
The replication sequence of phage .
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Figure 12-20
The mode of cutting units from a branch of a rolling circle. The units are
cut sequentially from the free end by terminase.
rolling circle is not cut (this would prevent further replication), because terminase requires two cos sites or one cos site plus one free,
singlestranded terminus. Excision of units thus occurs by sequential cleavage from the free end of the branch, as shown in Figure
12-20. This mechanism for determining the amount of DNA to be packaged is fundamentally different from the T4 headful
mechanism. For , like M13, the length of the phage chromosome determines how much DNA is packaged.
E. Coli Phage l: The Lysogenic Life Cycle
There are two types of lysogenic cycles. Phage is the prototype for the more common one, the essential features of which are
1. A DNA molecule is injected into a bacterium.
2. After a brief period of transcription, needed to synthesize an integration enzyme and repressor of phage transcription, transcription
is turned off.
3. A phage DNA molecule is integrated into the DNA of the bacterium forming a prophage.
Figure 12-21
The general mode of lysogenization by insertion of phage DNA into a bacterial chromosome.
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Figure 12-22
An outline of the events in prophage induction. The prophage DNA is in
red. The bacterial DNA is omitted from the third panel for clarity.
4. The bacterium continues to grow and divide and the prophage is replicated as part of the bacterial chromosome.
The less common type, for which E. coli phage P1 is the prototype, differs from the preceding one in that the phage
DNA molecule becomes a plasmid (an independently replicating circular DNA molecule), rather than a segment of the
host chromosome. In this section we will consider only the lysogenic cycle.
Two important properties of lysogens are the following:
1. A lysogen is immune to infection by a phage of the type that lysogenized the cell. Although the DNA of the
superinfecting phage is
injected and circularized, it is neither replicated nor transcribed.
2. Even after many cell generations, a lysogen can initiate a lytic cycle;
in this process (called induction) the prophage is excised as a circular DNA molecule (Figure 12-22) and initiates lytic
growth.
In order to understand immunity and induction, we must examine how the cI gene product maintains lysogeny. The cI
gene product, commonly called repressor, represses transcription from pL and pR by binding to oL and oR (Figure 1223). In addition it activates and represses its own synthesis from a weak promoter, pRM (promoter for repressor
maintenance). The pRM overlaps oR3 and the left half of oR2 (Figure12-18(b)), and is so weak that it must be activated
to bind RNA polymerase. All three suboperators (oR3, oR2, oR1) can bind cI repressor, but with different affinities and
consequences.
A repressor binds first to oR1, the highest affinity operator, inhibiting transcription from pR, and facilitates binding
repressor to oR2 through
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Figure 12-23
The repressor-operator system of , showing the two early mRNA
molecules. Symbols: cl, repressor gene; p, promoter; o, operator; L,
left; R, right.
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protein-protein interactions. Repressor bound at oR2 does not inhibit transcription from pRM, rather it activates pRM
(binding of RNA polymerase to pRM is facilitated by protein-protein interactions between the repressor and RNA
polymerase). Repressor binds to oR3 with a low affinity, and when bound shuts off transcription from pRM.
At low concentrations, cI binds oR1 and oR2, blocking transcription from pR and activating pRM. At high
concentrations it binds to oR3, repressing transcription from pRM. In a lysogen, this circuit regulates repressor
synthesis to maintain about 100 molecules of unbound repressor per cell in addition to those bound to oL and oR.
Immunity results from the repressor-operator system (Figures 12-18 and 12-23). When a phage infects a lysogen,
unbound repressor molecules immediately bind tooL and oR of the injected DNA molecule, preventing RNA
polymerase from binding topL and pR. Thus repressor inhibits very early transcription directly, and early and late
transcription indirectly. Since there is no transcription from the superinfecting DNA molecule, the bacterium grows and
divides normally, and the superinfecting DNA molecule is progressively diluted out.
Induction is also based on the operator-repressor interaction, and results from the inactivation of the cI repressor. The
repressor may be inactivated by high temperature in mutants that make a temperature labile cI protein or by chemical or
physical agents that damage DNA. Damaged DNA activates the E. coli recA protein (which then functions as a
protease), cleaving the cI repressor. The cleaved repressor is thus rendered inactive; pRM is no longer activated and pL
and pR are no longer repressed, allowing the expression of N and cro. In addition to all of the gene products that are
made in the lytic cycle, an enzyme called excisionase is made. This enzyme cuts the prophage DNA from the bacterial
chromosome and forms a circle; the DNA thus is in the same state as in the beginning of a lytic circle.
In the lysogenic cycle a DNA molecule is integrated at a preferred position in the E. coli chromosome; this site is
between the gal operon and the bio (biotin) operon and is called the attachment site or, genotypically, att (Figure 1223). Integration occurs as a physical breakage and rejoining of phage and host DNAprecisely, between the bacterial
DNA attachment site and another attachment site in the phage DNA that is located near the center of the phage DNA
molecule (Figure 12-24). A phage protein, integrase (its gene designation isint), recognizes the phage
Figure 12-24
The order of the genes on the DNA molecule in the phage head
(vegetative order) and in the prophage (prophage order). The genes
have been selected arbitrarily to provide reference points.
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Figure 12-25
The Campbell model for the mechanism of prophage integration and excision of
phage . The phage attachment site has been denoted POP' in accord with
subsequent findings. The bacterial attachment site is BOB'. The prophage is
flanked by two new attachment sites denoted BOP' and POB'.
DNA and bacterial DNA attachment sites and catalyzes the physical exchange. This results in integration of the DNA
molecule into the bacterial DNA. As a consequence of the circularization and integration, the linear order of the genes
in the infecting DNA molecule is rearranged, as shown in Figure 12-24.
A question that arose after this model was proposed was: Why doesn't the integrase excise the prophage shortly after
integration occurs, since the prophage is flanked by two attachment sites? Furthermore, excision would seem to be the
preferred reaction since, kinetically, two attachment sites in the same DNA molecule (that is, the host chromosome)
ought to interact with each other more rapidly than two attachment sites in different DNA molecules (phage and
bacterial DNA). Why this does not happen became clear when it was discovered that, inasmuch as the DNA attachment
sites in the phage and the bacterium are not the same, they recombine to form prophage attachment sites that, as a
consequence, also differ from the sites joining the bacterial and phage DNA.
All of the attachment sites have three different components. One of these is common to all sites and is denoted by the
letter O.* The phage attachment site is written POP' (P for phage) and the bacterial attachment site is written BOB' (B
for bacteria). Thus, in the integration reaction two new attachment sites, BOP' and POB', are generated (Figure 12-25).
*Another common notation is a raised dot, ., so that the bacterial attachment site, which we write BOB', may
be written B.B'. In this book we prefer the O.
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These are often written attL and attR to designate the left and right prophage-attachment sites, respectively. Integrase
cannot catalyze a reaction between BOP' and POB', so that the reaction is irreversible if integrase is the only enzyme
present.
The result of the integration reaction is that the DNA is linearly inserted between the gal and bio loci and henceforth
is replicated simply as a segment of E. coli DNA (Figure 12-24). The first evidence for insertion came from genetic
experiments. Final proof for insertion came from the following physical experiment. A prophage was formed in a
circular plasmid whose molecular weight was 105 106 and which contained BOB'. The plasmid remained circular but
its molecular weight increased by the amount of one molecule (31 106) to 136 106.
Finally, we must ask what determines whether a infection will be lytic or lysogenic. Although cI expression is
essential to lysogeny, pRM dependent expression cannot establish lysogeny because activation of pRM transcription
requires prior synthesis of the cI gene product. In , the solution for the initial transcription of cI is to use a second
promoter, pRE (promoter for repressor establishment), that does not require prior cI expression. pRE is a weak
promoter, however, and must be activated by the cII gene product.
The cII gene is expressed early in infection along with cro, O, P, and Q as a consequence of antitermination of the pR
transcript (Figure 12-26). The cII product then activates transcription of cI from pRE and int from pI. The first cI
repressor molecules bind to oL and oR, inhibiting transcription from pL and pR and activating pRM. As lysogeny is
established, transcription of cI from pRE ceases because the cII protein is unstable and is no longer synthesized once
transcription from pR is inhibited. However, cI transcription continues from the activated pRM. Transcription from pI
produces high levels of int protein that is necessary for integration of DNA into the host chromosome (Figure 12-26).
If the initial stages of the lytic and lysogenic pathways are identical, what determines which pathway will be followed?
The principal determinant seems to be the level of cII protein. High levels of cII product favor lysogeny while low
levels favor the lytic pathway. The instability of the cII protein is due to degradation by proteases. Under favorable
growth conditions proteases are plentiful, the cII protein is degraded and hence pREis not activated; the lytic cycle is
favored. Under poor growth condi-
Figure 12-26
The role of the cII protein in stimulating synthesis of cl and int
mRNA from pre and pl, respectively. The mRNA molecules are
drawn as red arrows indicating the direction of RNA synthesis. The
arrows are located nearer the DNA strand that is copied. Dashed
arrows point to the sites of binding of the cII protein (red dots).
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tions proteases are less abundant and there is less degradation of cII protein, so pRE is activated, favoring lysogeny.
Transducing Phage
Some phage species, known as transducing phage, are able to package bacterial DNA as well as phage DNA. Particles
containing bacterial DNA, called transducing particles, are not always formed and usually constitute only a small
fraction of a phage population. Such particles can arise by two mechanisms, aberrant excision of a prophage and
packaging of bacterial DNA fragments. We begin with a discussion of the first mechanism.
One mechanism by which transducing particles form is shown in Figure 12-27, which depicts the formation of the
galactose- and biotin-transducing forms of phage namely, gal and bio.
When prophage is induced, an orderly sequence of events ensues in which the prophage DNA is precisely excised
from the host DNA (Figure 12-27). In the case of phage , this is accomplished by the combined efforts of the int and
xis genes acting on the left and right prophage attachment sites. At a very low frequencynamely, in about one cell
per106-107 cellsan excision error of two incorrect cuts is madeone within the prophage, and the other cut in the
bacterial DNA. The pair of abnormal cuts will not always yield a length of DNA that can fit in a phage headit may be
too large or too small. However if the spacing between the cuts produces a molecule between 79% and 106% of the
length of a normal phage-DNA molecule, packaging can occur. Since the prophage is located between the E. coli gal
and bio genes and because the cut in the host DNA can be either to the right or the left of the prophage, transducing
particles can arise carrying the bio genes (cut to the right), or the gal genes (cut to the left). Formation of the gal- and
bio-transducing parti-
Figure 12-27
Aberrant excision leading to production of gal and bio phages.
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cles entails loss of genes. The gal particle lacks the tail genes, which are located at the right end of the prophage; the
bio particle lacks the int, xis, genes from the left end of the prophage. The number of missing phage genes of course
depends on the position of the cuts that generated the particle and thus correlates with the amount of bacterial DNA in
the particle. The missing phage genes come from the prophage ends, but because of the permutation of the gene order in
the prophage and the phage particle, the deleted phage genes are always from the central region of the phage DNA, as
Since these transducing particles lack phage genes, they might be expected to be nonviable. This is indeed true of the
gal type, which lacks genes essential for synthesis of the phage tail and, in the case of the larger deletion-substitutions,
the genes for the phage head also. These particles are thus incapable of producing progeny; they are defective and this is
denoted by the symbol da gal-transducing particle is written gal (and sometimes dg). The dgal particle contains the
cohesive ends and all of the information for DNA replication and transcription; it therefore goes through a normal life
cycle, including bacterial lysis. In fact, if the head genes are not deleted, the concatemeric branch produced by rolling
circle replication is cleaved by the Ter system. However, tails are not added to the filled head, no viable particles are
produced in the lysate, and plaques are not formed on a host lawn. Note that there is no discrepancy between the
formation of a dgal transducing particle and its ability to reproduce itself. A dgal particle fails to reproduce only
because it lacks the tail genes, but such a particle arises from a normal prophage having a full set of genes.
The situation is quite different with bio particles, for these usually lack only nonessential genesint, xis, and so on.
These genes are needed for the lysogenic cycle, but not for the lytic cycle, so these particles are able to replicate and to
form plaques. To denote this, the letter p, for plaque-forming, is added; that is, the particle is called pbio.
Transducing phage, like , able to form transducing particles containing bacterial genes from selected regions of the
bacterial chromosome, are called specialized transducing phage. Other phage species are able to package fragments of
bacterial DNA from all parts of the chromosome. These are called generalized transducing phage. The specialized
transducing phage producing transducing particles only come from a lysogen. In contrast, the generalized transducing
phage form transducing particles from infected cells. The mechanism by which these particles are produced is
straightforward. Some phage species, of which T4 is an example, degrade bacterial DNA early in infection. With T4 the
degradation is complete, but in other species, of which E. coli phage P1 and Salmonella typhimurium phage P22 are
examples, fragments of chromosomal DNA comparable in size to phage DNA are present at the time phage DNA is
packaged. The packaging system of is a site-specific one, requiring cos sites. However, some phages, like T4, either
merely fill a head, or like P1 and P22, are able to package fragments having a range of sizes. The latter phage cannot
distinguish bacterial DNA from phage-DNA and occasionally package a
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piece of bacterial DNA. In a P1 population about one percent of the particles contain only a fragment of bacterial DNA.
Transducing particles are quite useful in genetic experiments. For example, they can be used to transfer a bacterial gene
from one cell to another. They have also been used as a means of isolating particular segments of a bacterial
chromosome.
Key concept
The ''Levels of Sophistication" Concept

Prokaryotes such as viruses and bacteria, under heavy natural selection pressure, have evolved more streamlined
mechanisms for regulating gene expression than higher organisms (e.g., humans).
Bacteriophage, especially the filamentous types (e.g., M13), can be employed in the laboratory to express a vast
collection of antibody molecules
on their surfaces. This method is based upon the fact that filamentous phage can incorporate foreign proteins into their
coats and still replicate
normally. Therefore, a potentially powerful method for producing novel artificial antibodies for treatment of human
diseases is available.
As a first step a collection of genes that code for a vast array of
antibody molecules is inserted into the viral genomes. The individual viruses, depending on the particular antibody gene
they contain, replicate and incorporate that specific antibody molecule into their protein coat. Initially, a population of
viruses are employed, and large numbers of
antibody genes (up to 108 different ones) are inserted. The phage system is therefore referred to as a "display library."
Such a library consists of a population of phage containing antibody molecules as part of the structure of their protein
coat.
In a second step the display library is treated with the disease-causing antigen (e.g., a cancerous tumor protein) and
those phage containing an antibody that reacts with the antigen are recognized. The phage are then replicated and the
antibody extracted from the viruses' protein coat. With this method it is expected that in the future it will be possible to
harvest
antibodies that react with very rare antigens targets, and side-step conventional antibody-preparation tasks usually
requiring relatively large quantities of antigen.
Hence, this artificial antibody production system that is "piggybacked"on the M13 phage replication system offers
promise as a commercial method for producing highly specific medicinal agents.
Summary
A bacteriophage, or phage, is an extracellular nucleoprotein particle that can infect and replicate within a bacterium. A
typical phage consists of a
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protein shell in which is enclosed a molecule of nucleic acid. Phages contain either single- or double-stranded DNA or
single- or double-stranded RNA. The most common phage structure is an icosahedral head to which a tail is attached.
Less common are tailless heads and filamentous structures.
Phages have two distinct life cyclesthe lytic and lysogenic cycles. In the lytic cycle progeny phage are made during the
infection and released from the cell shortly after their assembly. A complete lytic cycle generally occurs in 2060
minutes at 3037C. In the lysogenic cycle a replica of a phage DNA molecule becomes incorporated into the bacterial
chromosome. The bacterium survives the infection and the phage DNA replicates as part of the bacterial genome. At a
later time, if the bacterium is damaged, a lytic cycle ensues. Both life cycles begin by adsorption of a phage particle to
the bacterium. Following adsorption tailed phages inject their nucleic acid into the cell; tailless phages release the
nucleic acid on the cell surface, and the nucleic acid is taken into the cell in a manner that is not understood.
Filamentous phages penetrate the cell wall, and the coat is digested during the process.
Once phage DNA is in a cell, a variety of strategies are used to produce progeny particles depending on the phage
species and the life cycle selected. The earliest phage mRNAs are made by the bacterial polymerase; later mRNAs may
be made by a newly made phage RNA polymerase or by various modified forms of the bacterial enzyme. There are
three types of phage proteins made: catalytic, regulatory, and structural. The catalytic proteins (enzymes) are
responsible for DNA replication, further transcription, preparation of DNA for packaging into a coat, cell lysis, and,
occasionally, production of DNA precursors and destruction of bacterial DNA. Regulatory proteins may inactivate
bacterial enzymes, but are primarily responsible for causing the various stages of phage production to occur in an
orderly and efficient way. Structural proteins form heads, tail, and other components of the finished phage particle. If
the lytic cycle is selected, the cycle ends with the bacterium being broken up by lysing enzymes and release of the
progeny phage to the surrounding medium.
Drill Questions
1. How many DNA molecules are contained in a typical phage particle?
2. What are the three morphological forms of phage particles?
3. What kind of nucleic acids is found in phages of different species?
4. What kind of nucleic acids is found in the following phages: T4, T7, , M13, MS-2? Tell about circularity also.
5. Why can a particular phage not absorb to any bacterial species?6.
6. What class of molecules are found in the phage tails?
7. What structural feature is present at the termini of DNA that is absent in the DNA of T4, T7?
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8. A phage capable only of lytic growth is called______

9. Name the modified form of cytosine found in the T4 phage.
10. Phages able to package bacterial DNA are called ______ phages.
Problems
1. A suspension of a phage is exposed for a long time to a DNase. Will the treatment alter the number of infective
phages?
2. List the main stages of a phage life cycle.
3. Name the minimal (essential) structural components of the simplest phage particle.
4. What is meant by a nonessential gene? Can a phage gene be truly nonessential?
5. What is meant by the term phage-host specificity, and what is the most frequent cause of this specificity?
6. A particular bacterial mutant cannot utilize lactose as a carbon source. If a phage adsorbs to such a bacterium and the
infected cell is put in a growth medium in which lactose is the sole carbon source, can progeny phage be produced?
7. What is the source of the RNA polymerase that makes the first phage mRNA in the life cycle of a phage containing
double-stranded DNA?
8. Considering the enzymes used for transcription, how does transcription of T7 differ from ?
9. What DNA intermediate seems to be obligatory in the replication of single-stranded DNA phages?
10. Following injection, what structural transitions does phage undergo, prior to transcription?
1. Since infection of a bacterium by a phage is usually lethal to the bacterium, why have bacteria not evolved to lose
their phage receptors?
2. What would you expect to happen if, after virulent phage infection (such as with T4), all the phage genes were
transcribed and translated at once following phage DNA infection?
3. How would you show whether or not a phage-encoded gene product is required throughout the infectious cycle or
only at a unique time?
4. A new protein X appears in infected cells. Describe various experiments that you might perform to prove that the
gene coding for X is phage-encoded and is not encoded in host DNA.
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Chapter 13
Hans - Peter Mller
Group Leader,
Institute of Molecular Biology
(II)
Major: Biology 1985
Graduate Degree
Ph.D. 1990
San Francisco
19911994
Walter Schaffner
Professor Of MolecularBiology;
University of Zurich Institute of Molecular Biology (II)
Major Zoology 1970
Graduate Degree:
Ph.D. Molecular Biology, 1975
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University of Zurich, 19751976;
Medical Research Council,
Cambridge, U.K., 1976;
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory,
New York, 19771978
What motivated you to decide to pursue a career in molecular biology?
Our motivation comes from a deep interest in general biology, coupled with the wish to understand more and more
aspects of cellular behavior at the molecular level and to hopefully come closer to the answer of what life is in terms of
chemistry and physics. Besides that, we like the daily lab work that affords a challenging interplay of experimental and
intellectual skills. Molecular biology is still a young and growing field, and we find it exciting to discuss the rapid
advances with colleagues from all over the world, and to contribute, ourselves, to the progress. Moreover, molecular
biology becomes of increasing importancein everybody's daily life. We are convinced that molecular biology will help
solve some of today's most urgent health problems such as infectious diseases and cancer: but on the other hand, it may
also intensify some problems of our society. As molecular biologists we hope to always be aware of both types of
developments.
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1. That important differences exist between gene
regulation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
2. About the ways transcription and RNA processing are
regulated.
3. About the ways translation is regulated.
4. The special features of the immune system.
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More than two-hundred cell types have been identified in the human body, including those for muscle, liver, nerve, lung, epithelium,
bone marrow (B), and thymus (T) lymphocytes. These cell types differ dramatically in both morphology and function. However, with
some exceptions, the genetic information of the various cells within a given organism is virtually the same. These different cell types
seem to arise mainly from the differential expression of an identical cal genome, which is due to the expression of a characteristic
subset of mRNAs and proteins in any given type of cell. The majority of the proteins and mRNAs, however, are produced in all cell
types, and their levels do not differ by more than a few fold from one cell to another (i.e., they are responsible for so-called
housekeeping functions). Eukaryotes have evolved complex regulatory mechanisms to express a specific gene in one cell type, but
not in another, without changing the sequence of the gene itself. In principle, gene expression can be regulated at each step in the
circular synthesis/modification pathway from DNA to RNA to protein to DNA (Figure 13-1). Potential control levels include:
1. Transcription
2. RNA processing (splicing or other types of processing/modification)
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Figure 13-1
Potential control levels for the regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes.
Levels 1 and 2 are localized in the nucleus and 4 and 5 in the cytoplasm; 3 and 6
indicate translocation between the two compartments. Note that with 6 only one
possible route of protein translocation (from the cytoplasm to the nucleus) is
indicated. RNA me tabolism is shown in red.
3. mRNA transport
4. mRNA degradation and storage
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5. Translation
6. Posttranslational modulation of protein activity
The expression of a given gene is likely to be regulated at several of these levels. Those levels provide an outline for the
first section of this chapter.
Important Differences in the Genetic Organization of Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes
Numerous differences exist between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cellular and genomic organization. The most striking
differences, introduced in earlier chapters, are the following:
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1. The eukaryotic cell contains a membranous nucleus which includes the chromosomes as carriers of genetic
information. In addition to the nucleus, the eukaryotic cell contains many other subcellular compartments (e.g.,
mitochondria) not found in prokaryotic organisms.
2. The chromosomal DNA of eukaryotes is packaged into a highly regular nucleoprotein complex called chromatin (see
Chapter 5).
3. In eukaryotes (particularly those with a large genome) many DNA segments are repeated hundreds, thousands, or
even millions of times. The function of these highly repeated sequencesif there is anyhas yet to be elucidated. In
contrast, most prokaryotic genomes contain essentially no repetitive sequences, except for a few repeats of ribosomal
RNA (rRNA) and transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. Earlier, in Figure 311, these differences in genomes were described.
4. A typical eukaryotic gene is monocistronic (i.e., one transcription unit usually encodes one translation unit).
Prokaryotes, however, often have several translation units organized in a single operon comprising one transcription
unit (polycistronic gene). The translation units of one operon usually encode different proteins involved in the same
regulatory pathway (see Figure 1113). In contrast, eukaryotic genes, even if they belong to the same regulatory
pathway, are usually not grouped closely on the same part of the chromosome.
5. A characteristic feature of most eukaryotic genes is that they are split (i.e., the amino acid sequence of the gene
product is usually not colinear with the genetic information). The noncoding sequences (so called introns) need to be
"spliced out" in a complicated process that generates mature messenger RNA (mRNA) (see Chapter 8).
In the following sections we will see how eukaryotes have incorporated some of these features into particular modes of
regulation.
The Regulation of Transcription Initiation
Whether a gene is expressed or not is often determined at the level of transcription (mRNA synthesis). This should not
be surprising, since it would appear to be the most economical way for a cell to control the expression of a gene.
(However, nature often defies the obvious expectation e.g., by transcribing a specific gene in several cell types, but
converting the transcript (mRNA) into an active, translated form only in one cell type!)
Research on bacterial transcription established early on that genes consist of essentially two parts: the coding region
containing the information for the exact composition of the gene product (protein or RNA) and the so-called promoter
sequence located closely upstream of the coding
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region. Promoters are "landing sites" for the transcription machinery (see Figure 8-4 in Chapter 8) and determine when
and how efficiently a gene is transcribed. The prokaryotic transcription apparatus is relatively simple and comprises
only one type of RNA polymerase (with four subunits) and so-called sigma factor proteins that confer gene classspecific promoter recognition. Additional promoter-specific DNA binding proteins have been shown to modulate the
level of transcription. Some of these proteins activate transcription by specifically interacting with both the promoter
and RNA polymerase; most of them, however, are repressors that reduce transcription by sterically interfering with the
transcription apparatus (for further details on prokaryotic transcription refer back to Chapter 8).
Initially, researchers assumed that transcriptional regulation would be similar in eukaryotes. However, extensive work
over the last 20 years has revealed a surprisingly complex situation as we shall discuss in this section. The components
and steps involved in eukaryotic transcription can be summarized as follows:
1. There are three different gene class-specific RNA polymerases each of which consists of at least 10 subunits.
2. A number of additional proteins, the so-called general, or basal, transcription factors, together with the RNA
polymerase, form a minimal complex that recognizes a promoter and can initiate transcription in vitro.
3. The relative level of transcriptional initiation is regulated by various specific transcription factors. These bind to
upstream regions of promoters, or to other regulatory sequences called enhancers that are often located very far away
from the coding region of a given gene. Furthermore, additional factors, so-called coactivators, which themselves do not
bind DNA, may interact with DNA-bound transcription factors.
4. The specific transcription factors bound to distal promoter or enhancer sequences most likely stimulate transcription
by directly interacting with the basal transcription apparatus while looping out the intervening DNA. In addition, at least
some of these factors seem to also help reorganize chromatin into a more accessible, "loose" form that is experimentally
characterized by a higher sensitivity towards DNaseI (see Figure 57 in Chapter 5). Conversely, repressing factors
binding so-called silencer DNA may instead disturb interactions within the transcription apparatus and/ or reorganize
the chromatin into a tight, nonaccessible form.
Presumably this increased degree of complexity is necessary for the fine-tuned transcriptional regulatory circuits
existing in multicellular organisms. During the differentiation of a precursor cell into a specific cell type, for example,
specific sets of genes are turned on, while others are turned off. Such genes include regulatory genes that control the
establishment and maintenance of a cell type, as well as genes that encode cell type-specific proteins, which may be
needed in massive amounts. Examples
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of the latter type of proteins are the hemoglobins of erythroid cells, insulin of pancreatic beta cells, immunoglobulins of
B lymphocytes, and actin and myosin of muscle cells.
Three Different RNA Polymerases Transcribe Eukaryotic Genes
In eukaryotes three different RNA polymerases (see Chapter 8) fulfill the different transcriptional tasks. Each
polymerase consists of at least ten subunits, of which they share five. RNA polymerase I transcribes only the tandemly
repeated genes encoding ribosomal 18S, 5.8S, and 28S RNAs. RNA polymerase III transcribes some small RNA genes
such as those encoding tRNAs, ribosomal 5S RNA and the U6 small nuclear RNA (U6 snRNA). Transcripts from these
genes are produced in all cell types and therefore can be regarded as housekeeping genes. RNA polymerase II
transcribes, besides most small nuclear RNA (snRNA) genes, all the protein-coding genes. These latter genes are
perhaps the most interesting ones because their products are often decisively involved in cellular responses to
environmental and developmental cues. We will focus in the subsequent text on the transcriptional regulation of proteincoding genes.
The Transcriptional Regulation of RNA Polymerase II-Transcribed Genes
Promoters of genes transcribed by RNA polymerase II usually contain an initiator region (Inr) where transcription starts,
a TATA box some 30 base-pairs upstream of the initiation site, and always additional upstream promoter elements
(Figure 13-2(a)) as well. The part of the promoter comprising the initiator region and the TATA box is viewed as the
"corepromoter," since it can serve as a minimal "landing site" for the transcription apparatus in vitro. Whereas the
bacterial RNA polymerase needs just one accessory protein, a sigma factor, to recognize a promoter and specifically
initiate transcription, all eukaryotic RNA polymerases need a number of so-called general, or basal, transcription factors
to initiate transcription. In the case of RNA polymerase II, these general transcription factors have been grouped into six
fractions called TFIID, B, F, E, F, H, each containing one or more polypeptides. TFIID, for example, consists of a
sequence-specific TATA-box binding protein (TBP) and a number of TBP-associated factors (so-called TAFs).
(Interestingly, TBP is essential for transcription by all three RNA polymerases; the TAFs, however, appear to be
polymerase-specific.) The other general transcription factors TFIIB, F, E, F, H do not bind DNA sequence-specifically
and form a more or less tight association with RNA polymerase II. This complex is here referred to as the (basal)
transcription apparatus. Initiation of transcription at specific DNA sites, albeit at a low level, can actually be obtained in
vitro with the core promoter and this transcription apparatus.
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Figure 13-2
Models for regulation of RNA synthesis from various genes which are transcribed by RNA polymerase
II. Regulatory sequences (enhancers and promoters) as well as the multitude of proteins comprising a transcription
complex, described in the text, are illustrated. Protein coding sequence is shown in red.
Thereby only TBP of the TFIID complex, that is, without the TAFs, needs to be bound to the TATA box, since the TAFs are required to
mediate the effect of upstream promoter sequences and their bound factors.
In vivo, however, upstream promoter elements are absolutely required. A promoter contains multiple elements, each about 10 bp in length,
that provide binding sites for transcription activators (often also just called "upstream transcription factors," or "specific transcription
factors"; Figure 13-2(a)). Transcription activators regulate the level of transcription, and a larger number of upstream promoter elements
usually induces a higher level of transcription (Figure 13-2(b)). In principle these transcription activators can induce transcription in vivo in
two ways: (1) by opening up chromatin and (2) by directly interacting with proteins of the transcription machinery. Chromatin generally has
a repressing effect on transcription and this explains why core promoters are not sufficient to confer any transcription in vivo. However, at
least some transcription activators (e.g., glucocorticoid receptor, and Ga14 factor of yeast) have been shown to
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be able to contact their binding site even when it is wrapped around a nucleosomal core! Such interactionsperhaps in
collaboration with the so-called SWI/SNF complex that modifies nucleosomal structuresmay alter the chromatin
structure and render a promoter more accessible for the transcription apparatus. Any modification of chromatin structure
notwithstanding, specific interactions between transcription activators and the transcription machinery are also
important since some activators have been shown to stimulate transcription in vitro in the absence of any chromatin. As
already mentioned, for a stimulation by upstream activators, TBP- associated factors (TAFs) are required. TAFs are
considered to be mediators between the transcription activators and the basic transcription machinery.
While all natural promoters transcribed by RNA polymerase II contain one or more upstream promoter elements, they
do not always contain a TATA box. Many housekeeping genes, for example, lack TATA boxes and tend to have
multiple transcription start sites. The assembly of the transcription machinery on such promoters has been studied less
extensively than on TATA-box-containing promoters. Hence, with those promoters the details of assembly are not yet
well understood. It is known, however, that the TBP-TAFs complex (TFIID) is also required for accurate transcription
with TATA-less promoters. Presumably, the initiator region(s) Inr plays a more prominent role for the assembly of the
transcription machinery with such promoters. Accordingly, it has been postulated that Inr-binding proteins might tether
TFIID to the promoter.
Another type of regulatory sequence, called ''enhancer," also increases the rate of transcription initiation. Enhancers
seem to be associated with most genes that are "regulated," while they may not be essential for all housekeeping genes,
which are expressed in virtually all cells at all times. Interestingly, enhancers can be located either upstream or
downstream of the start siteclose to the promoter (Figure 13-2(b)) or thousands of base-pairs away (Figure 13-2(c)).
Enhancers contain sequence motifs similar to upstream promoter regions and therefore can bind some of the same
transcription factors. In several cases, when a single upstream promoter element is multimerized experimentally, the
resulting synthetic segment behaves as a strong enhancer, i.e., it activates transcription from a remote position. This
indicates that at least some transcription factors stimulate transcription via a similar mechanism, regardless of whether
they are bound to proximal promoter sequences or remote enhancers. Therefore, promoters and enhancers can overlap
both physically (Figure 13-2(b)) and functionally.
Although most of the transcription factors so far discovered are transcriptional activators, transcriptional repressors also
exist. Again, some of these repressors can bind either to upstream promoter or to distantly located so-called silencer
sequences. A silencer can be regarded as having the opposite effect of an enhancer.
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The Structure of Specific Transcription Factors and Their Role as Regulators in Cell Type-Specific Transcription and
Embryonic Development
In recent years a number of genes that encode DNA-binding transcription factors have been "cloned" (see Chapter 15)
and much has been learned about their structure and function. These proteins generally consist of several functional
domains that often can be experimentally exchanged between different protein complexes, a fact that has facilitated the
elucidation of their functions. Transcription factors contain at least three different domains specifying DNA binding
(DNA binding domain), allowing translocation of the protein complex to the nucleus (nuclear translocation signal,
NLS), or interacting with parts of the transcription apparatus (activation domain). Some of these activation domains
seem to work well only over relatively short distances from the initiation site of transcription, that is, from a promoter
position. Others (so-called enhancer-type domains) can, however, also act over large distances, that is, from a remotely
located enhancer position. Quite often a transcription factor contains additional domains for interaction with other DNAbinding transcription factors or regulatory proteins that can substantially increase or decrease the activity of the factor
(for further details see the section on "Regulation of Protein Activity" later in this chapter). So-called "co-activators"
that specifically interact with DNA-bound transcription factors (but not with DNA) consist of functional domains
similar to those of bonafide transcription factors. Instead of a DNA binding domain, however, they contain a domain
that allows specific ''piggyback" binding to a DNA-bound transcription factor (see also (Figure 13-2(d)). Transcriptional
repressors interact with the transcription apparatus in a way that leads to inhibition of transcription. The separation into
activating and repressing transcription factors is not an absolute one: Depending on the promoter context and interaction
with other factors, one gene's repressor can be another gene's activator, as is exemplified by the dual role of some
regulatory proteins, such as the glucocorticoid receptor.88
Interestingly, the overall structure of transcription factors (and other components of the transcription machinery) is very
similar in species as phylogenetically distant as yeast and humans. Indeed, it has been shown that several yeast and
insect transcription factors work well in human cells! Some transcription factors are found exclusively in one or a few
cell types and help to control the establishment and-or maintenance of specific cell types (e.g., the proteins Myf 5 and
Myo D found in muscle cells). The experimental expression of the transcription factor Myo D in fibroblasts can induce
these relatively ordinary cells to differentiate into muscle cells. Other transcription factors help to ensure the production
of abundant cell type-specific proteins. The transcription factor Oct-2, for example, is found mainly in B-lymphocytes.
Together with the ubiquitous Oct-1 factor and a B cell-specific coactivator (Bob1/OBF1), it contributes to the cell type-
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specific transcription of immunoglobulin genes, which encode antibodies. The activity of other ubiquitously expressed
transcription factors can also be modulated posttranscriptionally, depending on extracellular stimuli. As we will see,
such modes of regulation provide a major mechanism for regulating transcription (see section on "Regulation of Protein
Activity" later in this chapter).
There is also a large body of evidence indicating that transcription factors are responsible for many crucial steps in the
embryogenesis of invertebrates and vertebrates. It came as a surprise to find that at least some of the substances (so
called "morphogens"), which were postulated decades ago to control tissue or organ formation within the embryo, are
actually transcription factors. For example, the product of the maternally transcribed bicoid gene is a transcription factor
with a so-called "homedomain" for specific DNA binding. It forms an anterior-posterior gradient at an early stage of
embryogenesis in the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, and is referred to as a morphogen.
The Assembly of the Transcription Apparatus and the Mechanism of Transcriptional Activation by Upstream Promoter
Elements and Enhancers
The complex of proteins we have referred to as the "transcription apparatus" is very complicated and by no means fully
understood (Figure 13-2(d)). It consists of RNA polymerase II and a number of general transcription factors (TFIIB, E,
F, H). RNA polymerase II itself consists also of a number of subunits. From yeast the genes of all twelve subunits have
been cloned, whereas in mammals not even the exact number of subunits is known. Most recently, yet another class of
proteins, called SRBs, has been genetically defined in the baker's yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These SRBs are
known to form a large multiprotein complex that can also be associated with the transcription apparatus. So far no
mammalian SRBs have been discovered, although their existence seems quite likely due to the high degree of
conservation mentioned earlier between the transcription machineries of all eukaryotes.
The process by which the transcription apparatus is assembled is still not well understood. Studies with different
experimental systems suggest two possible assembly pathways, whereby in both cases TFIID (or minimally, TBP) binds
first to the TATA box: (1) assembly in a DNA-depen dent, sequential fashion, as found in mammalian cell-extracts, or
(2) assembly in a DNA-independent manner as observed in yeast extracts. In the first case the promoter-bound TFIID
(TBP/TAF) complex serves as a binding site for TFIIB, which subsequently recruits RNA pol II and TFIIF into the
complex. Finally, TFIIE and TFIIH are bound, so transcription can start. In the latter situation (2) only TFIIE and TFIID
need to be added to the preassembled transcription apparatus before the actual interaction with the promoter takes place.
This mode is schematically indicated
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in Figure 13-2(d). The still unanswered question of whether both pathways exist in vivo is important, since a sequential
assembly (case 1) would allow for the most elaborate regulatory mechanisms. In any case, transcripts obtained with this
minimal number of about 50 polypeptides are only detectable in vitro. Even so, the transcription efficiency is quite low
in the absence of additional transcription factors which bind to upstream promoter elements.
The boosting of transcription in vitro by the addition of factors which bind to upstream promoter elements requires the
association of TAFs with TBP. This observation suggests that TAFs provide at least some of the interaction targets for
the transcription activators (see Figure 13-2(d)). As might have been expected from study of the different types of
activation domains found in transcription activators (e.g., acidic, proline- and glutamine-rich domains), they appear to
interact with different TAFs. Some of the interactions are schematically indicated in Figure 13-2(d), either with direct
protein-protein contacts or with arrows.
The further analysis of this network may lead to many more surprises. Keep in mind that each protein-protein and
protein-DNA interaction has the potential to serve as the basis for a regulatory mechanism.
Little is known about the transition from transcriptional initiation to elongation, that is, the release of RNA polymerase
II and associated factors from the promoter-bound complex. Evidently, this process must involve breakage of some
protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions. It has been postulated that the carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) of the
largest subunit of RNA polymerase II plays a crucial role in the assembly of the initiation complex as well as the
transition to elongation. The CTD domain consists of a repeated heptapeptide with the consensus sequence Tyr-Ser-ProThr-Ser-Pro-Ser. The number of repetitions is constant for each species (e.g., 26 in yeast, 43 in Drosophila, 52 in human
and mouse). Interestingly, the CTD is underphosphorylated in the assembled complex but heavily phosphorylated
during on-going transcription. The already-mentioned SRBs and the general transcription factor TFIIH, which exhib-its
a CTD kinase activity that is modulated by TFIIE, have been shown to interact with the CTD (Figure 13-2(d)).
Obviously, the dramatic change in the CTD's charge could affect interactions between assembly partners at the initiation
complex. According to one simple model, CTD phosphorylation facilitates elongation by allowing for release of RNA
polymerase II from the initiation complex.
Key Concept
The "Combinatorial Action" Concept

The expression of eukaryotic genes is regulated by macromolecular complexes consisting of a variety of proteins that
combine with each other and bind to specific nucleotide sequences (e.g., promoters and enhancers).
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Gene Transcription Correlates with Decondensed Chromatin and DNA Hypomethylation

The genome of eukaryotes is packaged into a highly organized nucleoprotein complex called chromatin, whose major
protein components are the so-called histones (see Chapter 5). This complex, however, is not identical throughout the
entire genome. In chromatin regions that contain actively transcribed genes, the histones are acetylated and one of them
(histone H1) is underrepresented, resulting in a more loosely packed nucleoprotein complex. As a consequence, regions
of active chromatin typically exhibit an increased overall sensitivity to experimental treatment with DNaseI. These
regions of higher DNaseI sensitivity are often associated with transcriptionally active genes and also contain a few socalled DNaseI hypersensitive sites. Hypersensitive sites represent binding sites for regulatory proteins in enhancers and
also the location of other control regions. These sites may be located in front of, behind, and sometimes within the gene,
and they often coincide with promoter and enhancer sequences. Transcription factors bound to these regulatory
sequences might prevent tight chromatin packaging and thus allow more easy access by DNaseI. In addition, some of
these transcription factors have been shown to induce DNA to bend, making it more vulnerable to nuclease attack.
The characteristic hypersensitive sites of a given gene appear in a cell-and stage-specific manner. They may precede the
actual process of transcription, but are usually not found in tissues where the gene is always inactive. Hemoglobin
genes, for example, have hypersensitive sites in both immature and mature erythroid cells but not in nonproducer cells
such as those found in the liver, brain, or muscles. Most likely, hypersensitive sites are formed as soon as the
transcription factors that specifically bind to these sites appear in the cell at a given stage of differentiation. The details
of this transition are, however, as mentioned earlier, not well understood. Some enhancer-like sequences and associated
proteins control the transition from the inactive to the active chromatin state of a gene during the process of cell
differentiation. Such regulatory DNA sequences are called locus control regions (LCRs).
Gene activity correlates not only with decondensed chromatin structure but also with hypomethylation of the gene. The
principle of DNA modification by methylation of specific cytosines is exploited by both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
The specific methylation pattern of a given gene (or even a large chromosomal region) can be maintained during many
rounds of cell division (Figure 13-3). In bacteria, methylation of the adenine in GATC and cytosine in CCA/TGG
sequences can occur. In higher eukaryotes, only the modified DNA base 5-methyl cytosine has been detected thus far. It
is typically present in the CG dinucleotide sequence (and also as CNG in plants). Recall, as was mentioned in Chapter
10, methylated cytosines are hotspots of mutation because they are quite
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Figure 13-3
(a) Deoxycytidine and 5-methyl-deoxycytidine are indicaed (dR = deoxyribose).
(b) The
methylation, in which the hydrogen atom at carbon number 5 of deoxycytidine is replaced by a methyl
group, can be catalyzed by a maintenance methylase enzyme that recognizes hemimethylated CpG
dinucleotides and fully methylates them shortly after DNA replication.
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vulnerable to transition mutations, which convert a methylated C intoa T. This also explains the relative underrepresentation of
CG dinucleotidesin vertebrate genomes. Nevertheless, the fact that methylated Cspersist in the genome suggests that there
must be a strong natural evolutionary selection to maintain cytosine methylation for certain cellular functions.
In invertebrates (for example, sea urchins), methylation appears to be used mainly as a means to inactivate highly repetitive
DNA, which is
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also constitutively packaged into dense heterochromatin. In vertebrates, cytosine methylation appears to be used in a
more sophisticated manner, since the same DNA sequence can be methylated in one cell type, but
not in another. The -globin gene, for example, is methylated in nonproducer cells, but unmethylated in erythroid cells
where it is transcribed. Also, the housekeeping genes transcribed by RNA polymerase II are unmethylated even though
they are usually particularly rich in CG dinucleotides. These unmethylated CG rich sequences, usually containing
enhancer or promoter sequences, are called CpG islands. They are unmethylated in both autosomes and one X
chromosome. Invariably, such reactivated genes have also lost the methyl groups in the CpG island, consistent with the
correlation of methylation and inactivity of the gene. Differential methylation of single genes or entire chromosome
regions can occur in a cell type-specific (e.g., -globin) or in a chromosome-specific (e.g., X chromosome) manner.
Most interestingly, in the phenomenon called "genomic imprinting," differential methylation patterns of chromosomal
regions seem to be established in a germline-specific (i.e., egg/sperm cell) manner. In other words, the methylation
pattern and activity of certain genes can differ, depending on whether the genes are inherited from the father's sperm or
from the mother's egg (the insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) gene, for example, is paternally unmethylated and
maternally methylated).
We are only beginning to understand the meaning of this type of differential methylation. It might explain the lack of
parthenogenesis (embryonic development from fatherless eggs that have undergone duplication of the maternal genome)
in mammals. Similarly, it is also impossible to create embryos from a duplication of the paternal set of chromosomes.
One simple explanation would be that a 1:1 mix of differentially methylated genes inherited from both sperm and egg is
required for the proper gene balance and correct development of the embryo. Therefore, differential methylation may
prevent parthenogenesis in mammals.
Which regions of a given inactivated gene are methylated? It is obvious that the sites of methylation are more crucial
than the overall amount of methylation. For example, methylation of a promoter region can abolish activity, while
extensive methylation in the protein-coding part of the gene may have no effect on gene expression. Therefore, methyl
groups do not merely act as a "roadblock" to RNA polymerase II mediated transcription. It is clear however that
methylation of a promoter can sterically prevent binding of transcription factors. In addition, a more indirect inhibition
of gene expression also appears to exist. It results in a tighter chromatin packaging of methylated DNA. While there is
no question about a strict correlation between gene inactivity and DNA methylation, the phenomenon has eluded a
thorough analysis for many years. Part of the confusion can be attributed to the abnormal methylation patterns often
obtained with immortalized cells grown in culture for laboratory experiments. Also, in rare cases methylation is
positively correlated with gene expression in
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mammals, whereby methylation of a silencer region may prevent repressing factors from binding to genes.
The question of whether DNA methylation is a cause or an effect of gene inactivation remains a matter of debate. In
several cases it was found that gene inactivity preceded the addition of methyl groups to the DNA. Therefore, it was
argued that methylation was just perpetuating, rather than initiating, the inactive state of a gene. But, model experiments
have shown that methylation of the promoter region, and even of binding sites for a single transcription factor, can
result in a complete loss of gene activity. The mechanism that controls gain or loss of a methylation pattern during cell
type-specific differentiation is one of the most challenging problems of contemporary research on vertebrate
development.
The Regulation of RNA Processing
Alternative Splicing
The discovery of split eukaryotic genes in 1977 was completely unexpected, since previous studies with bacterial genes
had revealed strict colinearity between a gene and its product. In most genes of higher eukaryotes, recall that the coding
sequences (exons) are interrupted by noncoding intervening sequences (introns). Therefore, the primary transcripts of
such a gene need to be processed in order to produce the mature messenger RNAs containing a reading frame that is
colinear to the gene product. While introns can be found in most of the genes in higher eukaryotes, they are rare in
lower eukaryotes, for example, yeast. Are introns a relatively recent development in the evolutionary history of the
genes of higher eukaryotes? It has been widely believed that the opposite is true: Introns are probably almost as old as
life itself, although their structure might have changed through time. Since, in general, organisms with a short
generation time tend to have fewer and shorter introns, it would at first glance seem most likely that introns have been
widely lost in prokaryotes and lower eukaryotes as an adaptation to their short generation time and pressure to minimize
genome size.
Evidence is rapidly accumulating, however, that supports the view that introns have arisen relatively late in eukaryotic
evolution. Included in that evidence is information from surveys of intron distributions among diverse taxa. This data
favors the notion that introns did not arise early and spread through a growing phylogenetic tree, as the original "introns
early" view predicts. Instead, introns appear in mammalian and plant DNA that are lacking in the DNAs of earlier
evolving species. It is now therefore widely believed that introns were inserted into preexisting genes. In fact,
mechanisms involving DNA self-splicing in a "reverse direction" have been postulated to provide an explanation for
how introns might become inserted into preformed genes.
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Figure 13-4
The production of mature messenger RNA (mRNA) by splicing of the primary
transcript (also called pre-mRNA). Pre-mRNA splicing occurs in large ribonucleoprotein complexes known as spliceosomes, which are assembled from small nuclear
ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNP) that recognize specific sequences on the
primary transcript (a) and (b). The first step in splicing (b) involves cleavage at the
conserved 5' splice site sequence with the concomitant covalent joining of a
conserved guanosine (G) residue at the 5' end of the intron via a 2', 5'-phosphodiester
bond to an adenosine within the intron known as the "branch point site" yielding exon
1 and intron-exon 2 intermediates. In the second step of splicing (c), cleavage at the
conserved 3' splice site occurs, and the two exons are joined by ligation, creating
the mature mRNA and the excised intron (d). Both the intron-exon 2 as well as the
intron products are also calle "lariats"because of their branched circular structure.
The spliced (mature mRNA is transported to the cytoplasm, while the lariat
product remains in the nucleus and is degraded. Exons are shown in red.
Splicing of RNA, that is, the removal of intron RNA from a primary transcript that generates the mature mRNA, is an
extremely precise process. Eukaryotes have evolved a splicing machinery (called a spliceosome),consisting of several
protein/RNA complexes (called small nuclear nucleoprotein complexes or snRNPs) as shown in Figure 13-4.
One of the most interesting discoveries regarding splicing was the discovery that certain introns in the organelles of
lower eukaryotes and plants can be spliced autocatalytically in vitro. That is, splicing can occur in the test tube in the
absence of any protein components. Nevertheless, this occurs by a reaction mechanism that is identical to that used for
the
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splicing of nuclear introns. The enzymatic activity actually resides within the intron RNA itself. In the case of selfsplicing organelle introns, the splice sites are aligned by intramolecular base-pairing interactions between
conserved exon and intron sequences. In the case of nuclear pre-mRNA splicing, this task is fulfilled by the RNA
moieties of the snRNPs. They base-pair with conserved sequences at the splice sites and also with one another to form a
network of interactions that are believed to form the catalytic site(s) for the cleavage and ligation reactions that generate
mature mRNA. Several non-snRNP proteins do however assist in these interactions in vivo. The base-pairing between
pre-mRNA and snRNAs also ensures the accuracy of splicing.
A cell cannot, of course, afford to miss any of the splice junctions by even a single nucleotide, because this could result
in an interruption of the correct reading frame, leading to a truncated protein. Skipping of exons such as direct splicing
from the 5' site of exon 1 to the 3' site of exon 3, also needs to be avoided. It came as a surprise, therefore, to find that
whenever a correct 5' or 3' splice site has been eliminated by mutation, splicing nevertheless occurs, albeit to previously
undetectable, "cryptic" splice sites within the same transcript. These cryptic splice sites seem to be secondary due to a
lower match to the splicing consensus sequence, or to an unfavorable RNA structure. The splicing machinery obviously
is able to distinguish between stronger and weaker splice sites and chooses the best one available. In a number of human
diseases, however, loss of the function of a necessary protein is a consequence of a mutation in the correct splice site.
This is best documented in several thalassemias, where there is an underrepresentation of hemoglobin a or chains. In
some of these genetic diseases globin production is reduced or eliminated by mutation of a splice site, resulting in an
RNA that undergoes erroneous splicing to cryptic sites and can thus no longer be translated to the correct protein.
Even though splicing needs, in principle, to be very precise, a given set of splice sites is not used in all cells under all
circumstances. In mammalian cells, alternative modes of splicing (frequently cell type-specific) are often used to
produce several protein isoforms of a given gene, which have overlapping, but distinct functions. Even though the
general splicing machinery is the same in all cells, the eukaryotic cell has evolved a strategy to produce differentially
spliced versions of a primary transcript. This does not involve just one mechanism, but rather several, depending on the
mode of alternative splicing. Different modes of alternative splicing are summarized in Figure 13-5:
(a) Differential promoter selection due to cell type-specific transcription factors can dictate the splicing pattern. In the
longer primary transcript, which has been started from promoter P1, the (stronger) 5' splice
site overrides the second one. Genes for a myosin light chain in muscle cells as well as an amylase (digestive enzyme)
are regulated in this manner.
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Figure 13-5
Different modes of alternative splicing.
(b) Differential cleavage/polyadenylation site selection can also determine the splicing pattern. The selective usage of a
particular poly (A) site, in a cell type-specific manner, creates a longer or shorter primary transcript. Accordingly, the
splicing apparatus uses the most downstream (stronger) 3' splice site, as long as it is available. In this way, a differential
choice of poly(A) sites results in an alternative splicing of immunoglobulin gene transcripts. The product is an antibody
molecule that is either membrane-bound or is secreted into the serum. The same mode of alternative splicing is found in
a and B tropomyosin (cytoskeleton proteins) and calcitonin/CGRP genes.
(c) An example of the intron retaining mode is the cell type-specific splicing of primary transcripts of the P element
transposase gene in Drosophila. Transposition of this P element significantly contributes to the mutational load of the
organism. Perhaps for this reason, transposition insomatic cells is abrogated. The transposase gene is transcribed in
somatic cells, but the third intron remains part of the mature mRNA, which therefore codes only for a truncated protein
(the third intron contains a stop codon; therefore the reading frame is shorter). A mature mRNA with a full-length open
reading frame is only produced in germ cells by also splicing out the third intron. This leads to the production of
competent transposase exclusively in the germline and therefore a low level of transposition activity in the fly. The
phenomenon of transposition is described in Chapter 14.
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(d) In the exon cassette mode, some exons can be included or excluded independently of other exons, and usually the
same reading frame is maintained whether the exon is spliced out or not. This mode was found in the genes for neural
cell adhesion molecules (N-CAMs) and also in troponin-T genes (expressed in muscle cells).
In (a) and (b), alternative splice patterns are obtained not by modification of the main splicing activity, but by
differential promoter or polyadenylation site selection. For the ''intron retaining" and the "exon cassette" modes (c and
d), however, it is believed that cell type-specific factors act to modify the main splicing activity of certain transcripts.
For example, a protein could bind at a splice site and thus prevent splicing bysteric hindrance. The splicing machinery,
in an opportunistic manner, then would choose the next available splicing site. The converse situation, namely a factor
changing the structure of the transcript such that a previously inaccessible site becomes available for splicing, is another
possibility. So far, several factors (proteins) have been found that function in alternative splice site choice in a
concentration-dependent manner. These factors appear to be expressed in different amounts in different tissues.
In mammals, proteins are being discovered that are produced by splicing variations. Recently, it has become known that
some DNA-binding proteins also occur as a "family" of multiple splice variants. Some of these variants seem to serve
overlapping but distinct functions. For example, alternative splicing can create two variants of a protein: both bind to
the same DNA sequence, but one harbors an activation domain while the other lacks it and thus works as an antagonist
of the activator, that is, as a repressor of transcription. Sex determination in Drosophila, and possibly other organisms,
is also controlled by regulatory proteins that result in alternative splicing: during embryogenesis, there is a cascade of
alternative splicing events, whereby the gene products generated at each step of the cascade dictate the choice of splice
sites in the next step.
Trans-Splicing
RNA splicing occurs usually in cis configurations. That is, exons of the same transcript are joined. When trans-splicing,
namely the splicing of an exon of one transcript to another exon that is located on a different transcript, was shown to be
possible in model experiments, it was considered a curiosity, rather than a natural occurrence. It was originally argued
by researchers that if trans-splicing were possible under natural circumstances, it would wreak havoc among cellular
transcripts, leading to hundreds of thousands of new protein combinations. However, as was seen to be the case with
surface antigen proteins of malaria-causing trypanosomes, orderly trans-splicing is possible by selective matching of
two specific RNAs yielding a mature mRNA. Trans-splicing has also been found in nematodes but not as yet in higher
eukaryotes. It may well be a remnant
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of an ancient condition where new proteins could be generated from different exons by exon shuffling at the transsplicing (RNA) level as well as the genome (DNA) level.
RNA Editing
Viruses and lower eukaryotes in particular exhibit several unexpected mechanisms for the control of gene expression.
Perhaps the most spectacular one is RNA editing, which was first found in the mitochondria of the unicellular
trypanosomes, the blood parasite that causes sleeping sickness. For several of their mitochondrial genes it was shown
that the corresponding primary transcripts are extensively modified by insertion (or less often, by deletion) of uridine
nucleotides, to yield the final mRNA that is translated into protein. In some cases these newly inserted uridine
nucleotides can make up over half of the total number of nucleotides of the mature mRNA! The initial RNA transcript is
specifically altered with the help of so-called "guide RNAs." The separately transcribed guide RNAs are 40 to 80 bases
long; their 5' ends are complementary to sequences in the transcript to be edited. The complementary part of the guide
RNAs is followed by a sequence that specifies the set of nucleotides to be inserted into the transcript and a continuous
stretch of uridine nucleotides.
A cell type-specific form of editing has been found in mammalian cells. The messenger RNA for intestinal
apolipoprotein B is modified at a single base-position by specific replacement of a C by a U residue in intestinal (but not
liver) cells. This converts a glutamine codon (CAA) to a stop codon (UAA) and thus leads to a truncated protein. This
base change is caused by a deaminase recognizing some structural feature of the mRNA in a cell type-specific manner.
It remains to be determined if this co- or posttranscriptionally modification takes place in the nucleus or the cytoplasm.
A similar type of editing might occur in many transcripts of plant mitochondria. In this case bases are also changed from
C to U without nucleotide insertion or deletion. Whether specific deaminases or guide RNAs are involved in this
process is not yet known.
A different type of RNA editing has been discovered in paramyxoviruses (e.g., measles virus). In this case "stuttering"
of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase at a particular region results in the addition of G residues that were not coded
for in DNA. This shifts the reading frame and yields mRNAs encoding one or more additional proteins.
Key concept
The "Mix and Match" Transcript Concept

Many eukaryotic primary transcripts are "cut and shut" or "cut and pasted" to generate different mRNAs from a single
long primary transcript. RNA editing can further change a reading frame.
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Regulation of Nucleocytoplasmic mRNA Transport

One of the most prominent defining features of eukaryotic cells is the existence of a membranous nuclear envelope that
creates distinct nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments. The evolution of local separation of transcription and mRNA
processing in the nucleus and translation in the cytoplasm has greatly increased the regulatory potential of eukaryotes.
The nucleocytoplasmic translocation of macromolecules such as the RNAs and proteins itself provides a further level of
gene regulation.
The nuclear envelope consists of two concentric membranes, whereby the outer membrane can be regarded as an
extension of the endoplasmatic reticulum (ER). Nuclear pore complexes, which are crucial for the translocation of
different types of molecules in both directions are evenly spread over the nuclear envelope (3,0004,000 per nucleus).
Each nuclear pore complex is highly organized in an eight-fold symmetric structure. It consists of a large number of
different proteins with a total molecular weight of 25100 10 6 daltons, and is about 100 nm in diameter. The pore
itself is an aqueous channel and has a diameter of about 10 nm and a length of about 15 nm. It allows free diffusion of
molecules of up to about 20,000 daltons. However, larger molecules need to be actively transported in an energydependent manner through these pores, probably by receptor-mediated gating of the otherwise too-narrow channels.
Specific transport occurs in both directions: some proteins and RNAs are unidirectionally transported, while others
seem to be able to shuttle between the two compartments, depending on the type of macromolecule and the
physiological state of the cell.
Proteins that are actively translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus contain a so-called nuclear translocation signal
(NLS), which is typically a short lysine-and arginine-rich peptide sequence. That sequence is presumably recognized by
a cytosolic factor (protein) that confers a specific interaction with a component of the nuclear pore complex and
subsequently the nuclear transport system. As we will see later in this chapter, in the case of the transcription factor NFKB, specific occlusion of the NLS by an interaction of the NLS-containing protein with another protein (IKB in the case
of NF-KB) can cause cytoplasmic retention of an otherwise nuclear-localized protein.
During and immediately after synthesis, the nuclear RNA is covered by RNA binding proteins forming hnRNPs
(heterogenous nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles). It has been postulated, although not really proven, that hnRNPs bind
to receptors thought to be located on the nucleoplasmic side of the nuclear pore complexes through which they are
subsequently exported to the cytoplasm. During translocation at least some of these proteins probably get stripped off
the RNA and remain in the nucleus; others seem to shuttle between the nucleus and cytoplasm, consistent with a direct
function in the RNA translocation process. However, little is yet known about these RNA binding proteins and their
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functional domains. Features of the RNA to be exported, on the other hand, are better understood: Properly modified
ends, that is, the capstructure at the 5' and the poly-A tail at the end 3' end (described in Chapter 8), are important
prerequisites for the export of RNAs to the cytoplasm.
Studies performed primarily with yeast have revealed a relationship between splicing and transport. Primary transcripts
without introns leave the nucleus immediately after synthesis (and capping and polyadenylation). Intron containing
transcripts, however, need to be spliced first. The stronger the affinity of a pre-mRNA for splicing factors, the less
efficient the transport of the unspliced RNA out of the nucleus seems to be. Splicing factors that bind to the RNA
appear to prevent export until splicing is completed. RNA mutants not recognized by splicing factors are, however,
easily exported.
In spite of the inverse correlation between spliceosome assembly and nuclear export of intron-containing RNAs, the cell
has ways to export mRNAs that still contain one or even several introns. This is understood in terms of the "intron
retaining mode" of alternative splicing (Figure 13-5(c)). The regulation of the export of unspliced RNA could occur in
at least two ways: Specific RNA binding proteins directly block the spliceosome assembly, or some regulatory protein
binds to an RNA sequence distinct from splice sites and stimulates nuclear export of the premRNA. The well-studied
RNA binding protein Rev encoded by the human immunodeficiency (AIDS) virus (HIV) has been shown to increase the
cytoplasmic level of unspliced RNA containing the binding site for Rev, the so-called rev-responding element RRE.
Rev is a phosphorylated protein of 19kDa and is primarily located in the nucleolus. Rev has been suggested to confer its
effect on the cytoplasmic RNA in either of the two above-mentioned ways, that is, indirectly, by dissociating splicing
factors from the pre-mRNA and hence preventing nuclear retention of incompletely processed RNAs; or by a more
direct and positive effect on RNA export. Consistent with the latter finding is the most recent observation that Rev
shuttles between the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Eukaryotic viruses have often provided the first glimpses of novel
cellular regulatory mechanisms. It remain to be seen if Rev is the harbinger of a new class of cellular regulatory proteins.
Regulation of mRNA Stability
Most prokaryotic mRNAs are short-lived. That is, they are degraded within minutes. This allows for rapid responses to
changes in the environment by transcription of another set of genes. In eukaryotes, the longevity of individual mRNA
species can be very different, but in general eukaryotic mRNAs are more stable than prokaryotic mRNAs. The half-life
(or time required for 50% of the starting level to disappear) of -globin mRNA, for example, is more than 10 hours. On
the other hand, many mRNAs
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encoding regulatory proteins, such as growth factors or the products of the cancer related protooncogenes (e.g, fos and
myc), are rather short-lived with a half-life between 15 and 30 minutes. Such short-lived mRNAs share an evolutionarily
conserved AU-rich sequence of about 50 bases in their 3' nontranslated region. When such a sequence motif is
genetically engineered into the 3' nontranslated region of the -globin messenger, this mRNA becomes short-lived.
Interestingly, eukaryotes have exploited mechanisms to differentially regulate the stability of a given mRNA in
response to environmental stimuli or to changes of the physiological state.
Steroid receptors, such as the estrogen or the glucocorticoid receptor, are well known to act as hormone-dependent
transcription factors, which stimulate transcription of their target genes upon addition of hormone. Surprisingly, steroid
receptors can also increase the stability of certain mRNAs in a manner which is not understood. For example, the halflife of the mRNA for vitellogenin (the major protein in eggs of frogs) increases about 30 times upon addition of
estrogen.
Conversely, the addition of iron to cells decreases the stability of the transferrin receptor mRNA (Figure 13-6(a)). As a
consequence, less transferrin receptor is made. This is reasonable from a physiological point of view, since the
transferrin receptor is an iron-scavenging protein that increases the intracellular concentration of iron. The regulation of
the stability of the transferrin receptor mRNA is mediated by an iron-responding protein (IRP). At a low intracellular
iron level, this protein binds to stem-and-loop structures at the 3' end of the mRNA. However, upon addition of iron, the
factor is released and unmasks, most probably, a site that then is attacked by an as yet unknown nuclease. Interestingly,
IRP also controls translation of ferritin mRNAs (Figure 13-6(b)). Ferritin binds free iron within the cell. With a low
level of intracellular iron, IRP binds to a stem-and-loop structure near the 5' end of the mRNA and blocks translation
(for further details see the next section on "Regulation of Translation").
The control of mRNA stability has also been stuided extensively for the mRNA that encodes histones (Figure 13-6(c)).
During the S-phase (DNA replication period) of a cell there is a great demand for histone proteins. Not unexpectedly,
therefore, histone mRNA stability (and also transcription) is cell cycle-regulated. In the S-phase the half-life of histone
mRNA is about one hour. As soon as replication is completed or artificially blocked with chemicals, histone mRNA is
degraded within minutes. The regulation of histone mRNA stability depends upon a short 3' stem-loop structure that is
specific for these RNAs and replaces the poly(A) tail found in other mRNAs. Experimentally replacing the 3' region of
the -globin with the 3' region of a histone mRNA is sufficient to make the -globin mRNA stability DNA replicationdependent. The exact mechanism of this replication-dependent, mRNA-stability regulation is not yet understood.
Interestingly, degradation is dependent on ongoing translation, as is also the case for the previously-mentioned
instances. If transla-
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Figure 13-6
Different examples for the regulation of mRNA stability are shown in (a),
(c), and (d). (b) displays the regulation of the translation of ferritin mRNAs
involving most probably the same factor (IRP) used for the regulation
of transferrin receptor mRNA stability indicated in (a). Open double
circles present ribosomes; filled circles the IRP protein; notched
circles, various nucleases, and the subunits of tubulin.
tion stops more than 300 bases upstream of the actual stop codon (due to the experimental insertion of a (mutant) stop
codon), the histone mRNA is no longer rapidly degraded in non-S-phases. It has, therefore, been suggested that a
ribosome-associated nuclease is somehow involved in the degradation. That hypothesis would explain why most
unstable mRNA is selectively stabilized when cells are treated with the protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide.
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Key Concept
The "mRNA Half-life" Concept

The contribution a mRNA makes to cellular function is determined, is large part, by how quickly it is degraded.
The regulation of and tubulin mRNA stability is also intimately linked to translation (Figure 13-6(d)). The and
tubulin proteins are the principal subunits of microtubules. The degradation of their mRNA is autoregulated since it is
dependent on free and tubulin proteins. It has been shown for tubulin mRNA that the sequence of the mRNA
necessary for autoregulated instability is located, unexpectedly, in the first 13 bases to be translated. Introduced of
premature translation termination codons reveals that autoregulated mRNA destabilization requires tubulin mRNA to
be translated beyond codon 41. In the current model, some cellular component (presumably tubulin itself) binds to the
peptide encoded by the first nucleotides of the open reading frame, after which as unknown nuclease is activated, which
degrades the tubulin mRNA.
Regulation of Translation
In contrast to the few well-defined factors required to start translation in E. coil, there are a great number of eukaryotic
initiation factors (eIFs; see Chapter 9). In prokaryotes, genes of related function, such as enzyme chains for a specific
metabolic pathway, are often grouped into operons and transcribed as one contiguous, polycistronic transcript. This
transcript is then subject to translational control to produce the appropriate amount of each gene product. Translational
control is, therefore, of obvious importance in eukaryotes, even though one might have thought that eukaryotic genes,
which typically are monocistronic, could be sufficiently regulated at the transcription/processing level.
The typical eukaryotic cell can decrease the overall rate of translation in response to a variety of different conditions,
such as viral infection, deprivation of growth factors, or heat shock. These situations have been found to induce the
phosphorylation of eIF-2, one of the many eukaryotic translation initiation factors. The protein eIF-2 mediates binding
of the methionyl initiator tRNA to the small 40S ribosomal subunit, and this does no longer occur with phoshorylated
eIF-2. Besides this rather general mode of negative translational control, there also exist mechanisms that are specific
for certain mRNA species.
A very well-studied case of this latter class of negative translational control is the ferritin system (see also the previous
section on "Regulation of mRNA Stability" and Figure 13-6(b)). As described previously, ferritin is an iron storage
protein. Its intracellular concentration is tightly controlled at the level of translation and is dependent on the intracellular
iron concentration. If there is a low intracellular level of iron, the iron
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responsive protein factor (IRP) binds to a stem-and-loop structure at the 5' end of the ferritin mRNA. In this way IRP
blocks translation, most likely by physically blocking the binding of the translation machinery to the initiation codon
AUG. However, upon iron addition, IRP no longer binds to the RNA and translation of the ferritin mRNAs is increased
100-fold.
Negative translational control is very important embryo genesis of higher unrobes. A great number of myna species,
which are synthesized during development of the octet, are deposited as so-called "maternal mRNAs" in the eggs of
higher eukaryotes. These mRNAs are stored in an inactive form and, upon fertilization, are activated for translation by a
mechanism not yet understood. Curiously, many of the stored, inactive mynas have only 10 to 30 A's at their 3' ends, a
length that apparently is too short for translation. (Ply(A) tails are usually about 200 nucleotides long.) Upon
"reactivation" additional A's are added again to their 3' end, which greatly stimulates initiation of their translation.
The translational controls discussed so far influence the rate of translational initiation. Usually, protein synthesis goes
on automatically once translation is initiated. However, nature also has exploited exceptions to this rule (e.g., with the
phenomenon of translational frame shifting found in retrofires and in a coronavirus). In Rous sarcoma virus, for
example, 95% of the protein translated from the gag-pol mRNA is the major glycoprotein antigen (gag). However, a
few percent are translated into a longer combined protein (gag-pol) that encodes the characteristic retrotranscriptase of
the virus. How is this 20:1 ratio of gag to retrotranscriptase (gag-pol) regulated? a ribosome that encounters a specific
sequence shortly before the UAG terminator triplet of the gag encoding sequencing (and followed by a characteristic
structure of the mRNA) is kicked out of its reading frame and moves back by one nucleotide. From there it continues
translation of the pol (retrotranscriptase) moiety in a "minus 1" reading frame. A similar process also has been observed
with the human immunodeficiency virus HIV. This translational frameshifting, as it turns out, is only one way to ensure
the creation of two polypeptides from one mRNA. In another retrovirus (Moloney leukemia virus) the ribosome reads
across the UAG stop codon in 5% of the cases, inserts glutamine instead of terminating, and continues translation into
the polymerase moiety that, in this case, is in the same reading frame.
Regulation of Protein Activity.
Two Principal Pathways for Intracellular Protein Translocation
The regulation of protein activity mainly comprises three types of processes: the translocation of proteins into different
cellular compartments;
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protein-protein interactions; and reversible or irreversible enzymatic modifications. These apparently different cellular
functions are intimately related to each other.
The subcellular translocation of newly synthesized polypeptides occurs via two major pathways. In the cytosolic
pathway the entire protein is translated in the cytoplasm (membrane-free translation). Subsequently, the product is either
taken up by an organelle (nucleus, peroxisome, or chloroplast), or it remains in the cytoplasm. The uptake into the
organelles occurs most probably via organelle-specific receptors that recognize short peptide sequences of the proteins
(called translocation signals). The proteins remaining resident in the cytoplasm do not contain a specific translocation
signal.
The second pathway is through the endoplasmic reticulum or ER. The decision for this pathway is made during
translation. A protein destined for this pathway usually contains a hydrophobic signal sequence at its N-terminus. This
signal sequence is recognized by the signal recognition particle (SRP), a protein/RNA complex, which in turn docks the
polysome (mRNA with the translation machinery) to the SRP receptors of the ER membrane. During ongoing
translation (now membrane-bound), the newly synthesized polypeptide is translocated into the lumen of the ER. The
proteins are either completely secreted into the ER lumen or, if they proteins are transmembrane proteins, they remain
bound to the ER membrane. Subsequently, most proteins are transported to the Golgi apparatus and from there either to
the lysosomes, secretory vesicles, or directly to the plasma membrane. These translocations typically occur via vesicles
that fuse with the membrane of their subcellular target and release the protein content into the lumen of the new
compartment, or into the extacellular space. All plasma membrane proteins (e.g.,receptors of peptide hormones) or
enzymes and proteins that are secreted (e.g.,digestive enzymes of the intestinal tract) are translocated via the ER
pathway.
Posttranslational Modifications and the Regulation of Protein Stability
A Great number of posttranslational modifications of amino acid side-chains have been described in proteins. For most
of these modifications the function is not known. Some of them may be unimportant chemical side reactions, but others
may have important functions, since they are linked to specific enzymes. Any given modification occurs preferentially
or exclusively in one or the other of the two translocation pathways and in specific cell compartments. Some
modifications are permanently required and are irreversible (e.g., attachment of prosthetic groups to some enzymes.
Other covalent modifications are reversible and allow rapid responses to extra-and intracellular stimuli. The most
prominent reversible modifications appears to be protein phosphorylation. Other frequently found modifications are
acetylation, methylation, and glycosylation. The
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importance of protein phosphorylation was discovered through its ability to regulate enzymes involved in intermediary
metabolism. However, it is clear the phosphorylation also is exploited extensively in other systems, such as signal
transduction or cell-cycle regulation. Phosphorylation can either increase or decrease the activity of the target protein.
Posttranslational modification processes are also evident in the regulation of protein stability. Some cytosolic proteins
are stable for several days, and then are randomly degraded and replaced by new ones. Conversely, several rate-limited
enzymes of a metabolic pathway often have half-life times of only a few minutes. Other short-lived proteins include the
products of the protooncogenes such as fos or myc, which probably play important roles in the control of cell growth.
Since these proteins are degraded so rapidly , their intracellular concentration can be changed very quickly by changing
the rate of synthesis according to extracellular stimuli. Usually these types of proteins also have rather unstable mRNA
(described in the section on "Regulation of mRNA Stability" earlier in this chapter). Proteins appear to bear not only a
translocation signal, but also sequences that determine their half-life. The half-life of a given protein appears to be a
consequence of some destabilizing sequences and general features of the secondary structure. Interestingly, in some
model experiments, a strict correlation between the instability of a given cytosolic protein and the first amino acid at its
N-terminus has been found. The amino acids Met, Ser, Thr, Ala, Gly, Val, and most probably also Cys and Pro, have a
stabilizing effect on the protein when located at its N-terminus. All other amino acids make the protein vulnerable to a
protease that rapidly degrades it.
The proteolytic machinery responsible for selective protein degradation is ubiquitin-dependent. Ubiquitin in a small
protein of 76 amino acids that binds other proteins. When the ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic machinery recognizes a
destabilizing amino acid at the N-terminus of a protein, a ubiquitin molecule is covalently attached either to the Nterminus itself,or to a nearby lysine.Subsequently,a series of additional ubiquitins are added, producing a
multiubiquinated, branched protein. A specific ATP-consuming protease recognizes such ubiquinated proteins and
degrades them while recycling the ubiquitin polypeptides.
As already mentioned, ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation is specified by the first amino acid at the N-terminus of
each protein. Although in all eukaryotic protein genes the first codon (AUG) codes for a methionine, very few mature
protein species have a methionine at their N-terminus. Usually the N-terminus is cotranslationally modified by trimming
and end-addition activities not well understood. Interestingly, proteins entering the ER pathway often bear an
unmodified N-terminus, making them highly unstable in the cystable in the cytosol, but not in the ER. It may be very
important in allowing the cell to be ale to specifically degrade proteins that have entered the cytosolic pathway by
accident.
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Key concept
The ''Instability->Flexibility" Concept

The inherent instability of most macromolecules (e.g., proteins and RNAs) insures that living cells are in a constant
state of flux, and therefore amenable to rapid change.
Posttranslational Regulation of Transcription Factor Ability
Transcription factors (proteins) bind to an enhancer or a promoter in a sequence-specific manner. Subsequently,
transcription of the linked gene is stimulated (see the section on "The Regulation Transcription Initiation" earlier in this
chapter). Recently, a number of transcription factors and their corresponding genes have been studies in detail. While
some transcription factors, especially those stimulation the transcription of housekeeping genes, always exist in an
active state, several transcription factors are known whose activity is regulated at the posttranslational level. This
regulation involves the range of differential subcellular translocation, stable interactions with other proteins, and
enzymatic modifications.
A well-studied case of posttranslationally regulated transcription factors is the steroid receptor (e.g.,gulcocorticoid
receptor (GR); Figure 13.7). In the absence of hormone, GR is complexed to a 90kD protein first recognized because it
appears in cells that have been heat shocked. It is therefore called a "heat shock protein" (hs90), and is located in the
cytoplasm. Hsp90 was therefore hormone glucocorticoid diffuses into the cell, it binds to the hormone binding domain
of GR. This causes the release
Figure 13-7
The glucocorticoid receptor (red): a paradigm for the posttranslational
regulation of a transcription facto. Solid triangles represent glucocorticoid
molecules.
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of GR from hsp90, most probably because of a conformational (shape) change induced by binding of the hormone. The
release leads to the exposure of a nuclear translocation signal of GR. The transcription factor is translocated into the
nucleus via nuclear pore complexes. In the nucleus, GR binds to its target sequence and stimulates transcription of the
GR-responsive genes.
An equally fascinating mode of regulation has been found with studies of NF-kB, a mammalian transcription factor that
indues transcription of the genes involved in immune defense or inflammation. It is found in a number of different
mammalian cell types, often in the cytoplasm in an inactive form, interacting with a cytoplasmic anchorage protein,
designated at IkB (Inhibitor of NF-kB). NF-kB is posttranslationally activated upon addition of agents that impair
cellular functions (e.g., agents such as UV, DNA-damaging chemicals; viruses, parasites, or lipopolysaccharides of
bacteria). This activation process involves phosphorylation and proteolytic degradation of IkB, which unmasks the
nuclear translocation signal (NLS) of NF-kB and hence allows translocation of NF-kB to the nucleus. There it activates
the transcription of a set of genes. Recent experiments have indicated a way by which the great number of different
stimuli could initiate this cascade of events. H2o2 is a potent inducer of NF-kB and also appears to be commonly
produced upon addition of many (if not all) NF-kB inducers. Therefore, H2o (or a derivative) has been postulated to
serve as a second messenger that leads to enhanced IkB phosphorylation.
Other transcription factors can be located in the nucleus but nevertheless remain inactive. The regulation of the activity
of the yeast transcription factor Ga14 is an example. Ga14 has the potential of stimulate genes that encode proteins
involved in galactose metabolism. Ga14 always binds to its DNA target, but in the absence of galactose it cannot
activate transcription. This is due to the Ga180 protein, which stably interacts with Ga14 and covers its transcriptionactivating domain. With the addition of galactose Ga180 remains bound to Ga180 protein, which stably interacts with
Ga14 and stimulate transcription. In contrast, the activity of the mammalian transcription factor Oct-1 can be
specifically augmented by the protein VP16, which is encoded by virtue of its own very strong activation domain.
Neither Ga180 nor VP16 bind of DNA by themselves.
The transcriptional activity of a gene can also be influenced by direct enzymatic modification such as phosphorylation.
The yeast heat-shock transcription factor HSF can stimulate transcription of genes essential for heat-shocked cells. HSF
always binds to its target HSE (heat shock responsive element). HSF, however, is only active when the cells have been
incubated at a high temperature. The activation of HSF exhibits a strong correlation with its phosphorylation. So far it is
not clear if this modification helps to expose an activation domain of HSF, or if the phosphorylated region itself acts as
an activation domain.
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Gene Rearrangement: Joining of Coding Sequences in the Immune System

The life of a multicellular organism is these are warded off by the skin, or by secretions of the digestive tract, such as
hydrochloric acid in the stomach, and digestive enzymes in the intestine. Quite often, however, a virus enters the body
via the lining of the gut or via small lesions in the skin. Once inside the body, the invader might initiate a deadly race
with the immune system of the infected organism. The immune system of vertebrates offers a selective defense against
all possible infectious agents, and is ready even against those that might appear on earth in the future. How is this
possible? Several million different protein molecules, immunoglobulins or antibodies (see Chapter 4), are produced
whereby each can bind to a distinct infectious target molecule or antigen in a specific manner. If each antibody
molecule were encoded by a separate gene, a major fraction of the entire Gen would have to be devoted to antibody
synthesis. The number of antibody genes (about 108) would even exceed the estimated total of human genes (about
105). However, the immune system has devised a special way to produce such a huge variety of antibodies. In general, a
mature antibody-producing cell (B-lymphocyte) makes only one type of antibody. Hence, there must exist some
mechanism that is responsible for programming each cell. That mechanism involves specific gene rearrangements, and
is therefore very different from all other modes of gene regulation discussed so far, none of which change the genome.
However, the mechanism for generation of antibody diversity is not the same for all vertebrates. For example, birds
have evolved a system rather different from the one in mammals. in this section we will focus on the system found in
most mammals.
Different Immunoglobulin Gene Segments
Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is one of several classes of immunoglobulins. It is a tetrameric protein containing two L
chains and two H chains (for the structure of IgG see Chapter 4). Both the L and H chains consist of two regions, the
constant and the variable region. The variable region is responsible for recognizing and binding a specific antigen. Note
that the antigen-binding site consists of amino acid residues from both heavy and light chains. There are two types of L
chains, called k and . We will only describe how the k type is produced; the basic mechanism for the type is similar,
differing only in detail.
Their different classes of gene segments are used to form a k-type L chain, namely V,J, and C segments, which are all
located on the same chromosome (Figure 13-8(a)). There are about 100 different V genesegments (which are
responsible for the synthesis of the first 95 amino acids of the variable region), 4 different J gene-segments (which
encode
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Figure 13-8
The production of the mature k-type L chain mRNA of a particular lgG
molecule(red) involves processing at the DNA and the RNA levels. During
B-cell differentiation,the DNA between a V and J segment (in our example
between V3 and J2) is excised, i.e., the genomic sequences are specifically
changed (compare (a) and (b)). With this step, the enhancer (E) is moved
closed to the promoter (P) of V3 and the given B-lymphocyte is able to
produce a specific k-type L chain pre-mRNA (c). This pre-mRNAundergoes
splicing whereby the C segment is joined to V3J2. This results in the mRNA (d),
which is ready for translation to produce the specific k-type L chain protein.
Note that(a) and (b) occur only once in any cell whereas (c) and (d) occur
every time the gene in (b) is transcribed.
the final 12 amino acids of the variable region and join the V and C regions), and 1 copy of the C gene-segment (which
encodes the constant region). In an embryonic cell the V segments form a tight cluster, the J segments form a second
tight cluster far downstream from the V segment cluster, and the C segment follows not far after the J segment cluster.
Note that each V gene-segment is preceded by a promoter from which transcription can potentially be initiated, and that
an enhancer is located between the J4 and the C segment (Figure 13-8(a)).
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Regions encoding particular IgG molecules have been cloned by the recombinant DNA techniques to be described in
Chapter 15. From various mouse cell lines, each producing a particular IgG molecule, several have been characterized.
For each clone obtained from an antibody-producing cell line, it has been found that a large segment of the embryonic
DNA sequence is absent, and that the missing DNA is always a sequence between the particular V gene-segment and
the J gene-segment. This can be explained by a gene rearrangement mechanism in which DNA deleted between the V
and J segments chosen from recombination . Many different genomic sequences, each encoding a particular k chain,
have been cloned, and each clone lacks a different DNA segment. For example, in Figure 13-8(b) the entire DNA
between V3 and J2 is absent, while in another clone there might be a V86-J1 junction instead. Please note that the step
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from 13-8(a) to 13-8(b) occurs only once for ant cell, while the steps from 13-8(b) to 13-8(d) occur time the gene (in 138(b)) is transcribed.
Any of the approximately 100 V segments can be joined to any of the 4J segments, so that at least 400 (100 4)
different variable regions (or V/J combinations of the k chain) can be potentially encoded. The H (heavy) chain genes
are organized in a similar, but not identical, way. In the mouse, for example, there are three types of gene segments: 200
V, 12 D, and 4 J segments. Therefore, about 9,600 (200 12 4) heavy chain variable regions can be potentially
encoded upon appropriate DNA rearrangements. These rough calculations (the exact number of V segments in these
pools of segments is not known) give about 4 106 different antigen-binding sites, assuming both the heavy and light
chain variable regions equally contribute to the antigen-binding site. The number of potential antigen-binding sites is
even higher, since the junctions produced by two particular gene segments (e.g., by linking a given V with a given J
segment) is variable. A variable number of nucleotides often is lost (or sometimes added) from the ends of the two
recombining segments (junctional diversification). This mechanism increases the possible number of different antigenbinding sites once more by a factor or about 1,000. Following such addition or deletion of nucleotides, only in one of
three cases will the correct reading frame be restored to yield a functional gene.
How Are Immunoglobulin Gene Rearrangements Controlled?
What is the enzymatic machinery that creates all of these combinatorial variants of Immunoglobulin genes? As shown
in Figure 13-9(a), the signal sequences for the V-J joining are a pair of specific base-sequences-3' of each V segment
(heptamer/spacer/nonamer) and 5' of each J segment (nonamer/spacer/heptamer). It is presumed that a site-specific
recombinase enzyme recognizes these sequence motifs, cuts the DNA, and joins randomly selected V and J segments
(Figure 13-9(b)). The same sequence motifs are used in the heavy chain pool to join V,D, and J segments. The products
of two lymphoid-specific genes, RAG 1 and 2, are components of the recombinase. The evidence for their importance is
several fold: (1) mice, which are artificially made deficient for the RAG 1 and RAG 2 genes, do not develop mature B
and T cells; (2) ectopic expression of RAG 1 and RAG 2 in nonlymphoid cell lines renders these cells competent for
immunoglobulin gene rearrangements; and (3) most recently, immunoglobulin recombination assays in vitro have
indicated that recombinant RAG 1 protein greatly increases rearrangement activity and also complements an inactive
extract from a RAG 1 (-/-) cell line.
Perhaps the most striking aspect of these rearrangements is their precision. In order to avoid a scrambling of the entire
genome, the recombinase has to be targeted specifically to the immunoglobulin locus. Furthermore, the time window of
enzyme activity is quite narrow, being restricted to a specific phase in B-lymphocyte development.
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Figure 13-9
The joining of V and J DNA segments during B-cell differentiation is a highly precise process
involving conserved DNA sequences, called heptamer (7) and nonamer (9) sequences.
(b) A site-specific recombinase is thought to recognize these sequences, after which the randomly
selected V segment and J segment are joined.
Figure 13-8(b) indicated that the joining of segments can not fully generate an L chain reading frame because the spacer
between the J and C gene segment and one J segment and recombined DNA still usually contains many V and J segments.
The recombined process, however, brings the enhancer (e) much closer to the promoter of V3(P), allowing transcription to
start. This leads to the production of primary transcripts (pre mRNA, see Figure 13-8(c)). The correct reading frame is
obtained by a final RNA splicing event, as shown in Figure 13-8(d). Note how the particular V-J joint determines the
splicing pattern. The RNA removed by splicing is always between the C segment and the right end of the J segment, which
joined to the V segment.
Allelic Exclusion, Clonal Selection, and Affinity Maturation
Whether the site-specific rearrangement processes happen in advance of, or in response to, the occurrence of a specific
antigen has been a major question. Today it is generally accepted that the events occur at random in the course of
development, and when differentiation is complete there are several million different antibody-producing B lymhocytes.
Each of these cells produces only a single type of antibody, due to the strict feed-
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back-regulation of the site-specific DNA rarrangements. The feedback mechanism designated as allelic exclusion
allows the production of only one type of rearranged H and L chain gene per cell. However, very little is known about
this phenomenon at the molecular level.
How does an organism know when to produce a huge amount of a particular antibody in response to a particular
antigen? Each antibodyproducing cell makes a small amount of a specific antibody. Some of this antibody becomes
bound to the cell surface. When such a cell is exposed to the specific antigen that can react with its antibody, a complex
antigen-antibody network forms. This event stimulates cell division, and extensive production of specific antibodies.
This process is called clonal selection.
Another interesting mechanism that allows the immune system to increase the affinity of antibodies to a given antigen,
again by modifying genomic sequences, deserves mentioning. Repeated immunization of an animal with the same
antigen results in the production of antibodies having, on average,a higher affinity to the antigen. This phenomenon is
called affinity maturation. By somatic hyper mutation (the molecular details of which are not understood), specific
sequences in the V region accumulate point mutations with repeated exposure to a given antigen. Since B-lymphocytes
are stimulated to proliferate in response to the binding of antigens and outgrow the cells producing antibodies with
lower affinity. The mutation frequency over an immunologic variable region can be as high as 10-3 cell cycle/base-pair.
This frequency would completely inactivate a genome if it were not were not restricted to the variable regions of active
immunoglobulin light and heavy chain genes.
Tissue engineering is developing as a new force in biotechnology. The goal of this endeavor is to produce, in the
laboratory, genuine replacement parts for the human body. So far, attempts to construct, in the research laboratory,
sheets of skin and bone pieces have provided much of the initial focus o research efforts.
Attention is being directed towards discovering (1) the signal Molecules or transcription factors (e.g., "bone maturation
protein"BMP), which activate the expression of the genes that give specific tissues their unique identities; (2) the gene
structure, including the promoters and enhancers, associated with those genes; (3) ways to artificially regulate the genes
responsible for the three-dimensional patterning (i.3., shape) of specific tissues and organs; and (4) the source of the
mechanical forces holding a tissue or organ together.
Once those components of a tissue system are characterized, it is expected that the next phase of research will involve
growing appropriate cells, in the presence of those growth-and differentiation-guiding compo-
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nents in rubber molds for imparting the appropriate shape (in the case of bone) to the artificial tissue.
Such artificial tissues and organs are expected to play important roles in medicine; first as replacement parts (e.g.,
artificial skin for healing burns); and second, as valuable laboratory systems for the discovery of new drugs. Drug
therapy is often constrained by the inability of a potentially active drug to reach its targets tissue. Artificial tissues are
expected to provide a promising avenue for experimenting with novel ways to modify drugs so that they will pass across
the gut, or the blood-brain barrier, or other difficult tissue boundaries.
Summary
Regulation of genetic systems in eukaryotes is accomplished in a variety of ways, most of which are quite different
from the mechanisms observed in prokaryotes. In eukaryotes, three different RNA polymerases fulfill transcriptional
tasks which in prokaryotes are carried out by a single RNA polymerase. It is at this level of transcription where
decisions are often made with regard to gene expression. Sequences upstream of eukaryotic genes known as promoters
are required for initiation of transcription. Activations of transcription is carried out by binding of transcription factors
to these sites. Additional regulatory sequences, known as enhancers, are often associated with genes. They also
stimulate transcription, but in contrast to promotes, they often are located several kilobases away from the coding
region, upstream or downstream. Once mRNA is transcribed, further regulation can occur during splicing events that
remove eukaryotic introns and create mRNA sequences that can be translated into functional proteins.For example ,
alternate splice sites can be chosen resulting in the appearance of several different mRNA species encoded in one gene.
The nucleocytoplasmic translocation of these RNAs can then provide a further level of gene regulation. Once the
mRNA has arrived in the cytoplasm the variety of their half-lives as compared with the short-lived nature of prokaryotic
mRNA allows for further regulation. Eukaryotes have also developed mechanism whereby the stability of mRNA can
be changed in response to environmental stimuli or physiological states. Gene expression can also be controlled at the
protein level through translational regulation,posttranslation modification,and differential protein stability.
Antibody diversity is the consequence of a complex set of gene rearrangements,in which various gene segments are
joined together. The mRNA transcribed from those "joined" genes is further modified by splicing ,so that the final
mRNA that is translated into the antibody protein is only distantly related to the gene sequences in the B-cells where
differentiation occurred. Those rearrangements and splicings generate the large numbers of different antibody proteins
typically found in prokaryotic organisms.
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Drill questions
1. What RNA polymerase(s) transcribe eukaryotic genes? Name the polymerase(s) and the type of gene(s) it transcribes.
2. In prokaryotes,regulatory elements are fixed positions with respect to the gene(s) regulated. How does the situation
differ in eukaryotes?
3. Do the V and J segments of an antibody gene join to form the variable or the constant region of IgG molecule?
4. List several mechanisms a cell uses to increase the concentration of a particular mRNA molecule to a very high value.
5. How does the organization of chromatin differ with regard to gene activity?What experimental technique can be used
to find such regions of activity?
6. Give the two types of splicing that can occur in the processing of eukaryotic mRNA, and state the differences
between them.
7. How might a cell be signaled to synthesize one particular protein, but no other?
8.Outline the mechanism for generating antibody diversity.
Problems
1. (a) If you wanted to redesign the mouse genome to increase antibody diversity, but by adding the least amount of
DNA, which component would you increase?
(b) If an organism has 150 different V gene segments, 12 J gene segments , and 3 possible V-J joints for L chains,
and can make 5000 different H chains, how many different antibodies can be made?
2. If an enchancer were moved from a position near gene A, where it has strong enhancing activity, to a position 50
nucleotides upstream from gene B, which is constitutively transcribed, would transcription of gene B be increased?
3. In prokaryotes, positive regulatory elements often provide a binding site for RNA polymerase, which strengthens the
binding of the polymerase to the transcription start site. What is the evidence that suggests that most eukaryotic
regulatory elements function differently?
4. A substance (Q) is made in a cell culture in response to an external effector (E). In the abundance of E, a nuclear
RNA consisting of about 800 nucleotides can be found that hybridizes with the cloned gene encoding Q. The RNA is
capped has a poly (A) tail, and in an in vitro protein-synthesizing system directs synthesis of a tripeptide. If E is added
to the growth medium,very little of this nuclear RNA
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is found and an mRNA molecule containing 770 nucleotides is found in the cytoplasm. This mRNA directs synthesis of
Q, but not the tripeptide. How might E regulate synthesis of Q?
5. Several cases are known in which a single effector molecule regulates the synthesis of different proteins encoded in
distinct mRNA molecules 1 and 2. Give a brief possible molecular explanation for each of the following observation
made when the effector is absent.
(a) Neither nuclear nor cytoplasmic RNA can be found that hybridizes to either of the genes encoding molecules 1
and 2.
(b) Nuclear (but not cytoplasmic) RNA can be found that hybridizes to the
genes encoding molecules 1 and 2.
(c) Both nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA (but not polysome-associated RNA) can be found that hybridize to the genes
encoding molecules 1 and 2.
6. Two proteins are synthesized initially at the same time because the two RNAs encoding each protein are made in
response to the same signal. At a later time, when the transcription signal is no longer present, one of the proteins is still
made at nearly the same rate, and the other is not detected. Suggest a means for this temporal programming.
1. Since there are a number of diseases resulting from loss of function of a gene product due to a mutation in a rect
splice site, how might such diseases be treated using molecular biology approaches? what,if any, negative consequences
could these approaches have?
2. Almost nowhere in the biological kingdom, with the exception of the gene rearrangement associated with antibody
synthesis,are there mechanisms for regulating gene expressions that involve permanent changes in the nucleotide
sequence of DNA observed. Why do you suppose such mechanisms do not exist?
3.Phosphorylation of proteins is another method used by eukaryotic cells to regulate gene expression. proteins called
kinases phosphorylate amino acids such as tyrosine and serine on other proteins to cause either increased or decreased
activity. Similarly, many kinases control their own activity level through autophosphorylation. Two such kinases are csrc and its oncogenic counterpart,v-src. The src kinase phosphorylates tyrosine residues. A c-src kinase contains two
tyrosine residues, while v-src contains only one. It is known that the presence of c-src in cells does not lead to a high
level of cancer transformation, while the presence of v-src is highly transforming. purpose an explanation for this
observation.
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PART IV
EXPERIMENTAL MANIPULATION OF MACROMOLECULES
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Chapter 14
Barry Polisky
Vice President Of Research

NeXstar Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,
Boulder, Colorado
University of Chicago
Major: Biology 1967
Graduate Degree:
University of Colorado, Boulder
Ph.D. 1973, Molecular Biology
San Francisco 19731977
NeXstar is a biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery and development of therapeutics and diagnostics using
the SELEX procedure. SELEX is a drug discovery technology in which a very large random sequence oligonucleotide
library is generated and screened for interaction with a specific molecular target. Oligonucleotides that have affinity for
the target are isolated and amplified, and binding is repeated iteratively. This approach has been applied successfully to
a large number of molecular targets including proteins, peptides, and small organic molecules. SELEX can generate
very high affinity ligands that also have great recognition specificity. These properties are a consequence of the ability
of oligonucleotides to form highly structured, relatively rigid conformations in solution.
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Toward a full description of the structure and function of relevant macromolecules of life along with acquisition of tools
sufficient to manipulate them in rational ways.
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1. About the basic properties of plasmids, how they
replicate, and how they may be transferred from cell to
cell.
2. About the characteristics of several transposable
elements, their effects upon host cells, and models of
transposition.
Plasmids represent the extrachromosomal genetic material(DNA) segments capable of autonomous replication in cells.
They are found in most bacterial species. Most plasmids are circular, double-stranded DNA molecules that are isolated
as supercoiled molecules; however other forms, such as linear double-stranded molecules, have also been described.
Plasmids are not confined to bacteria; they have been isolated from yeast, protozoa, and plants. In humans, certain
viruses (including human papilloma virus and Epstein-Barr virus) can also exist as plasmids within cell nuclei. In this
form the viruses replicate along with the nuclear chromosomes. The molecular biology of plasmids has been most
intensively studied in bacteria. Table 14-1 summarizes some of the key features of several well-studied plasmids.
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Certain bacterial plasmids have the ability to transfer themselves physically from one cell to another, thereby spreading
through a population. Special properties of certain plasmids even permit interaction between two bacterial cells of
different species. These transfer abilities are central to the role that plasmids play in bacterial evolution. The genes
carried by plasmids represent a mobile reservoir of genetic information that can endow the host bacterial cell with the
ability to grow in otherwise hostile environments. An example of immediate relevance
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TABLE 14-1 FEATURES OF SELECTED PLASMIDS OF E. coli

PLASMID
SIZE
(Kb)
COPY NUMBER
CONJUGATIVE
ColE1
6.6
1020
No
95
12
Yes
R100
89
12
Yes
P1
90
12
No
R6K
40
1020
Yes
OTHER
PHENOTYPE
Colicin production
and immunity
E. coli sex factor
Antibiotic-resistance genes
Plasmid form is prophage;
produces viral
particles
Antibiotic-resistance genes
to human is that bacterial antibiotic resistance is often conferred on bacterial cells by plasmid genes. Certain plasmids are
capable of efficient transfer to other antibiotic-sensitive cells, resulting in rapid horizontal conversion of an entire bacterial
population to drug resistance. Moreover, it is common for a single plasmid to confer resistance to multiple antibiotics.
Bacterial plasmids span a wide range of sizes, from those containing one or two genes (several Kb in size), to those
carrying several hundred genes (more than 500 Kb). Because certain plasmids are so large (and capable of carrying so
many genes), it is possible for them to greatly alter the metabolic capabilities of their host cell. In the absence of selective
pressure however, having the plasmid present is irrelevant to the host, and the plasmid is genetically dispensable. Under
these circumstances the plasmid could conceivably represent a genetic burden to the cell and would therefore likely be lost
from populations. The evolutionary mission of the plasmid however is to propagate itself and insure its own stable
transmission in the population. Despite being nothing more than naked DNA molecules incapable of survival outside a cell,
bacterial plasmids have evolved quite sophisticated mechanisms to ensure their own survival.
An important property of bacterial plasmids is that they exist in characteristic copy numbers per cell. A central problem
faced by all plasmids is the need to coordinate their replication with that of the host chromosome, so that they are not
diluted by cell reproduction. Bacteria are capable of reproducing at widely different rates. In the lower intestine of a
mammal, bacteria might divide once per 24 hours; in a rich medium in a culture flask, they can divide every 20 minutes.
Bacterial plasmids must be able to sense the division rates of their hosts, and alter their own replication rates accordingly.
Plasmid replication must also be regulated so that it does not compromise host chromosome replication and the life of the
cell.
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Since plasmids are stably inherited DNA molecules, they have served as valuable research models to investigate the
molecular mechanisms that control DNA replication. Because of their small size and genetic dispensability, they are
easy to manipulate with the techniques of recombinant DNA technology. As will be described later, plasmids have
played a key role in the development and use of recombinant DNA technology (see Chapter 15).
In this chapter, we will briefly describe some of the central features of plasmids, concentrating on bacterial plasmids
because these are most widely understood at present. We will focus on the replication properties of plasmids and the
important property of plasmid transfer. In addition, we will describe features of a special class of DNA sequences,
which have the ability to catalyze their own movement among whatever genetic material is present in the cell, including
plasmids. This process is called transposition and is mediated by transposable elements.
Plasmid-Borne Genes
Bacterial plasmids play an important role in human disease. This was illustrated dramatically by the discovery during
the 1960s of bacterial strains that had acquired simultaneous resistance to four antibiotics in heavy use in Japanese
hospitals. The multiple drug-resistance traits were transferable to sensitive strains and were responsible for an epidemic
of bacterial dysentery. The antibiotic-resistant bacteria harbored a large plasmid, called an R factor factor (for
resistance), carrying genes that encoded proteins that destroyed or inactivated the antibiotics. Other R plasmids have
been discovered that render bacteria resistant to heavy metals found in the environment, such as mercury and lead. The
presence of these plasmids in bacteria allows for bacterial growth in heavily contaminated environments.
A bacterial cell's ability to resist the action of an antibiotic or to neutralize toxic environmental substances usually
depends upon the production of large amounts of a few key enzymes. These enzymes act by attacking the harmful
substance. By virtue of encoding these key enzymes on plasmids, which function essentially as minichromosomes, the
bacterium is well suited to produce large amounts of the required enzyme quickly, because the plasmid is often present
in multiple copies (Table 14-1). With multiple copies of the relevant genes, transcription quickly generates sufficient
enzyme to combat the antibiotic or chemical challenge the bacterium faces.
E. coli is a normal resident of the human large intestine. Certain plasmids endow E. coli with the ability to grow in new
environments, and thereby convert an otherwise harmless bacterial resident into a pathogen. Such plasmids encode
proteins that can alter the bacterial cell surface, permitting adhesion of the bacteria to the lining of the small intestine. A
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TABLE 14-2 PLASMID-ENCODED PROTEINS

PROTEIN
FUNCTION
Colicin
Secreted protein, kills bacteria lacking plasmid that encodes

colicin-immunity protein.
Enterotoxin
Secreted protein, alters ion balance of eukaryotic cells.

Responsible for water loss from cells.
second gene sometimes present on a plasmid encodes a secreted protein toxin (called anenterotoxin), which can damage
intestinal cells and is directly responsible for the symptoms of dysentery (Table 14-2).
Other plasmids, called Col Plasmids provide a selective growth advantage to cells carrying them because the plasmid encodes
a secreted antibacterial protein (called a colicin) that kills cells lacking the plasmid. Immunity to the effects of the colicin is
conferred on the host cell by a special protein also encoded by the plasmid. The mechanisms by which colicin proteins act to
kill cells are varied. Certain types (such as colicin El) produce holes in the membranes of sensitive cells, permitting ions to
flow out. Others, such as colicin E3, enter cells and specifically cleave ribosomal RNA, blocking protein synthesis.
Plasmids can provide advantages to their hosts by other means, such as carrying DNA restriction/modification genes. These
genes encode sequence-specific DNA binding proteins that recognize and degrade DNA which is foreign to the cell
(restriction), while physically altering the host DNA so that it is not degraded (modification). Several hundred distinct
restriction/modification systems have been described in bacteria. Their natural function is to protect the host bacterium from
infection by an unwanted virus. In certain instances the viral DNA is chemically modified so that its ability to replicate is
impaired. In other cases the DNA of the infecting virus is destroyed, thus short-circuiting the phage replication cycle (see
Figure 6-6). Destruction of the virus DNA is achieved by specific nuclease enzymes. Those enzymes recognize specific
nucleotide sequences and cleave DNA at those sites. These systems are the source of restriction endonucleases, which are
essential molecular tools of recombinant DNA technology described in the next chapter. Many of these restriction/
modification systems are plasmid borne, while others are carried in the host genome.
Plasmid Transfer
There has been speculation that bacterial viruses evolved from plasmids. Small fragments of the bacterial cell's chromosome
may have existed in the form of primitive plasmids, which eventually evolved into complete
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bacteriophage. The ability to transfer genes from one bacterial cell to another, a property possessed both by plasmids
and viruses, no doubt contributes to the evolution of bacterial species.
From this evolutionary perspective perhaps no plasmid-borne functions are more important than those permitting
plasmid transfer from cell to cell, thereby mediating the flow of genes through a bacterial population. This process of
plasmid transfer is called cconjugation Figure 14-1 illustrates the conjugation process. Conjugative plasmids carry a
large block of transfer genes responsible for the specialized cell structures and enzymes required to physically move the
plasmid genome from a donor cell to a recipient. Such plasmids are said to be self-transmissible. The prototype
conjugative plasmid of E. coli is the F plasmid (or sex factor), a large circular plasmid of approximately 95 Kb present
in 12 copies per cell (Figure 14-2). Cells carrying the F plasmid are called males, and are capable of mating with cells
lacking the F plasmid (females). Cells lacking the F plasmid are often represented by the notation of F-, while F+ is
used to represent cells having an F plasmid.
Conjugation is a complex process involving the gene products of a large gene complex within the plasmid, called the tra
(for transfer) operon, consisting of more than 20 genes (Figure 14-2). (As was explained in more detail in Chapter 11,
an operon is a set of contiguous genes coordinately expressed through a large polycistronic mRNA.) When male cells
are mixed with female cells, mating pairs form, joined together by a special structure called a conjugation bridge.
Certain F genes encode proteins for a specialized male surface structure called a pilus. The F pilus (essentially a tubular
extension of the bacterial cell surface) probably interacts with specific receptors on the female outer membrane surface
to establish a conjugation bridge. Following cellcell contact, one strand of the su-
Figure 14-1
Electron micrograph of two E. coli cells during
conjugation. The small cell is an F- cell; the larger cell
contains F'lac.
(With permission, from L. Carol. J. Mol. Biol., 16: 269.
Copyright 1966: Academic Press)
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Figure 14-2
A map of the sex plasmid F. Points are given in kilobases.
The single capital letters refer to the midpoints of the locations
of the corresponding tra genes. The insertion sequences,
(Tn1000), IS2, and IS3 are shown in red. The red arrow (oriT)
shows the location of the origin for transfer replication as
well as the direction of transfer. oriV shows the location
of the origin for vegetative (nontransfer) replication.
percoiled F DNA is nicked at a specific sequence called oriT. This is accomplished by a special DNA endonuclease
encoded by the F plasmid. Other proteins (encoded by tra) then bind to the exposed 5'-terminus and guide that DNA
strand into the female cell. As the DNA strand enters the female cell, it is replicated coordinately with the other plasmid
parent strand remaining in the donor. Following DNA replication in both donor and recipient cells to convert the single
strand into double-stranded DNA, the new F plasmids are circularized. The closed circular DNA is then converted to a
supercoiled form by the enzyme DNA gyrase. The process is shown diagrammatically in Figure 14-3. The result of
conjugation is the semiconservative replication of F in both cells. Initially a female, the daughter cell is converted into a
male cell by this process. It then is capable of transferring the F plasmid. Thus, the F plasmid can be thought of as an
infectious agent, capable of rapid spread through a population of female cells.
The ability to mediate conjugation is not confined to the F plasmid. Other plasmids, particularly the R plasmids, also
carry the genetic information required for conjugation. When these plasmids are transferred, the female recipient
becomes resistant to antibiotics, which can be inactivated by the products of certain R plasmid genes. As with F plasmid
transfer, the recipient female becomes a donor male capable of subsequent transfer. Plasmids such as ColE1 (mentioned
later in this chapter) are not self-transmissible by themselves. They have, however, evolved the ability to take advantage
of the genetic free-ride offered by a co-residing conjugative plasmid. When the conjugative plasmid is transferred,
smaller plasmids such as ColE1 can also move into the recipient, and are said to be mobilizable.
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Figure 14-3
A model for transfer of F plasmid DNA from an F+ male (donor) cell to an F- female
(recipient) cell using a rolling circle replication mechanism of the type described
in Chapter 7. Black lines indicate parental DNA strands. Smooth red lines
indicate newly synthesized DNA. Sawtooth red lines indicate RNA
primers that are subsequently removed. The bacterial chromosomal
DNA is omitted for clarity.
F Plasmids Can Transfer Chromosomal Genes by Recombining with the Host Genome
Conjugation as described above is genetically manifested only through the conversion of the recipient cell into a donor.
However, conjugation was initially discovered in a successful search for genetic processes in
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which chromosomal genes were transferred from one cell to another. We must thus account for the ability of the F
plasmid to transfer genes other than its own. This ability was understood when it became clear that the F plasmid could
exist in another form in certain cells in addition to its autonomous existence as a separate plasmid. The F plasmid was
found to be able to undergo recombination with the host chromosome, and since both molecules are circular, a single
recombination event results in integration of the plasmid into the chromosome. The conversion of free F into integrated
F is a rare event, occurring in about one in 105 cells. These rare cells are called Hfr cells (for High frequency of
recombination). The F plasmid can integrate into the chromosome at many different locations,
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so a variety of bacterial strains can be generated, each containing a single integrated F plasmid at different spots in the
host genome. The molecular basis for the entry of the F plasmid into the chromosome at specific locations (IS
sequences) will be described later in this chapter.
The F plasmid genes responsible for making the cell male are expressed in Hfr cells. The Hfr cell thus can mate and
transfer DNA (Figure 14-4). When the integrated F DNA in an Hfr strain is nicked by the endonuclease and transfer of
the DNA strand into the recipient cell begins, DNA from the host chromosome can also be transferred by virtue of its
physical continuity with the F DNA. This transfer of host DNA into the recipient potentially can have profound genetic
consequences. DNA from the donor is transferred at a rate of about 50 Kb/min. About 100 minutes are required for
transfer of the entire bacterial chromosome. In most cases, however, the mating pairs are not stable long enough for the
entire chromosome to be transferred, and the cells break apart, leaving the recipient with a partial copy of the F plasmid
and a segment of the donor genome. Most
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Figure 14-4.
A diagram showing conjugation between an Hfr male (donor) bacterium and an Ffemale bacterium. The solid red and black circles represent the chromosomal DNA of
the Hfr and F- cells, respectively. Dashed red lines indicate DNA synthesis. Sawtooth
lines represent the integrated F plasmid. Lower case italic letters represent genes on
the chromosome. The F-cell carries a mutation in the c gene (c-), while the Hfr strain has
a wild-type copy of this gene. Following Hfr transfer and replication, a population of F- cells
has been converted to a c+ phenotype. These genes and the F plasmid DNA are not
drawn to scale relative to the chromosomal circles. Supercoiling is omitted for simplicity.
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often, therefore, only a subset of chromosomal genes is transferred. Because the origin of transfer is within the F
genome, one part of the F plasmid is the first to enter the recipient, but the rest of the F plasmid will be last to enter.
Therefore, a complete F copy is not present in the recipient unless the entire chromosome is transferred. As a result, the
recipients of most Hfr transfers are not capable of being donors. As with autonomous F plasmid transfer, replication (in
both cells) accompanies single-strand transfer.
Left to its own devices, the piece of chromosomal DNA transferred from an Hfr donor has little chance of survival and
propagation in the recipient. However, because of sequence homology with genes of the recipient chromosome, it can
undergo recombination mediated by the recA system of E. coli (Recall, the RecA protein, as noted earlier in Chapter 10
(e.g., Figure 1017), is responsible for homologous recombination in E. coli). The recombination event can be detected
by appropriate selection or screening. For example, in a mating between certain Hfr leu+ cells and a F- leu- recipient,
F- leu+ cells can be detected. In these cells, the recombination event results in the replacement of the leu- gene with the
incoming leu- gene.
Hfr Transfer Can Be Used to Investigate Gene Location
The analysis of many Hfr strains revealed an important feature concerning transfer. Different Hfr strains reproducibly
transfer different bacterial genes at high frequency. For example, the hypothetical strain Hfr1 might transfer genes A B
C at a high frequency and genes X Y Z at a low frequency, while another strain, Hfr2, may transfer genes X Y Z at a high
frequency and genes A B C at a low frequency. This behavior is due to different insertion points for the F plasmid in the
Hfr donor's chromosome. Those bacterial genes oriented to one side of the oriT transfer point are the first bacterial
genes to enter the recipient, and will be transferred at a higher frequency than genes further away from the oriT.
Since genes are transferred in a linear order to the recipient in an Hfr transfer, the time of transfer of a particular gene
reflects its relative position on the bacterial chromosome to the origin of transfer. Hfr strains thus are important tools for
determining a map of the bacterial chromosome. That is, the order of the linear array of genes on the chromosome can
be established. By determining the time of transfer of a particular gene relative to the transfer of other genes, the relative
physical locations of the genes can be determined. The technique of interrupted mating was developed to exploit these
characteristics. In this technique mating pairs are physically disrupted at different times after mating has initiated; under
these conditions only part of the donor chromosome is transferred. Analysis of a large number of donor genetic markers
revealed that characteristic times are required for their transfer (Figure 14-5). Interruption prior to this time prevented
transfer. The physical location of a new gene can
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Figure 14-5
Time course of entry of different genetic markers into an Frecipient.Marker 1 is transferred early; marker 4 is transferred
later. Note that the plateau level is related to the time of
entry. Markers transferred early appear in a larger fraction
of the recipients than markers transferred later. This difference
is due to spontaneous breakage of the Hfr chromosome during
transfer. The percent recombinants is expressed as a
percentage of Hfr donors.
therefore be determined by defining its time of transfer relative to other well-characterized genes in these so called
''interrupted mating" experiments.
F Plasmids Insert Into Specific Locations
What determines the F plasmid insertion point? The F plasmid carries several special DNA sequences also present in
several copies in the bacterial chromosome. These short sequences are called insertion sequences (abbreviated as IS
sequences). They will be described in more detail later in this chapter, in connection with transposable elements. The
transfer properties of most Hfr strains can be understood as a consequence of a recombination event between an IS
sequence on the F plasmid, and the homologous sequence on the chromosome.
We have seen that the F plasmid can display two distinct lifestyles in a cell: either as a free plasmid or integrated into
the chromosome to form an Hfr. A third type of F plasmid has also been observed. This form, called F' (F prime),
results from an imprecise excision of an F from the chromosome and reestablishment in a plasmid form. The excision
can also remove bacterial genes adjacent to F, which are then carried in a plasmid form. The excision itself is the result
of a recombination event between sequences within F and sequences outside. Many different F' plasmids have been
described; some carry very large blocks of the bacterial chromosome. Like F plasmids, F' plasmids retain the ability to
transfer themselves to female recipients, as long as they have not lost any of the genes necessary for transfer.
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F' plasmid transfer results in the efficient introduction of the associated chromosomal genes into the recipient. However,
the genetic consequences are different from Hfr transfer. After transfer of the F', the F'-associated bacterial genes can be
stably maintained by virtue of the ability of the F plasmid replication origin to function. Recipient F' cells thus carry two
copies of certain genes: one of the F' plasmid and one on the bacterial chromosome, and are genetically described as
merodiploid (i.e., partially diploid), in contrast to the normal haploid state of the bacterial genome. Since F' plasmids are
much smaller than the bacterial chromosome, their complete transfer usually occurs before mating pairs spontaneously
break apart. Consequently, the female recipients are converted into F' males. F' plasmids are usually designated by the
chromosomal genes they carryfor example F'lac pro carries the genes for lactose utilization and proline biosynthesis.
Plasmid DNA Replication
As mentioned earlier, a fundamental property of bacterial plasmids is that they exist at characteristic copy numbers in
cells. Plasmid copy numbers are usually expressed as a ratio of the number of plasmid molecules to the number of
chromosomal copies per cell. Naturally occurring plasmids exist at a wide range of copy numbers. Certain plasmids,
such as the sex factor F or the prophage of the E. coli cirus P1, exist at copy numbers of 12, while those of the ColE1
family exist at copy numbers of 2040.
Plasmids are generally dependent on host enzymatic machinery for their own replication. The ColE1 plasmid, for
example, carries no genetic information specifying replication-related enzymesit relies entirely on host components.
Other plasmids may encode certain enzymes involved in particular steps of replication, but in no known case is a
plasmid completely independent of host replication enzymes. E. coli contains three different enzymes that catalyze
DNA synthesisDNA polymerases I, II, and III. Most E. coli plasmids, as well as the E. coli chromosome itself, use
DNA polymerase III as the central replication enzyme. (An important exception is the Co1El plasmid family, in which
DNA polymerase I plays the key replication role.)
Plasmid Copy Number
Plasmid copy number is regulated by controlling the frequency of initiation of DNA replication. Initiation of plasmid
replication occurs at an ori. Replication forks starting at ori move either unidirectionally or bidirectionally around the
circular plasmid. Figure 14-6 illustrates both unidirectional and bidirectional plasmid replication. Please refer back to
Chapter 7 (e.g., Figure 7-24) if necessary to renew your understanding of leading and
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Figure 14-6
Schematic diagram of unidirectional and bidirectional plasmid replication. Red lines indicate newly synthesized RNA
(sawtooth) and DNA (smooth). Black lines indicate the parental DNA strands. Black arrows show the direction of movement
of replication forks. Both pathways begin with a D (displacement) loop at the origin of replication ori). The key difference
is that in bidirectional replication, the initial lagging strand proceeds through the origin of replication to become the
leading strand for a second replication fork (fork B), while in unidirectional replication, this lagging strand is prevented
from advancing through the origin of replication. Supercoiling and enzymes of the replisome are omitted in this
diagram for simplicity.
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lagging DNA strand synthesis. Most plasmid replication forks are bidirectional. The ColE1 plasmid, however, replicates
using a unidirectional fork. Two questions of importance are:
1. What special sequence features of ori enable it to serve as a replication starting point? and
2. How is the frequency of initiation events controlled so as to maintain a specific copy number?
Many plasmid ori sequences are organized similarly to oriC, the bacterial replication origin. A key functional feature of
origins in general is that the DNA double helix must open in that region, permitting access to the bases by DNA
polymerases and other enzymatic replication machinery. The site-specific opening of the helix is accomplished in
several steps.
The first step is the recognition of the ori region by a specific DNA-binding protein. For oriC of the bacterial host, the
key protein involved in replication initiation is encoded by the dnaA gene (see Figure 7-7 in Chapter 7). Many plasmids
encode an analogous protein, which is required specifically for their replication. Called a Rep protein, it plays a key role
in the initiation of plasmid replication. If the rep gene is missing or mutated, plasmid replication cannot occur from the
plasmid origin. Moreover, plasmid copy number is related to the intracellular level of the Rep protein. The function of
the Rep protein is to recognize specific short DNA sequences at the plasmid ori.
At the ori, other host-encoded proteins interact with the bound Rep protein to assemble a DNA replication enzymatic
machine called a replisome. Once bound to the ori the replisome causes local unwinding of the helix, followed by RNA
primer formation and the replication of leading and lagging DNA strands. The specificity for assembling the replisome
at ori comes not from sequence-specific binding of the replisome itself, but rather from an initial DNA sequence
recognition by the Rep protein, which directs subsequent replisome assembly at the ori.
Based upon that knowledge, molecular biologists used intuitive reasoning (see Chapter 1) to speculate that intracellular
levels of the Rep protein would be carefully regulated. In fact, plasmids have evolved highly sophisticated molecular
mechanisms to control the production of this critical
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protein. These control mechanisms sense the concentration of plasmid DNA in the cell, and regulate the production of
the Rep protein accordingly. When a plasmid is introduced into a cell, initiation of plasmid replication occurs quickly to
establish the plasmid at its steady-state copy number. This requires relatively high-level expression of the plasmid rep
gene.
After the plasmid is established, Rep protein levels must be controlled to prevent runaway plasmid replication, which
can be lethal to the cell. The amount of active Rep protein is controlled at the level of translation rather than by
posttranslational alteration, for example. The expression of rep genes of some plasmids, such as the repA gene of the R
factor, R1, is controlled both at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels by separate plasmid-encoded gene
products that repress rep gene transcription.
Transposable Elements
Geneticists are able to construct genetic maps because of the stability of the linear array of genes on the chromosomes
of individuals of a given species. These maps tend to give the impression that the genomes are rather static, suffering
only the occasional base-pair changes due to replication errors or other mutagenic insults. However, this is not the case.
A special class of opportunistic DNA sequences has evolved in all organisms. These DNA sequences have the unique
ability to move as a discrete unit from one position in the genome to another. This ability to relocate is called
transposition, and the elements themselves are called transposable elements (abbreviated Tn elements). Transposable
elements found in bacteria are simply called transposons.
Tn elements are found in plasmids and viruses, as well as in the genomes of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Tn
elements were first detected in bacteria in the gal operon as mutations that eliminated the function of all the genes in the
operon. These mutations were caused by the insertion of specific DNA sequences into the gal operon. Certain insertions
were about 800 base-pairs in length; others were about 1,300 base-pairs long. Moreover, in wild-type revertants derived
from these mutations, the entire block of inserted DNA was missing. These inserted DNA segments are called insertion
sequences, mentioned earlier on page 360.
A variety of different IS sequence elements have been described in E. coli (see Table 14-3). These elements range in
size from several hundred to several thousand base-pairs long, and are characterized by their ability to move from one
point in the genome to another. They do not, however, carry a detectable phenotype; genetically, they can be detected
only by the effects of their insertion on the function of a gene in the chromosome or on a plasmid. Physically, their
presence can be detected at a particular
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TABLE 14-3 PROPERTIES OF SEVERAL E. coli INSERTION, ELEMENTS

ELEMENT
NUMBER OF COPIES
AND LOCATION
SIZE IN
BASE-PAIRS
IS1
58, chromosome
768
IS2
5, chromosome; 1 in F
1,327
IS3
5, chromosome; 2 in F
Approximately 1,400
IS4
1 or 2, chromosome
Approximately 1,400
IS5
Unknown
1,250
1 or more, chromosome; 1 in F
5,700
position by hybridization experiments, if the relevant region has been isolated and purified.
IS sequences contain promoters, and transcription and translation-termination signals. Depending on the position and
orientation of the IS insertion, IS control signals can interfere with proper expression of the target genes at either the
transcription or translation level. Most often, the protein gene product is inactivated because the added sequences interfere
with proper protein folding. If the gene into which the insertion has occurred is part of an operon, the expression of
downstream genes may also be blocked. However, if the insertion point of the IS sequence is upstream of a gene or operon,
the control of expression of these genes can be changedthey may be expressed at a considerably higher (or lower) rate.
Alternatively (as in gal operon mutations) expression of all genes of the operon may be blocked by an appropriately placed IS
element. Such changes are consequences of transcriptional control signals in the IS sequence itself.
What properties of the IS sequences are responsible for their remarkable ability to transpose? Analysis of the DNA sequences
of many different IS elements has revealed a striking feature: all elements contain a terminally inverted sequence (Figure 147). The size of the inverted terminal sequence may vary from one type of IS element to another; however, all members of the
same type carry the same sequence. For example IS1 has 23 base-pair terminal repeat sequences; IS2 has a 41 base-pair
repeat. The two copies of the terminal sequences are perfect, or nearly perfect, repeats. Moreover, the integrity of the inverted
terminal repeats is essential for IS elements to transpose.
Figure 14-7
An example of a terminal inverted repeat in a DNA
molecule. The arrows indicate the inverted
base-sequences. Note that the sequences AGTC and
CTGA are not in the same strand. In a direct repeat,
the sequence in the upper strand would be
AGTC AGTC.
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All IS elements are capable of encoding a special DNA binding protein called a transposase. Transposase is the key
protein component responsible for carrying out the transposition process. Transposases are DNA-binding proteins that
have the ability to specifically recognize the terminally inverted sequences of the IS sequence. This ability to recognize
the borders of the IS element is an important feature of the mechanism, permitting the IS element to move as a discrete
unit. In general, transcription of transposases are under the control of promoters within the IS element. Given the
importance of the reaction they carry out, it is not surprising that the expression of transposases is carefully controlled,
or that the level of transposases in cells is usually very low. We will discuss later how transposase catalyzes
transposition.
A second important sequence feature involving IS elements concerns the site of insertion of the element. Analysis of
large numbers of different insertion points for a given IS element revealed that insertion generates a short direct repeat
flanking the element. The length of the direct-flanking repeat is characteristic of the type of IS element. The sizes range
from about 3 to 13 base-pairs. The repeat sequence is not part of the IS sequence itself. Rather it is a repeat of sequences
present in the target. The fact that a target sequence is found to be repeated after the insertion process is completed
provides an important clue to the mechanism by which the IS element transposes. It is most likely that the direct repeat
of the target sequence is a consequence of a staggered cut in the target DNA made by the transposase (see Figure 14-8).
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Figure 14-8
A schematic diagram indicating how target sequences might be duplicated by
formation of a staggered cut at the target sequence. Capital letters represent the
nucleotides of the target sequence (A' represents the nucleotide that is the
complement of A). Following attachment, the free 3' ends on the transposon can
serve as primers for the DNA synthesis, which duplicates the target sequence.
Note: a terminal repeat sequence (Fig. 14-7) is located at both ends of the
transposon.
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The DNA-recognition properties of the transposase enzyme coded for by the transposon are most clearly responsible for
determining where the IS element will insert. Most transposases have very broad sequence recognition properties, and
mediate transposition into a wide variety of target sequences. For many IS elements, the sequence of the site chosen for
insertion is close to random; however, transposases usually have some preference for insertion into sites with certain
sequence features. Such sites are known as hot-spots for insertion.
Complex Transposons
IS1, IS2, IS3, and so on, are examples of relatively simple transposable elements. They contain terminal inverted
repeats and each encodes a "specific location" transposase. They are therefore capable of movement from one location
to another, but they carry no detectable phenotype. Two types of more complex transposons have been observed as
natural constituents of plasmids. The first class of complex Tn elements consist of a gene or multiple genes, usually
encoding resistance to an antibiotic, sandwiched between two IS elements or IS-like elements. For example, the
transposon Tn9 consists of a gene conferring resistance to chloramphenicol, flanked by IS1 elements in direct
orientation. Tn10 contains a gene conferring tetracycline resistance, flanked by IS10 elements in an inverted orientation.
Regardless of the orientation of the flanking IS elements, the termini of the composite element as a whole are inverted
because each of the component IS termini are inverted (Figure 14-9). Both IS elements flanking the resistance gene can
be capable of independent transposition. In some Tn elements, however, one of them has become mutated and can be
considered vestigial, providing only a terminal repeat to the transposition process. Like their simpler relatives, the IS
sequences, transposition of the complex Tn elements generates a short direct repeat in the target genome. The length of
the repeat is characteristic of the Tn element.
Thinking about how such elements arose, one could imagine that complex elements were selected under conditions of
exposure to antibiot-
Figure 14-9
Two types of complex transposons showing an antibiotic resistance
gene flanked by two IS1 insertion sequences in inverted and direct repeat
orientations. (The numbers indicate the sizes of various portions of the
transposon in base-pairs.) Red arrows indicate the inverted repeats of the
IS1 elements. Note that the figure is not drawn to scale.
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ics. Prior to selection, two IS elements happened to flank the antibiotic resistance gene. Selection pressure resulted in
the capture of the gene by the two IS elements. The transposon provided a means for horizontal transmission of
resistance to other members of the population. Genes other than those conferring antibiotic resistance can be part of
such elements. Tn1681 contains a gene encoding an enterotoxin that plays a role in causing human diarrhea. It is likely
that in response to appropriate selective pressures, a complex transposon containing essentially any bacterial gene can
be detected. The ability of this type of mechanism to respond to environmental changes provides genetic plasticity, and
has profound implications for bacterial evolution.
More Complex Transposons Exist
The second type of complex transposon has a more complicated genetic structure. The best known of these elements is a
5 Kb transposon called Tn3 (see Figure 14-10 for a schematic outline). Elements of this class are not flanked by IS
sequences, but instead have shorter inverted repeats; the inverted repeats of Tn3 are 38 base-pairs long. Between the
inverted repeats are three genes, two of which are similar in function to those already discussed. The bla gene encodes
an enzyme, called -lactamase, that confers resistance to ampicillin. The second gene, called tnpA, encodes a
transposase that specifically recognizes the inverted repeats of Tn3 during the transposition process. The third gene,
called tnpR, encodes a bifunctional protein, called resolvase, that functions in the transposition process. Resolvase is a
specific DNA-binding protein that recognizes a short DNA sequence called the internal resolution site (IRS). The
resolvase (TnpR) also represses synthesis of its own transcript and the tnpA transcript by virtue of its binding affinity
for sites I, II, and III. The consequences of resolvase binding to the IRS will be discussed later.
Figure 14-10
Organization of the Tn3 transposon. The solid red boxes (IR) indicate the terminal
inverted repeats, the grey boxes indicate open reading frames; tnpA, transposase;
tnpR, resolvase;bla, -lactamase (the gene for ampicillin resistance). The black arrows
show the direction of transcription. Numbers indicate the length in base-pairs. The total
length of the element is 4,957 base-pairs. IRS stands for internal resolution sequence
(this region is also shown magnified five-fold). This region contains promoter elements
for the tnpA and tnpR genes, as well as three sites for resolvase binding (I, II, III)
indicated by red boxes. The red arrow shows the site at which recombination
between two TN3 elements of a cointegrate occurs, a process mediated
by the enzyme resolvase.
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The Process of Transposition

Transposition involves the movement of a defined segment of DNA from one spot in a genome to another site either in
the same genome or in another, such as a viral or plasmid, genome. A convenient way to measure the frequency of
transposition is to take advantage of the fact that movement can occur between a chromosome and a conjugative
plasmid, such as the F plasmid. If this occurs, the F plasmid acquires the ability to confer an easily detectable
phenotype: antibiotic resistance. The frequency at which the F plasmid is used as a transposition target can be
determined by measuring the frequency at which females become antibiotic-resistant males after conjugation. Only if
the transposon has moved from the chromosome to the F plasmid will the F plasmid confer antibiotic resistance on the
female after conjugation. Experiments have indicated a frequency of movement of about 10-5 to 10-7 per element per
generation for transposons such as Tn10. This frequency is in the same range as the spontaneous mutation rate seen for
a typical bacterial gene.
Conservative Transposition
Transposition occurs via two types of mechanisms. Which mechanism is employed depends on the type of transposable
element. In the simpler of the two mechanisms, transposition involves excision of the Tn element through cleavages at
its inverted termini by transposase. This excision is followed by insertion of the element at a new site. Such a cut-andpaste mechanism is a conservative process, that is, it involves no replication of the original element, except for the small
amount needed to create the direct repeats flanking the element at its new location. The donor molecule (having suffered
a double-strand DNA break at both ends of the element) can be lost in the process. To enter the recipient molecule, the
transposase enzyme makes a staggered double-stranded cut. The length of the stagger is characteristic for each type of
element. For example, the 9-base-pair direct repeats that flank Tn10 are generated by the Tn10 transposase making a 9base-pair staggered cut in target DNA. The two ends of the element are then ligated to the cut ends of the target DNA
by transposase. The ligation creates 9-base-pair, single-strand gaps flanking the element these are filled in by DNA
polymerase of the host (Figure 14-8). This conservative mechanism of transposition is used by Tn10 and Tn9.
Replicative Transposition
The existence of a second transposition mechanism was shown by observing that the transposition of certain
transposons, such as Tn3, involved a special intermediate DNA structure called a cointegrate. The cointegrate form is a
result of fusion of the donor and target replicons mediated by transposase. An important feature of the cointegrate is that
it contains
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Figure 14-11
A simple two-step model for replicative transposition. In the first step, transposase
(TnpA) encoded by the donor molecule (A) mediates fusion with the target molecule
(B) to generate a cointegrate molecule. Note that the transposon has been duplicated
in the cointegrate. In the second step, called resolution, recombination between specific
sites in the two transposon copies (red lines) is mediated by the TnpR protein (resolvase)
to generate two separate molecules. One molecule is identical to the donor; the other (B')
is the target molecule now containing a copy of the transposon.
two copies of the transposon in a direct orientation at the junctions of the donor and target sequences. Thus, in the
cointegrate, the transposon has been replicated. The cointegrate is an intermediate structure in transposition. It can be
resolved by a special recombination process into two separate DNA molecules, each containing a copy of the
transposon (Figure 14-11). This step is carried out not by the transposase but by the product of the Tn3 tnpR gene,
resolvase. The recombination step, called resolution, occurs at the IRS sites in the paired copies of Tn3 in the
cointegrate called res sites (Figure 14-11). Transposition of Tn3 is thus a replicative process in which a second copy of
the element is produced. Tn3 produces 5-base- pair direct repeats in its target sequence, implying that its transposase
makes a staggered cut in the target DNA, like Tn10 transposase.
Models for Transposition
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A specific model for transposition should define the nature of the cleavages made in the donor DNA, the target DNA,
and in the transposon, and explain how the target and transposon molecules are subsequently covalently joined. Many
models have been proposed to account for the properties of the forms detected. It might seem unlikely that a single
model could account for the behavior of both classes of transposons, that is, those that transpose conservatively, such as
Tn10, as well as those that transpose replicatively, such as Tn3. However, such a model has been proposed
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(Figure 14-12). A key aspect of the model involves the formation of an intermediate DNA structure, which can mature
along two alternative paths. The intermediate results after the following steps have occurred:
1. The transposase makes a single-strand cleavage at each end of the donor transposon (remember that each breakage
creates a 5' and 3' end).
2. The transposase makes staggered cuts in the target DNA (at this point, four single-strand breaks have been made,
generating eight ends).
3. The transposase carries out two ligation steps (one at each end of the transposon) so that a 5' end of the target DNA is
linked to a 3' end of the transposon. The result is a linked DNA molecule containing four free ends (two 5' and two 3').
Note that the donor and the target DNA each are linked to the transposon at two of its ends.
This transposition intermediate can be processed in two different ways, depending on the properties of the transposon.
Note that two nicks were made in the donor DNA initially at opposite ends of the transposon in step one above. After
formation of the intermediate, two additional nicks may occur on the formerly unbroken donor strands at the transposon
ends. These two nicks eliminate the linkage between donor and target DNA, and create two separate DNA molecules.
One is the broken donor molecule lacking the transposon. The other is the target molecule linked to the transposon.
However, this molecule has short, single-stranded gaps flanking the transposon, which result from the initial staggered
cut in target DNA made by transposase. Host DNA repair machinery can recognize the gap and fill it in, resulting in a
covalently closed target containing the transposon. This is the pathway of conservative transpositionthe mechanism used
by Tn10.
The alternative pathway for transposition does not involve additional strand breakages, but instead utilizes the two 3'termini present in the transposition intermediate. These termini may serve as assembly points for the DNA replication
enzymes of the host. Extension of these termini by replication results in duplication of the transposon. The replication
forks proceed only to the ends of the transposon, where the newly synthesized DNA strands can be ligated to the
preexisting strands derived from the donor molecule. The result of this local replication is the creation of the cointegrate
molecule, a single DNA molecule containing two directly repeated copies of the transposon. The two copies of the
transposon can undergo recombination in a site-specific resolution reaction to generate the original donor molecule and
a target molecule containing a single copy of the transposon. This replicative transposition pathway is used by the Tn3
family.
The IS family of transposons generally transpose via a conservative mode, generating simple insertions. Occasionally,
however, an IS-mediated cointegrate form can be detected. The model described in Figure 14-12 accounts for both
outcomes. However, since IS elements do not encode
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Figure 14-12
A detailed model for conservative and replicative transposition utilizing a common
intermediate capable of maturing in one of two ways. The donor molecule is drawn
with thin lines, while the target (recipient) molecule is drawn with thick lines. The
transposon is shown in red. Sawtooth regions indicate the target sequence. DNA
synthesis is shown as dashed lines.
(a) The Two parent molecules.
(b) The donor and target molecules following the nicking by transposase. Two singlestrand cuts (arrows) are made flanking the transposon, and two staggered, singlestrand cuts are made in the target sequence, generally about 4-10 base-pairs apart.
Four free 5' ends are formed (2,3,6, and 7) and four free 3' ends are formed (1,4, 5, and 8).
(c) The common intermediate for conservative or replicative ransposition is formed by
two ligations, 4-7 and 1-6, carried out by transposase. This intermediate can then follow
one of two maturation pathways. A key feature is that the 3'ends (5 and 8) can serve as
primers for new DNA synthesis, as indicated by the arrowheads.
(d) The first step in the conservative pathway. Two more single-strand nicks are
made, separating the donor molecule from the transposon-target molecule. (The
donor molecule is lost.)
(e) The final product of the conservative pathway. The two free ends, 5 and 8,
serve as primers for DNA synthesis to fill in the remaining, short, single-strand regions
of the molecule (target sequences). The result is a simple insertion of the Tn element
into the target molecule, and duplication of the target sequence.
(f) Formation of a cointegrate molecule by DNA synthesis from the free ends (5 and 8) that
continues through the transposon (dashed lines). The newly synthesized DNA ends are
ligated to the remaining free ends (2 and 3). Note that a duplication of the target sequence
and the transposon has occurred (this corresponds to the cointegrate in Figure 14-11).
(g) The end products of the replicative pathway formed by recombination within the
cointegrate molecule in (f).
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a resolvase, resolution of IS-mediated cointegrates probably involves recombination mediated by host components.
What is the fate of the donor molecule in conservative transposition? Two possible outcomes must be considered. The
double-stranded break may lead to destruction of the donor. However, since bacteria often contain more than one copy
of their chromosome, this event might not necessarily be lethal. An alternative possibility is that the double-strand gap
is repaired by the host using the remaining copy of the transposon as a template.
Control of Transposition Frequency
It is clearly important to cell viability that the frequency of movement of transposable elements be tightly controlled to
prevent the accumulation of additional copies of the elements in the genome. One way transposition is controlled is by
limiting production of transposase. The Tn10 transposase is produced at an extremely low levelless than one molecule
per cell, per generation. This low level of production is accomplished by control both at the level of transcription of the
transposase gene, and translation of the transposase mRNA. Thus, in most cells carrying Tn10, transposition is
prevented simply by the absence of transposase.
A second means by which transposition frequency is controlled is that the process of transposition is largely confined to
a small time window in the bacterial cell cycle. Transposition occurs preferentially immediately after DNA replication
of the element itself. E. coli DNA normally is methylated at specific sites by the action of an enzyme called DNA
adenine
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methylase. However, when a replication fork passes over a DNA region, the newly made DNA strand is transiently
unmethylated, so the recently replicated part is only partially methylated. Shortly after replication, the dam methylase
methylates the newly made DNA strand. This converts the daughter DNA molecules to the fully-methylated state. The
transposase, however, interacts poorly with fully methylated DNA, but interacts strongly with partially methylated
DNA. During that short time-interval before the DNA is fully methylated, transposition occurs. The short time available
for transposase action thus serves to control transposition frequency. (Recall that mismatch repair (Chapter 10) also uses
this transient undermethylated state to determine which strand to repair.)
Transposable Elements in Eukaryotes
The existence of transposable elements was first detected in Barbara McClintock's studies of maize in the 1940s.* These
elements are fully comparable to those in bacteria and were detected by their effects on the expression of certain maize
genes. Maize contains several types of transposable elements. These elements have a sequence organization similar to
their bacterial counterparts. They have inverted terminal repeats, encode a transposase, and cause short direct repeats in
their targets when they transpose. They are called autonomous, because they have the ability to transpose. Other
members of the same transposon family are often present in maize, but are unable to transpose on their own because
internal deletions have destroyed their transposase gene. These copies are called nonautonomous, and are incapable of
movement unless transposase is supplied in trans by an autonomous element. Nonautonomous elements retain the
inverted terminal repeats at which transposase acts. The best characterized maize Tn element is a 4.5 Kb element called
Ac (for activator); defective versions of Ac are called Ds (for dissociation).
As in bacteria, transposons in maize are associated with a variety of structural aberrations of chromosomes. Deletions,
duplications, and inversions may occur at sites where autonomous elements are present. The transposition of maize
elements is regulated in part by the development of the plant; unknown signals generated at certain periods of plant
development affect the frequency of movement of these elements. It is possible for an autonomous element to become
reversibly inactivated, that is, incapable of transposition. Presumably such a change results from secondary
modifications to the DNA sequence of the element. Cycles of methylation and demethylation of certain DNA sequences
may be involved in this process.
Transposons have been detected in the genomes of other eukaryotes, including those of yeast, Drosophila melanogaster,
and humans. They are probably present in all genomes.
* She was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1993.
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Key concept
The ''Changing Genome" Concept

The sequence or arrangement of nucleotides in genes is constantly evolving, either by random mutation, by occasional
recombination events, or from the action of transposable elements.
Like the transposons described for bacteria, eukaryotic transposons cause unstable mutations in genes that revert to wild
type when the element is deleted. In addition, these transposons cause short direct repeats at the site of their insertion.
However, some of these elements have a fundamentally different genetic organization and mechanism of transposition
than the bacterial elements (such as Tn10 or Tn3). These eukaryotic transposons are similar in organization to the
proviral form of retroviruses, which are eukaryotic viruses that contain an RNA genome. Retroviruses introduce an
RNA molecule into cells that can be converted into double-stranded DNA by a unique viral-encoded enzyme called
reverse transcriptase. The double-stranded form of the virus can integrate randomly into the genome of the infected cell,
where it resides as a provirus. After integration, the provirus is replicated as part of the host genome. The proviral form
can express viral genes as mRNAs, which are translated by the host into viral proteins that make up the capsid. Capsid
proteins and the mRNA itself, which constitute the viral genome, assemble into infectious viruses that are then shed
from the cell. The integration of the retroviral provirus into the host genome generates short direct repeats flanking the
viral sequences (like those seen in bacterial transposition). The retroviral infectious cycle therefore has features in
common with transposons.
Imagine a situation in which a genome has acquired a number of retroviral proviruses integrated at various points. The
proviral genes continue to be transcribed by the host RNA polymerase. Over time, mutations may occur, which
inactivate or alter the proviral DNA sequence, so that functional viral proteins can no longer be produced. The proviral
element could then be regarded as functionally defective. However, as long as a functional reverse-transcriptase-like
activity is produced by the element or its relatives, the mRNA can be converted into double-stranded DNA. It then will
be able to integrate into new genomic locations by a process resembling bacterial transposition. The important features
of this pathway are that the appearance of the proviral DNA form, at new genomic locations, amounts to a transposition
event, and that the transposition process involves an RNA intermediate.
Much of the excitement associated with genetic engineering has been achieved through the use of plasmids and complex
transposons. Plasmid technology will be reviewed in detail in the next two chapters (Chapters
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15 and 16). Initial research and practical applications focused on the use of plasmids and their bacterial hosts as systems
for producing commercial quantities of relatively rare human proteins, such as insulin or growth hormone.
More recently, however, excitement is being generated with agriculturally important crops. A plant-pathogenic
bacterium, Agrobacterium tumefaciens contains a plasmid. When it infects a wound site on a plant, it transfers the
plasmid directly to the plant's chromosome, thereby altering the genetic constitution of the plant.
Scientists can use the genetic engineering technology described in Chapter 15 to insert into the Agrobacterium's plasmid
a "foreign gene." The altered bacteria are then cultured with pieces of plant tissue to effect a transfer of the foreign gene
to the plant host. The infected plant cells are then grown in appropriate culture conditions so that they regenerate a
complete plant. That "transformed" plant can then be employed in conventional plant-breeding experiments.
Several strains of peas, barley, sugar beets, wheat, apple, alfalfa, and other crops, have thus been modified. Some
scientists predict that within the next 5 to 10 years genetically altered varieties of all the major crop plants will be
available. It has been predicted that such characteristics as shelf-life, pest resistance, and nutritional content will be
enhanced.
Summary
Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA molecules containing an origin of replication and often one or more genes. R
factors are plasmids that carry genes conferring resistance against antibiotics or other toxic substances. Col plasmids
carry genes for the secreted antibacterial protein colicin, and an immunity protein. Some plasmids encode DNA
restriction/modification systems. F plasmids carry genes for plasmid transfer or conjugation. In Hfr cells, the F plasmid
can integrate into the host chromosome and cause transfer of chromosomal DNA. An F' plasmid is an excised F plasmid
containing host DNA. Plasmid replication is carried out by a replisome consisting of host replication enzymes and often
a plasmid-encoded replication origin binding protein (Rep). Plasmid copy number is controlled by regulating the level
of Rep protein or the formation of a primer RNA-DNA hybrid complex. Closely related plasmids are incompatible.
Transposons are mobile genetic elements. Insertion sequences or IS elements consist of a transposase gene flanked by
inverted repeats, representing simple transposons. More complex transposons consist of an antibiotic resistance gene
flanked by IS elements, or genes for antibiotic resistance, transposase, and resolvase flanked by inverted repeats.
Transposition may be conservative via a "cut-and-paste" mechanism or replica-
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tive (with a duplication of the transposon). Both types may share an early common intermediate. Transposase
recognizes and cleaves the inverted repeats and makes a staggered cut in the target DNA, which leads to short flanking
direct repeats of this DNA. Resolvase carries out recombination between the two transposons of a cointegrate molecule.
The frequency of transposition is minimized by limiting the amount of transposase, and occurs mainly when the host
DNA is hemimethylated following replication. Eukaryotes also contain transposons. They are similar to retroviruses.
Drill Questions
1. What would be the minimum required sequence elements for a stably inherited plasmid?
2. The following questions concern R factor R1 replication.
(a) Where does replication begin?
(b) What plasmid-encoded factor is required, and what is its function?
(c) What host-encoded polymerase is required?
(d) What is the replication assembly called?
3. In plasmid transfer, what are the roles of DNA synthesis in the donor and the recipient?
4. The following questions concern F factor transfer.
(a) What genes endow F-plasmid-containing bacteria with the ability for conjugation?
(b) What bacterial structure is induced to allow transfer?
(c) What mode of DNA replication is used?
(d) What early enzymatic step is needed in transfer replication, but not in normal replication?
5. The following questions are concerned with the recombination functions of the F plasmid.
(a) What is a bacterial strain called that contains an F plasmid within the chromosome?
b. What feature of the F plasmid allows insertion?
c. When an integrated F initiates transfer, why is the entire E. coli chromosome not transferred?
d. What is an F' plasmid?
6. What is meant by the terms direct repeat and inverted repeat? Use the sequence A B C D as an example.
7. What is the difference between conservative and replicative transposition? What base-sequence is duplicated in both
types?
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8. What is an insertion element? What is a simple transposon? Describe the differences between the two types of
complex transposons.
9. What determines the selection of a site for transposon insertion?
Problems
1. An F'(ts)lac+ plasmid has a temperature-sensitive 40 mutation in its replication system. The host genome also
carries a lac+ gene.
(a) What is the phenotype of an F'(ts) lac+/lac- cell at 42C?
(b) An F'(ts)lac+/lac- gal+ strain is grown for many generations at 37C and then plated at 42C. Some Lac+
colonies form at 42C. How have these formed?
(c) Some of the Lac+ colonies in (b) are Gal-. How have these formed?
2. A hypothetical transposon has inserted at the target sequence 5'- TTAGCA-3'. Its left inverted repeat sequence is 5'GCAATGGCA- 3'. This now serves as the donor molecule for a transposition event to the new target sequence 5'GATCCA-3, in a recipient molecule. Show the structure of the DNA (both strands) of the following molecules after all
steps of transposition. (Assume that the inverted repeats on the transposon are perfect).
(a) The recipient molecule.
(b) The donor molecule if transposition occurred by the conservative pathway.
(c) The donor molecule if transposition occurred by the replicative pathway.
3. The transposition of a wild type Tn3 and several mutant Tn3 elements is being followed by observing their transfer to
a plasmid and screening for ampicillin resistance (don't worry about the details). Briefly describe the effect on the
frequency of transposition, and the types of products produced by transposition for the following mutations relative to
wild type. Assume that each mutation completely abolishes at least one particular function, but keep in mind that some
proteins are bifunctional. A RecA -bacterial strain is used to eliminate homologous recombination.
(a) A resolvase point mutation.
(b) A resolvase promoter mutation.
(c) A transposase point mutation.
(d) A transposase promoter mutation.
(e) A point mutation in the bla gene.
(f) A mutation in the res site.
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1. How do you suppose transposons and plasmids evolved? What advantages do they confer on their host to allow their
continued existence?
2. How have plasmid-borne genes for antibiotic resistance and toxins affected medical treatment and pharmaceutical
development?
3. How might transposable elements affect the evolution of their host species?
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Chapter 15
Dorothy M. Skinner
Senior Scientist
Biology Division,
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Jackson College (Tufts University)
Majors: Biology and Chemistry 1952
Graduate Degree:
Harvard University,
Ph.D. Biology, 1958
Postdoctoral Traning:
Yale University and
Brandeis University, 19581962
Biochemistry
Christie A. Holland
Director
Center for Virology,
Children's National Medical Center
Prof. of Pediatrics & Biochemistry
George Washington University,
Washington, D.C.
University of Richmond Major: Biology 1972
Graduate Degree:
University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences,
Ph.D., 1977
Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology and MIT, 19771984
Dorothy M. Skinner
Very highly repeated (VHR) DNAs are present in large amounts in eukaryotic genomes. Blocks of VHR DNAs
arranged in tandem form so-called satellite DNAs (stDNAs) under different physical conditions. The intriguing
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question of the function of most VHR DNAs remains unanswered. The Bermuda land crab Gecarcinus lateralis is an
ideal model system for studying the molecular biology of VHR DNAs. The animal has stDNAs of the simplest repeat
(poly dA-dT) as well as the most complex (a family based on a 2.1 kb repeat). In clones of domains of the complex st
DNA, we (1) analyze unusual structures (hairpins, Z-DNA, and the like), (2) characterize sequence-dependent hot spots
for mutations in the divergent domains, and (3) re-over from DNA libraries conserved regions that are transcribed at
specific times in the growth cycle. The latter research led us to investigating growth and the mechanisms of its control
in Crustacea, including cyclic muscle atrophy and resynthesis and cyclic exoskeletal degradation and resynthesis. We
are recovering DNA sequences that code for cyclically functional proteins in order to define the control of their
expression.
Christie Anna Holland
Certain retroviruses induce leukemia in certain strains of mice. The focus of my lab is to define the genetic mechanisms
of retroviral infections that result in transformation and cell death and lead to cancer or AIDS. In addition, we are using
our knowledge of these controls to exploit retroviruses as tools for gene therapy.
In addition to biology, take all the genetics, math, chemistry, and physics you can. Spend a semester or summer at a
research lab taking a course or doing research. Alternatively, take a research course early on. These activities
accomplish two purposes: You see if you like research; and your mentor forms an opinion of you that can support your
entering graduate or medical school. Participate in a seminar; you learn to think on your feet and to present your
thoughts clearly. Learn to write: sentences, paragraphs, essays, reports. Read widely to encompass the thought processes
of others. Learn a foreign language and become comfortable with computers. Develop a strongly logical approach to
science; cultivate a thoughtful approach to the analysis of data. Live with it; love it.
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Dorothy M. Skinner and Christie A. Holland
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1. How restriction enzymes work and why they are
essential to DNA technology.
2. About various procedures such as cloning and
isolating DNA, and detecting recombinant DNA
molecules.
Technical developments often lead to quantum jumps forward in science. In the past two decades, a recently developed
technology, recombinant DNA technology, or genetic engineering, has revolutionized genetics, in both basic research
and its practical aspects. The discovery of two naturally occurring and quite remarkable classes of biological molecules
made possible the development of methods to isolate and manipulate specific DNA fragments. These two classes
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of molecules are plasmid DNA and restriction enzymes. With recombinant DNA methodology, a DNA fragmenteven an
entire gene and its controlling elementscan be isolated, the fragment coupled with a plasmid or phage, and the hybrid
inserted into a bacterium. And since bacteria can be replicated in vast quantities, this process can be used for large-scale
production of the foreign DNA insert itself; if the bacterial host is able to express or synthesize the protein product of
the foreign DNA, the hybrid plasmid can direct the production of quantities of otherwise scarce or expensive proteins,
or even of proteins containing specific mutations created in the laboratory.
In this chapter we will learn how segments of a cell's DNA can be cut, modified, joined together, and replicated. The
relative ease with which those manipulations can be carried out is remarkable. Recombinant DNA technology has
provided spectacular discoveries in virtually all areas of moden biology. We will review some of those recent advances
in medicine, agriculture, and commercial processes in the next chapter.
Plasmids Act as Nature's Interlopers
In the early 1950s, it was discovered that bacteria transfer genes to other bacteria by a process called conjugation (see
Figure 14-1). One bacterium attaches small projections (pili) on its surface to those on the surface of an adjacent
bacterium. DNA from the donor bacterium is passed to the recipient through the pili. The ability to form pili and to
donate genes to neighbors is a genetically controlled trait. The genes controlling this trait are not located on the bacterial
chromosome but rather on separate genetic elements called plasmids, described in Chapter 14. Plasmids are ideal
vectors to accept and carry pieces of foreign DNA (including entire genes) into a bacterial host, where the foreign DNA
can be replicated along with the plasmid. As vectors, plasmids are therefore one of the major tools of genetic
engineering.
Restriction Enzymes Function as Nature's Pinking Shears
Restriction enzymes, many of which have been found in bacteria, recognize and degrade DNA from foreign organisms.
Bacteria have confronted the invasion of foreign DNAs for million of years, and have evolved these enzymes as
protective mechanisms that preserve their own DNA while destroying the invading DNA. Each restriction enzyme
recognizes only one short sequence, usually (but not always) 4 to 6 base-pairs long. For example, EcoR I, one of the
first restriction enzymes to be isolated (from
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Escherichia coli) cuts DNA only at the sequence:
In this case the target sequence is called a palindrome, since it reads the same backwards as forwards. As will be
mentioned shortly, many (but by no means all) restriction enzymes recognize palindromic target sequences. If this
sequence occurs once in a circular invading plasmid, the enzyme would open the circle by cutting it once. If the
sequence occurs at several sites, the DNA would be cut into several pieces. In general, the names of restriction enzymes
are derived from the first letter of the genus followed by the first two letters of the species name of their bacterial
source. (For example, EcoR I isolated from Escherichia coli, Hind III from Hemophilus influenzae, Taq I from Thermus
aquaticusseveral hundred of these enzymes have been isolated from hundreds of species of microorganisms.) For the
molecular biologist, these enzymes allow plasmids to be opened up in vitro so that foreign DNA can be inserted.
Restriction enzymes also offer a way of isolating predictable fragments of any DNA molecule. With the discovery of
plasmids and restriction enzymes, it became technically simple to obtain a large quantity of exact copies of any chosen
DNA fragment by cloning. This was done by using restriction enzymes to isolate "the fragment," inserting it into a
plasmid, and inserting the hybrid plasmid into a host bacterium, which then reproduced many copies as the bacteria
proliferated. This rearrangement of DNA in a living organism is genetic recombination, hence the name: recombinant
DNA technology.
The process of generating recombinant DNA can be divided into four steps: first, the production of the desired DNA
fragments (explained on pages 383386); second, the insertion of these fragments into a suitable vector such as a plasmid
or phage (described on pages 392397); third, the introduction of that vector into an appropriate host (usually a strain of
E. coli); fourth, the identification, selection, and characterization of recombinant clones (reviewed on pages 399401).
Some of the methods used to accomplish these steps are described in this chapter. Though not exhaustive, the
description provides a basic outline of some of the major methods used in recombinant DNA technology.
Isolation and Characterization of DNA Fragments
Owing to their specificity, restriction endonucleases were the first nucleases found to cleave DNA at specific sequences,
and have proven useful in genetic analyses from the oligonucleotide to the chromosomal levels. At the oligonucleotide
level, they are used to provide specific fragments for cloning, sequencing, and custom-made mutations. Segments of
DNA
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thought to contain regions that control gene expression can, if desired, be cut away selectively and the effect of their
loss on gene expression monitored. At the chromosomal level, they permit analyses of entire chromosomes by
"walking" or "jumping" (described in Figure 15-4).
Most restriction enzymes make two single-strand breaks, one in each strand (close to, but not opposite each other), thus
generating two 3'-OH and two 5'-P groups at each restriction enzyme site. A technically useful property of restriction
enzymes was detected by electron microscopy: because the complementary 3'-OH to 5'-P base-pair overhanging termini
(called cohesive or "sticky" ends because they can overlap one another) produced by many restriction enzymes,
fragments circularized spontaneously. These circles could be relinearized by heating, but if after circularization they
were also treated with E. coli DNA ligase (which covalently joints 3'-OH and 5'-P groups), circularization became
permanent. This observation was the first evidence for two important characteristics of restriction enzymes:
1. Restriction enzymes make breaks in symmetric sequences.
2. The breaks are usually not directly opposite one another; therefore sticky (or cohesive, or complementary) ends are
produced.
These properties are illustrated in Figure 15-1. The sequences recognized by many restriction enzymes are palindromes
as shown here:
Capital letters represent bases (A, B, and C may be the same or different), the ' indicates the complementary base, and
the vertical line is the axis of symmetry.
Examination of a very large number of restriction enzymes showed that the breaks are usually in one of two distinct
arrangements: staggered, but symmetric around the line of symmetry, forming two different cohesive endsa singlestranded extension with a 5'-P terminus and a 3'-OH extension; or both cuts at the center of symmetry, forming blunt
("flush") ends. Fragments with blunt ends cannot circularize spontaneously. These arrangements and their consequences
are shown in Table 15-1, which lists the recognition sequences and cleavage sites for several restriction enzymes. Given
its sequence specificity, each restriction enzyme generates a unique set of fragments for a particular DNA molecule.
In the years since the usefulness of restriction enzymes was recognized (by Werner Arber, Hamilton Smith, and Daniel
Nathans, for which they were awarded the 1978 Nobel Prize) literally hundreds of such enzymes have been
characterized. Although most attack short palindromic target sequences, as illustrated in Table 15-1, many others
recognize other types of specific sequences. Included are enzymes that recognize target se-
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Figure 15-1
Restriction fragments that have overhanging cohesive ends following digestion with some restriction enzymes
(here, at the 5' ends) can circularize. Small arrows indicate cleavage sites of EcoR I; large arrows indicate the next
step in the process.
TABLE 15-1 SOME RESTRICTION ENDONUCLEASES AND THEIR CLEAVAGE SITES
NAME OF ENZYME
MICROORGANISM
Generate flush ends

Bal I
Brevibacterium albidum
Generate cohesive ends

EcoR I
Escherichia coli
BamH I
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens H.
TARGET SEQUENCE AND CLEAVAGE SITES
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Hind III
Haemophilus influenzae
Pac I
Pseudomonas alcalignes
Note: The vertical dashed line indicates the axis of dyad symmetry in each sequence. Arrows indicate the sites of
cutting.
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quences 8 to 10 bases in length (or even longer). As well, in contrast to the classical examples described herein, some
restriction endonucleases attack nonpalindromic sequences. The availability of such a wide range of enzymes provides
the research scientist with important tools for the creative manipulations described in the next chapter!
Fragments obtained from a DNA molecule from one organism will have the same cohesive ends as the fragments
produced by the same enzyme acting on DNA molecules from another organism. This unsurprising fact is one of the
cornerstones of recombinant DNA technology. Furthermore, since most restriction enzymes recognize a unique
sequence, the number of cuts made in the DNA from an organism by a particular enzyme is limited. The DNA of a
typical bacterial chromosome, which contains roughly 2 106 base-pairs, is cut into several-hundred-to-severalthousand fragments, and nuclear DNA of mammals (3 109 base-pairs) is cut into more than a million. These numbers
are large, but still relatively small compared to the total number of bases in the DNA of an organism. Of great
usefulness in cloning are the less complex DNA molecules, such as bacteriophage or plasmids, which have only 1 to
10 sites of cutting (or even none) for particular restriction enzymes. Plasmids having a single site for each of a number
of restriction enzymes are especially valuable in cloning, as we will see shortly.
If restriction sites common to two cloning partners (a plasmid and a foreign DNA) are not available, an alternative
strategy can be employed. Each of the two DNAs can be cleaved with an enzyme that generates protruding termini
identical to those generated by the other restriction enzyme. These cohesive, compatible ends can then be ligated (see
Figures 15-1, 15-6 and 15-7).
Map of Enzyme Cutting Sites Is a Useful Tool
Restriction maps, which indicate the cutting sites for specific restriction enzymes, provide a convenient method for
comparing DNA fragments. Whether two fragments are identical, or whether they share some of the same nucleotide
sequence can be quickly established by comparing their restriction maps. Recall that the cutting sites represent specific
nucleotide sequences, as indicated in Table 15-1. DNA fragments that exhibit different restriction maps thus can be said
to contain at least some differences in their nucleotide sequences. Without investing a great amount of time and effort to
perform a complete sequencing reaction of the type described in Chapter 3 (e.g., Figures 3-18 and 3-19), a quick
determination of the extent of relatedness of different DNA fragments can often be made by simply comparing
restriction maps.
The procedure is illustrated in Figure 15-2. An actual example of gel electrophoresis of digested DNA, and the resulting
restriction map are shown in Figure 15-3.
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Figure 15-2
Procedure for preparing a restriction enzyme map for a DNA fragment. The
cutting sites for the two enzymes (EcoR I and BamH I) used for this simplified
example of a 12 Kb DNA fragment are established by comparing results of single
and double digests. Sizes of the fragments produced by digestion are determined
with gel electrophoresis (see Figure 14-3(a)).
*Kb = kilobase = 1,000 bases
Large Maps Require Gene Libraries and Chromosome Walks
In order to map a large segment or an entire genome, it is essential to isolate and put in linear order experimentally
manageable (i.e., smaller) mapped segments. To achieve this potentially overwhelming task, chromosome walks are
taken on large (1020 Kb) DNA fragments (Figure 15-4). Many restriction enzymes would produce fragments too small
to be useful. Large fragments are obtained by digesting genomic DNA with restriction enzymes whose cleavage sites
are rarely found in DNA, or by doing partial digests so that the DNA is cut at only a few of the cutting sites. The
restriction fragments are then cloned into suitable hybrid plasmids as described later in Figure 15-6, grown up
(amplified) in bacteria, and recovered. The collection of these fragments, containing pieces of DNA from the entire
genome of the organism, is called a genomic library.
The fragment of interest at the beginning of a chromosome walk (containing the known sequence or gene) is cut with a
number of other restriction enzymes to map it, and its ends are sequenced. A radioactive probe (commonly about 50
base-pairs long) that will hybridize to the end sequence is used to identify other fragments with overlapping sequences
that are adjacent to the first probe, and these are similarly mapped and
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Figure 15-3
Restriction mapping: an example using a complex, G + C-rich, cellular satellite DNA of the Bermuda land crab.
Satellite DNA (see Figure 3-5 in Chapter 3) is present in very similar, but not identical, multiple copies.
(a) Autoradiogram of [32P]end-labeled Mbo I digest. Lane 1, normal exposure; lane 2, overexposed to visualize
minor fragments. Sizes of the 14 fragments are indicated.
(b) Restriction map of one repeat unit beginning at an EcoR I site and extending 2,100 base-pairs to the next
EcoR I site, which signals the beginning of the next repeat unit. The map indicates positions of sites of restriction
enzymes that cut this repeat unit only once. However, Mbo I cuts the repeat unit at seven sites indicated by the circles
numbered from 1 to 7. Numbered solid bars (114) represent Mbo I fragments in (a); thick bars, major fragments; thin bars,
minor fragments. = sites present in almost all repeat units of the satellite; cuts at these sites yield the major (dark) bands
seen on the gel in part (a). () = sites in some repeats; thus, for example, cuts between sites 1 and 2, and 1 and 4 yield bands
of intermediate density of 530 and 1,510 base-pairs, respectively. O = sites in very few repeats, yielding correspondingly
very few fragments (811) seen clearly only in overexposed lane 2 in (a).
sequenced at their ends. The orientation of the adjacent probes can be established by comparing overlapping restriction maps. The
probe adjacent to the first can then be analyzed in a similar way to find the next fragment in the walk. The process is experimentally
slow, but has been effectively used to align as many as 106 adjacent base-pairs. Obviously, repeated DNAs scattered throughout the
genome cannot be used for identifying overlapping sequences.
Chromosome jumping is just that: Instead of the shorter steps of 10 or 20 Kb taken on walks along chromosomes, jumps of 100 Kb or
more are taken. The very large fragments needed for the jumps can be recovered by electrophoresis of partial digests of restriction
enzymes. Other than the size of the fragments analyzed (for which cosmids, or large plasmids,
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Figure 15-4
Chromosome walking and jumping. Chromosome walking using partial DNA
digests with a single restriction enzyme. Top: Original (unknown) DNA
sequence, showing sequences X and Y, with dark vertical bars representing
restriction sites (shown only in the top stick figure). The problem is to localize
Y with respect to X. Keep in mind that many copies of the ''unknown" sequence
would be cut in this initial step(this insures that overlapping fragments will be
generated). Middle: Restriction fragments. The DNA has been cut with the
restriction enzyme so that each piece of the original DNA is cut at only some of
the sites (i.e., a partial digest). In the example diagrammed, four overlapping
fragments are generated, each ending in a sequence indicated by a box with the
corresponding fragment number. Bottom: Analysis and alignment. The fragment
containing X is found to end in sequence 1. A probe hybridizing to sequence 1 also
hybridizes to fragment 2, which ends in sequence 2. Similarly, a probe hybridizing
to sequence 2 also hybridizes to fragment 3, which ends in sequence 3, and a probe
hybridizing to sequence 3 hybridizes to fragment 4, which contains Y. Knowing the
orientation from restriction maps of each fragment, the sequences can be aligned and
the relation of Y to X determined.
It will be apparent that fragments other than the four diagrammed will be generated in
the restriction digestion. For clarity, these have been omitted. They will either be silent,
that is, will not hybridize with any of the probes, or they will be sub- or superfragments
that can be identified by analyses and alignment similar to that depicted.
Instead of cutting with a single restriction enzyme, two different restriction enzymes can
be used provided that overlapping fragments are generated.
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are utilizedsee Table 15-2), the technique is basically the same as chromosome walking. The ends of the fragments are
restriction-mapped or sequenced, and matching overlaps on other DNA fragments are identified by computer analyses
of the assembled sequences or restriction maps. If the chromosomal location of one of the fragments or a gene contained
within the original fragment is known, then the chromosomal location of the adjacent DNA sequence or gene can also
be deduced. By the use of such methods, a number of genes have been localized to specific chromosomes.
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TABLE 15-2 A VARIETY OF CLONING VECTORS ARE AVAILABLE

TYPE OF VECTOR AVAILABLE
Plasmids
Easy to use and store. Recombinant plasmids readily selected with antibiotics.
Lambda phage
Useful for cloning large (1520 kb fragments).
Cosmids
Combined plasmid/phage vector permits cloning of even larger (e.g., 45 Kb) DNA fragments.
Yeast plasmids
Permit direct studies on eukaryotic gene regulation.
Plant plasmids
Bacterial (Agrobacterium) infection of plant transfers Ti plasmid into host plant cells.
PCR (Polymerase chain Reaction) Yields Large Quantities of a Specific Sequence

In 1983 a new technique, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), was de vised. It has made the detection and cloning of rare
DNA sequences possible. The method is based on the amplification of target DNA se quences in genomic DNA. Two specific
oligodeoxynucleotides are synthesized, one complementary to the 3' end on one DNA strand, and one to the 3' end on the
opposite strand of the target DNA to be amplified. The oligodeoxynucleotides are hybridized to the denatured, single-stranded
target DNA containing the segment of interest (Figure 15-5). The oligonu cleotides act as primers. Their 5' ends serve as
initiation points for replication of the original strands by Taq polymerase (a heat stable DNA dependent DNA polymerase
isolated from a thermophilic bacterium, Thermus aquaticus). After replication of the original strands, the products are
denatured by melting, the reactants cooled to annealing temperatures to allow the primers to reanneal to the synthesized
products as well as to
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Figure 15-5
Polymerase chain reaction. Top diagram represents the original double stranded DNA. The sequences at the ends
of the segment to be amplified are shown in arrow-shaped boxes pointing in the 5' 3' direction, that is, the direction
of polymerization. In practice these sequences are 1530 base-pairs in length, although only four bases are shown in
the diagram. The DNA is denatured by heating, the primers are annealed to the end sequences of the target DNA, and
the first round of polymerization is carried out. The numbers in the left hand column indicate the polymerization round
in which a given strand is synthesized, with 0 representing the original strands, and NEW representing newly synthesized
strands. At the end of the first round, there are 4 strands, the 2 original strands with extensions beyond both ends of the
target sequence, and the 2 copied strands with extensions beyond only the 3' ends of the target sequence. Annealing
and polymerization are repeated, yielding 8 strands at the end of the second round, of which 6 have extensions at one or
both ends, and 2 encompass the target sequence only. At the end of the third round there are 16 strands, of which 8 have
extensions and 8 the target sequence only. Because the original strands are al ways present, they are replicated with 3'
extensions on every round, and after n rounds there are 2n + 2 strands with extensions (2n is the number replicated with 3'
extensions, 2 are the original with both 5' and 3' extensions). The total number of strands increases exponentially, after n
rounds being 2n+1. Thus, after 10 rounds there are 2,048 strands, of which only 22 have extensions; and after 20 rounds
there are more than 2 million strands, of which 42 have extensions. In other words, the contribution of strands with
extensions beyond the target sequence rapidly becomes negligible as the target sequence is amplified. Up to 60 rounds can
be carried out successfully. That provides enough DNA to identify a target sequence from a single cell by gel electrophoresis.
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the original strands, and another round of replication is initiated. This process, which takes less than 10 minutes, is
repeated as many times as desired. After the first few rounds, the vast majority of the products will be the amplified
fragment between the 3' sites of the original DNA, as shown in Figure 15-5. The extensions of the original DNA beyond
these sites will be diluted to a negligible proportion. The Taq polymerase is used because it is not inactivated by the
heating steps used for strand separation after each round. PCR is currently carried out with commercially available
machines programmed to perform the temperature cycling automatically.
The products of the amplification can then be used to detect or clone the gene of interest. This technique, and many
elegant variations on it, have been used to identify rare genes, such as viral DNA sequences, and to recover genes in
very small amounts of DNA, even from a single cell. If an altered base (mutant) is deliberately introduced into the
primer, the mutated primer will be replicated and amplified after the first round. This modification of PCR, called "site
directed mutagenesis" has been successfully used to generate large numbers of copies of engineered genes.
Genetic Interlopers: Vectors Function as Vehicles for Transferring Genes
Several types of vectors and some of the procedures for cloning DNA molecules are described in this section.
To be useful, a vector must have three properties:
1. It must be able to enter a bacterial host.
2. It must have an origin of DNA replication that allows it to replicate in the host.
3. Cells thus transformed must be selectable, preferably by growth of host cells on a solid medium containing the
selecting agent.
Two types of vectors are commonly used in cloning. One type is derived from bacterial viruses. Phages act like
hypodermic needles; they inject DNA into the bacterial host where it replicates. The phages most commonly used for
cloning are and M13 (see earlier descriptions in Chapter 12). Lambda phage have the unique feature of being able to
accept large fragments (up to 40 Kb) of inserted foreign DNA. Vectors developed from M13 (which can accept
fragments up to 10 Kb) have unique promoters that facilitate the sequencing of the inserted foreign DNA.
The second type of vector is derived from bacterial plasmids (often pBR322) which are relatively small (Figure 15-6).
Antibiotic resistance is one of the most important features for plasmids used as vectors. Many plasmids have been
genetically engineered to serve as specialized vectors. Polylinkers (also called multiple cloning sites) are synthetic DNA
oligo-
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Figure 15-6
Cloning foreign DNA. A restriction fragment of crab DNA and a plasmid
vector linearized by digestion with the same restriction enzyme used to cut
the crab DNA are ligated. The hybrid (or chimeric) plasmid transforms a
bacterium. Henceforth, when the plasmid replicates so does the crab DNA.
mers that provide one or more specific restriction sites, yield cohesive ends and/or contain a bacterial origin of
replication. Polylinkers may have been inserted into these engineered plasmids. Vectors that have received a eukaryotic
transcriptional promoter can be expressed in both bacteria and eukaryotes. Since they can shuttle between bacterial and
eukaryotic cells, they are called shuttle vectors. Still other vectors have unique promoters useful for sequencing DNA or
synthesizing RNA in vitro. Because of their small size, and the ease of handling them, plasmids are the most commonly
used cloning vectors. See Table 15-2 for a summary of cloning vectors.
Insertion of a DNA Fragment into a Vector
The strategy used to ligate a fragment of foreign DNA to a vector depends on the nature of the termini of the DNA. As
previously described, restriction enzymes produce three basic types of termini (3'-OH, 5'-P overhangs, and blunt). A
strategy for cloning DNA fragments with these termini and some of the problems or advantages associated with their
cloning are explained in Table 15-3.
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TABLE 15-3 PARAMETERS OF THE LIGATION REACTION

ENDS OF DNA FRANGMENTS
Different cohesive ends (directional cloning; see

Figure 15-7)
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CLONING REQUIREMENTS FEATURES
DNA and ligase present in

high concentrations
Restriction sites at
junctions of DNAs may
be lost; number of wildtype plasmids without
inserts may be high;
multiple tandem copies of
the foreign DNA may be
inserted.
Phosphatase treatment of
linearized plasmid DNA
reduces religation of wild type
plasmids
junctions of ligated ends
are constituted; foreign
DNA inserted
bidirectionally; multiple
tandem copies of the
foreign DNA may be
inserted
Purification of linearized
plasmid increases cloning
efficiency
junctions of ligated DNA
are usually reconstituted;
recircularization of wildtype plasmid is low;
insertion of foreign DNA
is unidirectional
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Figure 15-7
Directional cloning into a plasmid vector (pUC19). Apr indicates the position in the vector of the
ampicillin resistance gene; lacZ, that of the lacZ gene; Ori indicates the origin of replication.
pUC19 can be cut with any of the 13 restriction enzymes with sites in the multiple cloning site (MCS,
shown expanded on the upper right of the diagram). To achieve directional cloning, both the vector
and the foreign DNA to be inserted into the vector are cut by the same two enzymes, here Hind III
and EcoR I. The excised segment of the MCS is shown. The foreign DNA can then be inserted in
only one direction determined by the compatible cohesive ends. When bacteria transformed with
the hybrid plasmid are grown in X-Gal medium, if there are untransformed bacteria (viz., those
lacking an insert) present, their lacZ gene is expressed, and these colonies are blue. An insertion of
foreign DNA into the lacZ gene interrupts the gene which is then not expressed; these colonies are
white. Only white colonies need be screened for the insertion of foreign DNA. Another advantage
to directional cloning is that the linearized plasmids that have not ligated to a fragment of foreign
DNA cannot circularize. The number of false positives is thereby markedly decreased. This procedure
with X-Gal is called -complementation. It is explained later, in the text.
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Given the large variety of vectors available, the optimal cloning strategy is to select a vector with two restriction sites
that are compatible with the restriction sites on the 5' and 3' termini of the fragment of foreign DNA. The fragment of
foreign DNA can then be inserted into the vector by directional cloning (Figure 15-7). For example, the vector pUC19
(UC for University of California, where these plasmids modified from pBR322 were constructed) can be cleaved with
EcoR I and Hind III, and restriction sites introduced into the plasmid by a polylinker, after which the large fragment of
the vector can be purified by gel electrophoresis from the small fragment containing the polylinker. The vector (the
large fragment without the polylinker) can then be ligated to a segment of foreign DNA that has been digested by the
same enzymes and therefore contains cohesive termini that are compatible with those of the vector. Since two restriction
enzymes are used in the construct, the two termini of the fragments are different, and the foreign DNA can thus be
inserted in only one orientationhence the name directional cloning. The resulting circular recombinant can then
transform E. coli to antibiotic resistance by inserting the gene that is on the vector. Most of the bacterial cells resistant to
ampicillin will contain plasmids that carry a foreign DNA insert between the EcoR I and Hind III sites.
Foreign DNA fragments carrying identical termini are usually cloned into a plasmid vector that has been linearized by
digestion with the same enzyme(s). Then the foreign fragment and the vector are covalently linked with a ligase
enzyme. The concentrations of the vector and the foreign DNA in the ligation reaction are adjusted to optimize the
number of ligated products comprised of both the vector and the foreign DNA. Since T4 DNA ligase joins a 3'-OH and
a 5'-P, recircularization of linearized plasmid DNA can be minimized by removing the 5'-phosphates from both termini
of the plasmid by digestion with alkaline phosphatase. Then, a foreign DNA segment with 5'-terminal phosphates can
be hybridized by complementarity, and ligated efficiently to the dephosphorylated plasmid DNA. Blunt-ended DNA
fragments are ligated much less efficiently than fragments with protruding complementary termini. Therefore, ligation
reactions involving them require higher concentrations of ligase and of foreign and plasmid DNAs.
After a fragment of DNA is cloned into a plasmid, inserted into a bacterium, and grown to large amounts in a selecting
(antibiotic-containing) medium, a method must be available to recover the fragment from its hybrid plasmid. If the
restriction sites in the plasmid vector are the same as those on the fragment of foreign DNA, the foreign DNA can be
recovered by lysing the bacteria to release the plasmid, and digesting the plasmid with the restriction enzymes used in
cloning. If, however, appropriate restriction enzymes to cut the DNA have not been identified, polylinkers could be
added to the end of each of the partners during cloning. Then, the cloned fragments can be released from the
recombinant
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plasmids by digestion with restriction enzymes that cleave in the flanking polylinker sequences.
Insertion into a Vector of a DNA Molecule That Is Complementary to an mRNA
Often the genes that are candidates for cloning are organized in such a way that cloning is difficult. Some genes do not
produce selectable products that can serve as an indicator of their presence. Many genes are rare, or are difficult to
isolate. In those cases, it is sometimes preferable to enrich or partially purify the fragment containing the gene to be
cloned prior to ligating it to the vector.
If the restriction map of the DNA of interest is known, then it is possible to predict the size of the DNA fragment that
will be generated when that DNA is digested with a particular restriction enzyme. Fragments of the predicted size can
be isolated from an agarose gel after electrophoresis and joined to an appropriate vector. However, eukaryotic cells
contain about 106 cleavage sites for a typical restriction enzyme. Direct isolation of a eukaryotic gene from a mixture of
fragments separated by electrophoresis can enrich the frequency of occurrence of the gene, but is possible only if the
size of the restriction fragment containing the gene is known in advance.
In this section another procedure for cloning a particular segment of DNA that encodes an mRNA is described. By this
technique, any coding sequence whose mRNA can be isolated in almost pure form can be cloned.
Let us assume that the chicken gene for ovalbumin (the protein in egg white) is to be cloned into a bacterial plasmid. A
recombinant plasmid could be formed by treating both chicken cellular DNA and the E. coli plasmid DNA with the
same restriction enzyme, mixing the fragments, annealing, ligating, and transforming E. coli with the DNA mixture
containing the recombinant plasmid. However, identification of a bacterial colony containing this plasmid could not be
carried out by a test for the presence of ovalbumin, because a bacterium containing the intact ovalbumin gene will not
synthesize ovalbumin. Introns, sequences that do not code for proteins, will be interspersed in the gene, and bacteria
lack the enzymes needed to remove, these noncoding sequences (see Chapter 8).
Some specialized cells of higher organisms, such as those producing ovalbumin in chickens, make large amounts of a
single protein (in some plants for example, the CO2-fixing enzyme ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, can
comprise 50% of the total protein). In such cells the mRNA molecules coding for the abundant protein (whose introns
will have been removed by processing enzymes when the mRNA is isolated from the cytoplasm) constitute a large
fraction of the total mRNA synthesized in the cell. Consequently, mRNA samples can usually be obtained consisting
predominantly of a single mRNA speciesin the example of
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the chicken cells, ovalbumin mRNA. If genes of this class (those whose gene products are the major cellular proteins)
are to be cloned, the purified mRNA can serve as a starting point for creating a collection of recombinant plasmids,
many of which should contain only the protein-coding sequences of the gene of interest. In cloning such sequences, the
enzyme reverse transcriptase is used.
Many RNA-containing animal tumor viruses (retroviruses) contain reverse transcriptase. This enzyme can use a singlestranded RNA molecule (such as mRNA) as a template to synthesize a double-stranded DNA copy (called
complementary DNA or cDNA). If the template RNA molecule is an mRNA molecule with the introns removed from
the primary transcript, the corresponding full-length cDNA will contain an uninterrupted coding sequence. This
sequence thus will not be identical to that of the original eukaryotic gene. If, however, the purpose of constructing the
recombinant DNA molecule is to synthesize a eukaryotic gene product in a bacterial cell, and the processed mRNA can
be isolated, then cDNA copied from it is the material of choice for insertion into the vector. The joining of cDNA to a
vector can be accomplished by any of the procedures for joining blunt-ended molecules.
Cloning Strategies for Identifying Specific Genes
The isolation of a specific gene usually begins with the preparation of a gene library from DNA of the appropriate
organism. For example, the isolation of human disease-causing genes begins with the preparation of a gene library from
a sample of human DNA. In some cases, it is more advantageous to begin with a cDNA library, which is prepared from
an RNA sample.
When a genomic DNA library is prepared, many copies of an organism's total DNA are cut and inserted into a vector.
Thus, the genomic library of a eukaryote will include not only coding regions, but also introns and regulatory sequences.
In the preparation of a cDNA library, mRNA is extracted, purified, and treated with the enzyme reverse transcriptase.
Complementary DNA (cDNA) analogs of the isolated mRNAs are thereby obtained. The collection of those cDNAs is
treated like the genomic DNA used to make a genomic library: It is cut with restriction enzymes and inserted into
vectors. The vectors will collectively contain cDNA that corresponds to all of the mRNA found in the original cell.
Since mature mRNA contains no introns or regulatory regions, a cDNA library is composed of coding regions.
Using those libraries, virtually any DNA fragment or gene, if it can be recognized within the collection of perhaps
thousands of other genes, can subsequently be isolated.
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Detection of Recombinant DNA Molecules

When a vector is cleaved by a restriction enzyme and allowed to ligate to fragments of the DNA from a particular
organism cut with the same restriction enzyme, several types of molecules result. These include:
1. A re-ligated vector that has not acquired any fragments of foreign DNA (methods for avoiding this have already been
described).
2. A vector with one or more foreign DNA fragments.
3. A molecule without a vector, consisting only of joined fragments or the organism's DNA. Molecules in this class do
not contain an origin of replication, and therefore cannot be replicated in bacteria.
To facilitate the isolation of a bacterial colony containing a vector with a particular gene, a method is needed to insure,
first, that the bacteria in the colony contain a vector; second, that the vector possesses an inserted foreign DNA
fragment, and third, that it is the DNA fragment of interest. In this section several useful procedures for detecting
recombinant vectors will be described.
In the cloning procedure as described so far, a foreign DNA fragment obtained by digestion with a restriction enzyme is
ligated to a cleaved vector molecule, yielding a large number of hybrid vectors containing different fragments of foreign
DNA. If a particular DNA segment or gene is to be cloned, the vector possessing that segment must be isolated from the
set of all vectors possessing foreign DNA. For many genes, simple
selection techniques are adequate for recovery of a vector containing that gene. For example, if the gene to be cloned
were a bacterial leucine gene, a Leu- bacterial host (incapable of synthesizing its own leucine) would be used, and a Leu
+ colony selected and grown in a medium lacking leucine. This procedure is useful in cloning bacterial genes that can
be selected, or genes that encode products of intermediary metabolism. Often, however, the gene to be cloned is a
eukaryotic gene whose product does not change the phenotype of the bacterial host. Four methods are used to identify
bacterial colonies that contain recombinant plasmids that cannot be directly selected:
1. Screening by colony hybridization
2. Insertional inactivation of a plasmid gene (often for antibiotic resistance)
3. Analysis of plasmid DNA by restriction enzymes
4. complementation
Each of these methods will be discussed in this section.
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Figure 15-8
Detection of transformed cells by colony hybridization with a probe. Only 8 of thousands of colonies
on a reference plate (not shown) are included.
Recombinant clones are most commonly identified by determining if the DNA in the colonieshybridizes with a radioactive probe to
the foreign
DNA. Bacterial colonies are replica-plated onto a solid support, usually nitrocellulose or nylon filters. The bacteria are lysed with
alkali that also denatures their DNA, neutralized, and allowed to hybridize to the 32P-labeled probe. The location of the 32Phybridized probe is then determined by exposing x-ray film to the filters. Bacterial colonies releasing DNA hybridizing to the DNA
of the probe can then be identified by aligning the x-ray film with the original bacterial plates. In this way it is possible to screen for
many hundreds of colonies simultaneously, and recognize colonies that carry recombinant plasmids (see Figure 15-8).
Insertional inactivation is used with vectors such as pBR322 having two or more antibiotic resistance genes. This method is
illustrated in Figure 15-9. The foreign DNA and the plasmid are digested with restriction enzymes that recognize sites located in one
of the two antibiotic resistance genes (for example Pst I, in the ampicillin-resistance gene, Apr, but not in the tetracycline-resistance
gene, Tcr). After the two DNAs are ligated and the chimeric plasmids are used to transform E. coli, the transformants (bacteria
containing a vector) can be selected on plates that contain the antibiotic whose gene was not interrupted by the insertion of the
foreign DNA (the Tcr gene in this case). This is because all bacteria with a copy of the vector will be Tet resistant, regardless of
whether the vector contains our gene of interest.
The colonies that survive and grow in the presence of tetracycline contain plasmids with active Tcr genes and may or may not
contain active Apr genes. To discriminate between transformants that contain foreign DNA and those that contain plasmid DNA,
which has recircularized without foreign DNA, separate plates containing ampicillin and tetracycline
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Figure 15-9
Detection of transformed cells by insertional inactivation. Arrows inside the plasmid (here, pBR322, a very common
cloning vector) indicate the direction of transcription of the ampicillin (Apr) and tetracycline (Tcr) resistance genes,
clockwise for the Tcr gene and counterclockwise for the Apr gene. If the plasmid has a fragment of foreign DNA inserted
into one of its genes for antibiotic resistance (here, in the Pst I site of the Apr gene), it renders the gene inactive, and it
no longer conveys to its bacterial host (here, a strain of E.coli) resistance to that antibiotic. The superscripts r and 5 indicate
resistance and sensitivity, respectively.
(a) Untransformed cells will not grow on either antibiotic.
(b) Bacterial cells transformed with plasmids that have recircularized without ligating to a piece of the foreign DNA will
grow on ampicillin and/or tetracycline since they are resistant to both.
(c) Cells transformed with a modified (i.e., a hybrid) plasmid will grow on the antibiotic (here, tetracycline) whose gene
has not been inactivated by insertion of a foreign DNA but not on the other, here ampicillin.
can be inoculated. The colonies that do not grow in the presence of ampicillin, but grow in the presence of tetracycline should
contain plasmids with inactive Apr genes, and probably carry foreign DNA sequences inserted into the Pst I site on that gene.
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Analysis of Plasmid DNA by Restriction Enzymes

To verify the identities of positive clones, a number of putatively positive bacterial colonies are picked and grown
individually in small-scale (12 ml) cultures (called minipreps). Plasmid DNA isolated from each culture is digested with
restriction enzymes and electrophoresed on gels. This method is useful if there is a high probability of identifying the
recombinant by its restriction map in a small number of randomly chosen transformed colonies. This technique is often
used in conjunction with insertional inactivation or -complementation to confirm the identity of the recombinant
molecule.
The fourth method commonly used to identify bacterial colonies with chimeric plasmids exploits the biological
properties of the E. coli -galactosidase gene (lacZ) Many of the vectors in current use (e.g., pUC19) carry a segment of
the regulatory sequences and the coding information for the first 146 amino acids of the lacZ gene. Within the coding
region of this partial LacZ gene is a polylinker that does not disrupt the protein reading frame of the gene. These vectors
are used with host E. coli cells that code for the carboxy-terminal portion of -galactosidase. Neither the host-encoded
nor the plasmid-encoded fragment is active, but together they associate to form an active enzyme. This type of
complementation in which deletion mutants are complemented by host genes is called -complementation. Lac+
bacteria are identified because they form blue colonies in the presence of the chromogenic substrate 5-bromo-4-chloro3-indolyl--D-galactopyranoside (X-Gal). Insertion of a fragment of foreign DNA into the polylinker of the plasmid
almost invariably results in a transformant that is not capable of -complementation, because the vector's portion of the
Lac Z gene has been disrupted. Such transformants usually form white colonies. With this simplified color test, many
thousands of colonies can be screened visually, and those that carry recombinant plasmids are easily recognized.
When E. coli phage is the vector, one procedure used for selecting for the presence of inserted genes is based on the
presence in of several centrally located genes that are not needed by lytic growth and on the fact that the length of
DNA that can be packaged in a phage head must be at least 77% of the wild-type length. A variant (one of several
that have been constructed by recombinant DNA techniques) has restriction sites for EcoR I near each end of the
nonessential region. The linear vector is cleaved with EcoR I, and the three fragments are separated by gel
electrophoresis. The outer two fragments (called ''arms") are isolated, and the central fragment (called a "stuffer," since
it provides a DNA segment sufficiently long to permit packaging into phage heads, but is missing any essential
functions) is discarded. The terminal fragments can be joined via the cohesive termini produced by EcoR I, but the
resulting DNA molecule, with a length that is 72% that of wild-type DNA, will be noninfective because it is too
small. However, if foreign DNA whose
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size is 535% of the size of wild-type DNA is inserted, the resulting recombinant DNA molecule will be packageable,
and hence able to produce progeny phage. Thus, if an E. coli culture is transformed with DNA obtained by annealing a
mixture of the two terminal fragments and foreign DNA, any phage that are produced will contain foreign DNA.
Applications of Genetic Engineering
Unquestionably, recombinant DNA technology has revolutionized biology. At present, its main uses are:
1. Facilitating the production of useful proteins.
2. Creating bacteria capable of synthesizing economically important molecules.
3. Supplying DNA and RNA sequences as research tools.
4. Altering the genotype of organisms (both animals and plants).
5. Potentially correcting genetic defects in animals (gene therapy).
Key Concept
The "Recombinant DNA" Concept

DNA is DNA, regardless of the organism from which it is isolated. Hence, genes from diverse species can be
recombined to construct novel genes, or in certain instances, even new organisms.
It is used in research of all types: basic, medical, agricultural, commercial, and industrial; and can be expected to
contribute to filling some of the most fundamental needs of humankind. At the same time, the technology arouses
concerns about potential effects on the environment, and risks to health and society. In the next chapter the current and
future potential applications (and a few of the issues these applications have raised) will be discussed.
Summary
Recombinant DNA technology (or genetic engineering), which has revolutionized biological research, has been made
possible by the use of restriction enzymes and cloning vectors. Restriction enzymes allow the cutting of DNA molecules
at specific sites. The locations of various restriction sites along a DNA molecule constitutes a restriction map. Cloning
vectors, such as plasmids, phage, and cosmids, allow DNA to be amplified, modified, or expressed. The polymerase
chain reaction may first be used in
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vitro to amplify rare DNA sequences before insertion into the cloning vector. DNA fragments inserted into vectors can
transform a suitable host. Transformants are often selected by antibiotic resistance conferred by the vector. The correct
insert is screened by a combination of colony hybridization, insertional inactivation of a vector gene, analysis by
restriction digest, or -complementation of a vector-encoded enzyme activity. Genomic libraries are made from
restriction digests of total genomic DNA, while cDNA libraries are made from mRNA that has been transcribed to DNA
by the enzyme reverse transcriptase. The order of sequences in a genomic library may be determined by chromosome
walking or jumping. Once cloned, genes may be altered by site-specific mutagenesis. The mutant gene may then be
expressed and studied.
Drill Questions
1. These questions concern restriction endonucleases.
(a) What is a restriction enzyme?
(b) What is the biological function of a restriction enzyme?
(c) For what main purpose do scientists use restriction enzymes?
(d) What common feature is present in every base-sequence recognized by a restriction enzyme?
2. Two types of cuts are made by restriction enzymes. What are they? These two types of cuts produce three possible
types of DNA termini. Describe them.
3. What property must two different restriction enzymes possess if they yield identical patterns of breakage?
4. List some properties of an ideal cloning vector.
5. Explain insertional inactivation and -complementation. How are they used in cloning?
6. Once a series of recombinant plasmids or phages has been produced, describe several ways in which plasmids or
phage containing a particular insert may be identified.
7. A Kan-r/Amp-r plasmid is treated with the Bgl II enzyme that cleaves the amp gene. The DNA is annealed with a Bgl
II digest of Drosophila DNA and then used to transform E. coli.
(a) What antibiotic would you put in the agar to insure that a colony has a plasmid?
(b) What antibiotic-resistant phenotypes will be found on the plate?
(c) Which phenotype will have the Drosophila DNA? How would you screen for this phenotype?
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8. When cloning into plasmid vectors, re-ligation of vectors without inserts is always a problem. Describe two ways in
which this problem may be lessened.
9. What is the difference between a genomic library and a cDNA library? What are the major differences in the structure
of a gene cloned into either type of library? Give an advantage of each type of clone.
Problems
1. The restriction enzyme, EcoR I, was used to cut (1) a linear DNA molecule containing ten EcoR I sites and (2) a
circular DNA molecule also containing ten EcoR I sites.
(a) How many fragments are generated from the linear molecule and from the circular molecule?
(b) Can all the fragments of the linear molecule and the circular molecule circularize? If not, how many can? Which
ones cannot and why?
2. A plasmid contains a single BamH I site within an antibiotic gene. The recognition sequence for BamH is
GGATCC, where the sequence is written 5' to 3' and the arrow indicates the point of cleavage.
(a) A fragment of DNA containing a gene of interest is to be cloned into the BamH I site of the plasmid described
above. Unfortunately, the gene sequence contains a BamH I site. The gene is flanked by Bgl II sites (AGATCT),
however, as follows:
Diagram the cuts made by BamH I on the plasmid DNA and the cuts made on the gene-containing fragment by Bgl II.
Show both strands and the cohesive ends produced. Are the BamH I and Bgl II cohesive ends compatible (i.e., can the
Bgl II fragment be cloned into the BamH I site)? If so, show the resulting construct. Are the BamH I and/or Bgl II sites
regenerated?
(b) Repeat the above analysis for the BamH I digested plasmid and the following insert sequence:
(c) Repeat the above analysis for the BamHI digested plasmid and the DNA sequence in (b) cut with DpnI
(GATC).
3. Restriction enzymes A and B are used to cut the DNA of phages T5 and T7, respectively. A particular T5 fragment of
size 2.0 Kb is mixed
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with a particular T7 fragment of size 1.5 Kb and treated with low concentrations of DNA ligase. Three major circular
forms are produced, and all three can be cut with both restriction enzymes A and B, producing one, one, and two
fragments, respectively. Diagram the most likely structures of these circles. What can you conclude about restriction
enzymes A and B?
4. Plasmid pBR607 DNA is circular, double-stranded, and has a molecular weight of 2.6 106. This plasmid carries
two genes whose protein products confer resistance to tetracycline (Tcr) and ampicillin (Apr) in host bacteria. The DNA
has a single site for each of the following restriction enzymes: EcoR I, BamH I, Hind III, Pst I, and Sal I. Cloning DNA
into the EcoR I site does not affect resistance to either drug. Cloning DNA into the BamH I, Hind III, and Sal I sites
abolishes tetracycline resistance. Cloning into the Pst I site abolishes ampicillin resistance. Digestion with the following
mixtures of restriction enzymes yields fragments with the sizes listed in the table below. Position the Pst I, BamH I,
Hind III, and Sal I cleavage sites on a restriction map, relative to the EcoR I cleavage site. Show also the approximate
locations of the amp and tet genes, and the nucleotide distances between restriction sites.
ENZYMES IN MIXTURE
MOLECULAR WEIGHTS OF FRAGMENTS (MILLIONS)
EcoR I, Pst I
0.46,2.14
EcoR I, Bam H I
0.2, 2.4
EcoR I, Hind III
0.05, 2.55
EcoR I, Sal I
0.55, 2.05
EcoR I, BamH I, Pst I
0.2, 0.46,1.94
5. You have the cDNA clones for two human genes, A and B, which you believe may be closely linked on a human
chromosome, since these two genes are known to be close together in rats. Briefly describe the tools and procedures you
would use to answer this question.
1. How far can genetic engineering go? Will it be possible to do Jurassic Park-type experiments by isolating DNA of
extinct animals from fossils and incorporating it into present-day organisms? What, if any, benefits would likely accrue
from it if such a procedure was successful?
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2. How might the understanding of DNA sequences and gene arrangements, which is developing from recombinant
DNA technology studies, permit design of advanced computer programs based on principles of genetic information
stored in genomes?
3. Understanding human behavior is the goal of many research-oriented psychologists and sociologists. Can
recombinant DNA technology help those research efforts?
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Chapter 16
Molecular Biology Is Expanding Its Reach
Pamela L. Hanratty
Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology

Indiana University
Bloomington, Indiana
University of Pittsburgh
Major :Biology
Graduate Degree:
University of Pittsburgh
Ph.D. 1973, Molecular Biology
University of Washington
19731975, Genetics
I first became interested in biology as a child as I explored the wetlands surrounding the shores of Lake Erie during my
summer vacations. Over the years, I was fortunate to have a number of individuals in my life who encouraged this
interest: parents, dedicated teachers, and understanding friends who put up with me even when I stopped to rescue
turtles from the highway!
As I began my graduate-school career, I, and a number of my fellow students, saw my future in terms of a career in
research. Although we were all the beneficiaries of those excellent teachers and mentors who helped to shape our love
of science, and kindle our intellectual curiosity, few of us thought about what it really meant to "teach." As I began to
teach my first course as a faculty member, I was truly surprised to discover how much I enjoyed teaching, or more
accurately, helping others to learn.
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Learning, like research, is a human endeavor, and I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to teach in a setting in
which collaborative learning is both encouraged and valued. All of us (students, undergraduate teaching interns,
graduate students, and professors) work together as a "team." The longer I am involved in education, the more I become
convinced that it is not the vast body of "facts" that we acquire that is ultimately most important in becoming educated
individuals, but rather that we acquire the ability to learn and to become critical thinkers. Many of the facts we learn
today may be obsolete in ten years. However, by acquiring the skills of learning, we gain the capacity for lifelong
intellectual growth.
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1. How recombinant DNA technology can be used to
alter the genome of many organisms
2. Applications of molecular biology to forensic medicine
3. Production of commercially useful plant and animal
products using genetically engineered strains
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As the twentieth century draws to a close, molecular biology is extending its influence into areas distant from the
laboratory. Ten years ago, it was unlikely that the average citizen would have had a lively dinner-table discussion about
the admissibility of DNA fingerprint evidence in the courtroom, or pondered the advisability of purchasing a genetically
engineered tomato at the supermarket, or read about the latest gene therapy experiment in their daily newspaper. Yet
today all of these scenarios are occurring on a regular basis. Molecular biology and recombinant DNA technology have
clearly revolutionized our world! At the same time, this technology arouses concerns about potential effects on the
environment, and risks to health and society. In this chapter we will examine the impact that molecular biology is
having on research, medicine, agriculture, industry, and society as a whole. We will also consider some of the ethical
issues that have been raised in response to this "intrusion" of genetic engineering into our lives.
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Uses of Recombinant DNA Technology in Research

Unquestionably, recombinant DNA technology has revolutionized biological research. At present, some of its main uses
include:
1. Creating bacteria and other organisms capable of synthesizing both useful and economically important molecules.
2. Mapping the genomes of humans and of organisms utilized in research.
3. Supplying DNA and RNA sequences as research tools.
4. Altering the genotype of organisms (both plants and animals).
5. Potentially correcting genetic defects in animals (gene therapy).
It is used in research of all types: basic, medical, agricultural, commercial, and industrial; and can be expected to
contribute to filling some of the most fundamental needs of humankind. Let's look at several of these research
applications.
Uses in Research: Site-Specific Mutagenesis
Until recently, it was very difficult to study the effects of specific basepair changes on the function of a gene. Mutagenic
agents such as chemicals or radiation act randomly, and in order to obtain a mutant with a desired phenotype, a
researcher might have to screen several thousand mutants. Even then, much additional work is required to determine the
precise nature of the mutation that has occurred.
Today, a technique known as site-specific mutagenesis (or site-directed mutagenesis) is revolutionizing the study of
mutations. Once we have cloned a gene and determined its base-sequence, we can selectively alter one (or a few) bases
within the gene or its regulatory region. This genetically engineered DNA is inserted into an appropriate cloning vector
and used to transform host cells in which the effects of the mutation can be studied. How do we actually alter the base
sequence of the gene of interest? One commonly used procedure is outlined in Figure 16-1.
Let's suppose that it is suspected that a certain amino acid (e.g., glutamic acid) is suspected of playing a crucial role in
the function of a protein (the one encoded by the gene in which we are interested). Let's further suppose that we would
like to determine how the activity of this protein would be affected if we replaced this positively-charged glutamic acid
(codon GAG) with a nonpolar amino acid such as valine (codon GUG). (We will assume that we have already cloned
and sequenced our gene.) First, for the purpose of mutagenesis, it will be useful to have the DNA of our gene present in
single-stranded form. To facilitate this, we will use the M13 phage (discussed in Chapter 12) as our cloning vector.
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Figure 16-1
Site-specific mutagenesis of a gene cloned into an M13 phage cloning vector.
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As you recall, during the early stages of an M13 infection, the singlestranded (+) phage DNA is converted to a doublestranded replicative form (RF) comprised of a (+) and (-) strand. The (-) strand subsequently serves as the template for
production of additional (+) strands, which will be packaged into the new phage particles. (See Figure 12-4 in Chapter
12.)
We will begin by cloning the wild-type version of our gene into a double-stranded M13 phage cloning vector (Figure 16l(a)). We can use this recombinant DNA to transform E. coli cells, allow the recombinant
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phage to replicate, then collect single-stranded (+) DNA from the phage progeny (Figure 16-1(b)). Now we are ready to
alter our gene. Using an automated DNA synthesizer (see Figure 3-21 in Chapter 3), we can synthesize a 1525 baselong oligonucleotide that is complementary to our cloned gene, except for the substitution of a single base. (In this
instance, we are interested in studying the effects of replacing a glutamic acid with a valine, so our synthetic
oligonucleotide should contain a CAC instead of its normal CTC.) This oligonucleotide will anneal with the (+) strand
phage DNA molecule (Figure 16-1(c)), and can be used as a primer for the synthesis of double-stranded phage DNA
molecules in a test tube, using DNA polymerase and other essential enzymes (Figure 16-1(d)). As before, we can use
this mutant phage DNA to transform E. coli cells. However, this time, the phage progeny will contain our altered gene
sequence (Figure 16-1(e)). This newly-synthesized mutant DNA can be collected from purified phage particles. The
mutant gene itself can be excised from the phage DNA by means of restriction enzymes, recloned into an appropriate
expression vector, and used to transform host cells derived from the type of organism in which the gene normally
occurs. The end result? The transformed cells will contain a copy of the mutant gene, complete with the desired base
substitution, thus enabling us to study the effects of this specific mutation in vivo.
Uses in Research: Mammals Made to Order
The analysis of bacterial mutants has been an extraordinarily powerful means of untangling cellular functions, including
metabolic pathways. A major stumbling block to extending this approach to higher organisms has been the diploid
nature of the eukaryotic genome; it is difficult to isolate an experimentally induced change in both copies of a given
gene. One current approach to overcoming this difficulty is the use of targeted mutagenesis via homologous
recombination. The technique was employed first in yeast, and more recently in mammals. Using this technique, it is
possible to replace an endogenous allele (copy) of a gene with one that has been genetically engineered. Moreover, this
new gene is introduced into an appropriate genetic environment, under normal genetic conditions including those
operative during development and differentiation. This technology has been utilized in several different ways. In some
instances, new, and sometimes novel, genes have been introduced into the organism. In other cases, a specific gene has
been inactivated, then introduced into the organism in order to learn more about the normal role of the gene in
embryonic development, tissue differentiation, the development of cancer, or in the functioning of the immune system.
This latter approach has been used to produce a unique group of transgenic mice known as knockout mice, which are
now widely used in mammalian research.
In order to create a transgenic mouse, fertilized mouse ova are obtained from a female mouse early in embryonic
development, prior to
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implantation of the embryo in the uterus (Figure 16-2(a)). At this stage of embryonic development, the embryonic stem
cells (ES cells) making up the embryo are undifferentiated and are capable of giving rise to all types of cells ultimately
found in the organism (e.g., they are totipotent). ES cells can be removed from the blastocyst (early-stage mammalian
embryo) and grown in culture on a ''feeder layer" of living cells (Figure 16-2(b)). This feeder layer nourishes the ES
cells and allows them to divide, but doesn't permit them to undergo differentiation. Each cultured ES cell will thus give
rise to a clone of identical ES cells. These ES cells can be transformed, using a genetically engineered gene (Figure 16-2
(c)-(f)), and selection for the transformed cells can be carried out in culture (Figure 16-2(g)). The ES cells that have
successfully incorporated the modified "foreign" gene into their genomes (Figure 16-2(h)) can then be injected into a
blastocyst obtained from a different female mouse, where the mixture of cells will develop into the complete embryo
(Figure 16-2(i)-(j)). Let's take a closer look at how this all works in practice.
Suppose that we wanted to learn what effect the disruption of a gene known as c-abl has on the mouse. The c-abl gene
is the cellular homolog of an oncogene from the Abelson murine leukemia virus. (Oncogenes are genes that, in their
nonmutant "cellular" form, are involved in the normal regulation of cell division. When disrupted or altered, however,
they are associated with development of certain forms of cancer.)
First, we would need to construct a plasmid vector containing the inactivated gene. This is engineered in vitro to make
the desired alterations in the gene, either by base substitution, deletion, or insertion. In our example, we could disrupt
the c-abl gene by inserting a promoterless neomycin resistance gene (neor) near the 3' end of its coding region
("knocking it out") (Figure 16-2(c)). Drug resistance markers with controllable promoters have also been used
effectively in this context. The modified gene would be inserted into an appropriate plasmid (or other vector, such as a
genetically modified virus).
The ES cells used in this experiment would be homozygous for distinctive phenotypic markers, such as coat color or
rare electrophoretic variants of tissue enzymes, which can be readily identified in the eventual progeny. The
recombinant plasmid could be introduced into ES cells by electroporation (reversible permeabilization of cells by
electric shock in the presence of the plasmid). Then the cells are plated onto the feeder layer (Figure 16-2(d)-(f)). After
1 to 2 days (to allow the integration of the recombinant gene into the host DNA), the selection for transformed cells
would begin (Figure 16-2(g)). The culture medium would be replaced with fresh medium containing G418, a neomycinlike substance that kills non-neomycin-resistant mammalian cells. Since the neor gene lacks its own promoter,
neomycin resistance would be expressed only in those cells in which the gene was situated next to a cellular promoter,
including, of course, cells in which the engineered construct had replaced one of the endogenous c-abl alleles by
homologous recombination.
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Figure 16-2
Mammals made to order: production of transgenic mice. In this example, totipotent embryonic stem cells (ES cells)
are (a) removed from the blastocyst of an agouti (brown) donor, and (b) proliferated in culture by growth on a layer
of metabolizing cells that have been treated (radiation, mitomycin, or other irreversible DNA synthesis inhibitor) to
prevent the growth of the feeder cells. Genetically engineered gene(s), into which an antibiotic resistance gene (neor)
has been incorporated, are introduced into the ES cells by electroporation (c, d). Transformed ES cells in which the
engineered gene has been incorporated into the mouse chromosome via homologous recombination (e, f) are selected
by growing the cells in a culture medium (G418 medium) which contains a neomycin-like substance (g). (Nontransformed
cells are killed.) Neomycin-resistant clones are selected and assessed for euploidy and the presence of the mutated allele
of the desired gene (h). 1015 cells meeting the criteria are injected into a blastocyst from a white mouse (i), where they
become incorporated into the inner-cell mass, and the blastocyst is reimplanted into a pseudopregnant female mouse.
Offspring in successful experiments are chimeric for coat color (j) (white from the maternal embryo and agouti from the
transformed ES cells). Chimeric animals are mated to white tester mice (k); if the genetically engineered ES cells have
entered the germline, the traits from the ES cells (e.g., coat color) will also be present in the offspring of the chimeric
animals. DNA from such offspring is analyzed by Southern blotting (see Figure 8-13) for the presence of the targeted
allele. Heterozygous animals are mated, with one-quarter of their offspring expected to be homozygous for the targeted
mutation. Homozygosity can be identified by further analysis.
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Next, we would isolate drug-resistant ES colonies and analyze their DNA by Southern blotting (see Figure 8-13 in
Chapter 8). A probe derived from the c-abl oncogene, outside the area of homologous recombination, would be used to
detect the presence of the normal (cellular) and inactivated c-abl alleles in restriction digests of DNA from the ES cells.
Since the parent cell line contained its own c-abl gene, one criterion for homologous integration would be the presence
of two bands on the Southern blots: one band in the same position as in the parent, and the other at a position 0.6 Kb
larger. The difference is due to the 0.6 Kb neor insert in the integrated gene. Only the parental band is observed in
nonhomologous recombinants; these are recovered from the drug-selection step in far greater numbers than homologous
recombinants.
There are other variations on the technology up to this point, each appropriate to the corresponding details of
constructing the original plasmid or other vector. When clones with the desired characteristics have been identified,
karyotype analysis of the selected cells is performed to ensure that they are euploid (i.e., have a normal set of
chromosomes) (Figure 16-2(h)). Cells (1015) from selected clones are next injected into blastocysts of embryos that are
homozygous for dissimilar markers, for example, if the ES cells are derived from black or agouti (grizzled brown) mice,
they are injected into embryos from white or non-agouti stock (Figure 16-2(i)). The injected blastocysts are then
reintroduced into pseudopregnant females (prepared by mating 23 days previously with vasectomized males) (Figure 162(j)). In successful experiments, the totipotent ES cells become incorporated into the inner cell mass of the recipient
blastocyst and colonize various tissues, including the germ cells of the
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developing embryo. The resulting transgenic animals can be preliminarily identified by chimeric (mixed) coat color
patterns (Figure 16-2(k)).
Male chimeras are then allowed to develop to sexual maturity and are crossed with tester females to determine whether
the engineered gene has been incorporated into the germ line. The progeny are again examined for properties, such as
hair pigmentation or electrophoretic variants of enzymes derived from the ES cells. Finally, these mice are tested, by
Southern blot analysis, for the presence of the property that was of interest in the first placein this example, the c-abl
gene with the neor insert (Figure 16-2(l)).
Methods closely similar to this are currently being used to develop mouse models for human disorders such as
Alzheimer's disease, cystic fibrosis, Gaucher's disease (a progressive, fatal disorder involving certain lysosomal
enzymes), liver cancer associated with hepatitis B virus infections, and a variety of other conditions.
There are still several major concerns and problems associated with the use of this technology. First, and most obvious,
if the engineered gene is essential to embryonic development, homozygous offspring may die in utero. Second, it is
apparent that the recipient (or host) organism plays an important role, not yet fully understood, in the successful
incorporation of the donor cells into the developing embryo and subsequent germ-line transmission. Third, in the
current methodology nonhomologous recombination is far more frequent than homologous recombination, and rigorous
selection and careful analysis of cloned, transformed ES cells are necessary before they can be used as donors. The
latter point is particularly significant if homologous recombination is eventually to be used in human gene therapy.
Having an otherwise normal insulin gene in the wrong location could lead to its inappropriate expression, or even no
expression at all, which could be more harmful than helpful. It has already been observed that in at least two human
cancers (chronic myelogenous leukemia and acute lymphocytic leukemia) the human c-abl gene has been inactivated as
a result of a chromosomal translocation. The danger of recombination of an introduced gene in the wrong location is
evident.
There is an obvious way in which such problems can be avoided in instances in which the intended host is an adult
organism, for example, rather than a preimplantation embryo. The cells to be genetically altered can first be removed
from the body and the genetic alteration carried out in vitro. Altered cells having the desired genotype can be selected in
the laboratory, then reintroduced into the original donor or other suitable recipient. This procedure is often called gene
therapy. One can envision that defective bone marrow stem cells could be removed from a patient and their genetic
problems corrected in vitro. Then those corrected cells could be re-implanted into the patient. This procedure is often
called "cell therapy." Similarly, sheets of living skin could be maintained in hospitals for ready use in severe burn cases.
The long range goal, however, remains the development of a method
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that would result in only homologous recombination with high efficiency in virtually any cell type. Such an
achievement would offer the utopian potential of using normal genes to correct genetic disorders that may not be
recognized until after the birth of a fully differentiated individual.
Human Genome Project
Beginning in the late 1980s scientists around the world embarked on what is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious
research projects ever undertakenthe mapping of the entire human genome. When one considers the fact that this
encompasses 3 billion base-pairs and approximately 100,000 genes, the magnitude of the undertaking becomes truly
impressive. When the project is ultimately completed around the year 2000, scientists hope to have a complete genetic
map of all 23 chromosomes, enabling them to determine the locations of genes relative to each other and to known
physical landmarks such as restriction sites. With this information in hand, scientists should be able to determine the
chromosomal locations of genes associated with human genetic disorders, identify and sequence the genes, and study
their regulation and expression. As more information is gained concerning the specific nature of the genetic defects
associated with such disorders, treatments may be developed, and prenatal diagnosis and carrier screening may become
possible.
Such rapid progress is not without its inherent risks. Having access to such a wealth of genetic information may give
rise to a variety of ethical and moral dilemmas not previously faced by our society. We will consider some of these
issues later in this chapter.
Uses of Recombinant DNA Technology in Medicine
The goal of medicine is to alleviate and ultimately eliminate human disease. More than one hundred heritable human
diseases have been identified and characterized, and well over 6,600 single-gene disorders are currently recognized.
This does not even include a large number of disorders having multiple genetic and nongenetic components. When we
examine some of these so-called single gene defects, a complex picture emerges. In some cases, a mutation has occurred
in a gene that codes for an enzyme or a structural protein; in others, the regulation of gene expression has been altered.
Once again, because of the development of recombinant DNA methodologies, the ability to detect genetic defects linked
to specific diseases has increased.
One of the most useful applications of recombinant DNA technology is to provide novel and precise methods for early
detection of a genetic disease. A variety of techniques are currently being used for this purpose, including simple
enzymatic assays, gel electrophoresis of gene products, immunological methods, chromosomal analysis, and restriction
analysis.
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If a deletion, insertion, or point mutation alters a restriction site within or near a gene, it may be possible to detect this
change directly on a Southern blot with an appropriate probe, or indirectly, through linkage to another genetic marker
associated with the genetic defect. A simple example of this is shown in Figure 16-3. In sickle cell anemia, a single base
substitution in the -globin gene (GAGGTG) results in a glutamic acid normally found in the -globin chain being
replaced by a valine. This base change eliminates a restriction site recognized by the restriction enzyme Mst II, which
recognizes the base sequence CCNAGG (N = A, T, G, or C). In individuals with normal hemoglobin (and a normal globin allele), digestion with Mst II generates two DNA fragments (1.1 kb and 0.2 kb) that hybridize with a -globin c
DNA probe. In individuals
Figure 16-3
Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RLFPs) associated with sickle cell anemia.
(a)
In individuals suffering from sickle cell anemia, a base substitution mutation in the
-globin gene (GAG GTG) eliminates a target site recognized by the restriction
enzyme Mst II.
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(b) DNA from normal individuals (left lane), individuals suffering from sickle cell
anemia (center lane) and heterozygous individuals (right lane) is digested with Mst II,
separated via gel electrophoresis, and Southern blotted, using a probe that hybridizes
with the region of the -globin gene containing the base substitution. DNA from normal
individuals will contain two bands (0.2 and 1.1 Kb), DNA from individuals suffering
from sickle cell anemia will contain only a single band (1.3 Kb), and that from
heterozygous individuals will contain all three bands (0.2, 1.1, and 1.3 Kb).
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having the sickle cell allele, the A T base substitution eliminates one restriction site, and only a 1.3 kb restriction
fragment is evident. (This is an example of a Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism, or RFLP.) it is possible to
distinguish whether an individual has one or two copies of the mutant allele by examining the types of bands present:
individuals afflicted with sickle cell anemia will have only the 1.3 kb band, while carriers of the sickle cell allele
(heterozygotes) will have two normal bands (1.1 and 0.2 kb) plus the abnormal band (1.3 kb). Newer types of probes,
called allele-specific oligonucleotides (ASO), hybridize only with completely complementary base-sequences, and can
be used to distinguish between sequences differing by as little as a single nucleotide. Because of their accuracy, ASO
probes are rapidly becoming the method of choice for diagnosis of genetic disorders arising via point mutation. One
drawback is the necessity of sequencing the normal and mutant alleles before such probes can be constructed.
In some cases, it has not been possible to identify an altered restriction site residing within the mutant allele, but it has
been possible to demonstrate that the mutant allele tends to be coinherited with a nearby (linked) gene. Linkages
between genes can be demonstrated initially by using the separate genetic markers as probes and determining whether
they hybridize to the same restriction fragment on a Southern blot. For linkage to be used as a diagnostic tool, it must
first be demonstrated that DNA from patients with a particular genetic disorder shows a characteristic restriction pattern
that is not observed in healthy persons. Obviously, this indirect approach is not foolproof, since it is possible for
recombination to occur between linked genes, and some individuals who inherit the adjacent marker may fail to inherit
the gene associated with the disorder. RFLP analysis has been successfully used to develop indirect tests for genetic
disorders such as Huntington's disease, cystic fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and hemophilia B, to name a few.
RFLP's, VNTR's and DNA Fingerprinting
Genomes, including those of humans, are polymorphic (i.e., they differ in base-sequence). Between any two individuals,
there is a difference of about one base-pair per thousand. Some of these differences may represent point mutation
differences (though many are phenotypically "silent" because they occur in the variable third coding base, and do not
alter the amino acid being coded). Probably a more common case involves differences in base-sequences found in the
region situated between genes. This polymorphism has well-recognized implications for sequencing the human genome.
When these differences occur in restriction sites, they generate restriction fragments of different sizes. This Restriction
Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) is readily observed by gel electrophoresis of DNA that has been cut by
restriction enzymes and probed with an appropriate marker, as we have already seen (Figure 16-3).
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Figure 16-4
Simplified example of a DNA fingerprint resulting from the presence of variable numbers
of tandem repeats (VNTRs). Three different individuals (#1, #2, and #3) possess different
numbers of copies of a specific tandemly repeated base sequence. DNA from each individual
is cut with a restriction enzyme that does not cut the VNTR array itself, the resulting
DNA fragments are separated via gel electrophoresis, and Southern blotting is carried out,
using a probe that hybridizes with the basic repeated units. Different patterns of bands
are observed in each individual. Actual DNA fingerprint patterns are, however, much more
complex than those illustrated here (see Figure 16-5).
Scattered throughout the genome of any individual eukaryote, there are also different numbers of copies of tandemly
repeated DNA sequences called Variable Number Tandem Repeats or VNTRs. VNTRs are short base sequences
occurring in variable numbers within tandemly repeated clusters (i.e., they are found adjacent to each other). The
number of "repeats" found in a group may vary from one location to the next within the genome of a particular
individual, and will also vary between individuals. These repeats are of two basic types: microsatellite repeats, which
consist of 25 nucleotide-long tandem repeats occurring at many locations throughout the entire genome, and
minisatellite repeats, which consist of longer repeating units (3035 bp) containing a shorter, common core sequence.
The longer, minisatellite repeats tend to occur at fewer locations within the genome of an individual.
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In order to detect VNTR patterns (Figure 16-4), the genomic DNA of an individual is cut with a restriction enzyme that
does not cut the
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VNTR array itself, but which cuts to include the entire repeat section (providing a fragment whose length depends upon
the number of repeats). The restriction fragments thus produced are separated via gel electrophoresis. Southern blotting
is then carried out, using a radioactive probe that hybridizes with the basic repeated unit. Autoradiography will reveal
the presence of a large number of DNA fragments of different sizes that hybridize to the probe. Since the number of
tandem repeats will differ from one individual to the next, what emerges is a highly individual pattern of DNA
fragments known as a "DNA fingerprint." In addition, the restriction pattern of an individual, like a gene, is inherited in
a strictly Mendelian pattern. (This makes sense, because half of our DNA, as well as half of our chromosome set, is
contributed by each parent.) Consequently, a DNA fingerprint can also provide strong evidence for the paternity of a
child, half of whose DNA bands should be attributable to each biological parent.
DNA fingerprinting is currently being utilized in a number of different ways. Recent high-profile legal cases have
shown its applicability in demonstrating a link between a crime suspect and a crime scene (Figure 16-5). Minute DNA
samples present in a drop of blood, a skin scraping, or a hair follicle can be amplified via PCR (see Figure 15-5 in
Chapter 15) and used to exonerate or incriminate a suspect. As important as its ability to suggest that a particular
suspect was present at the scene of a crime is its ability to prove the innocence of a wrongly-accused or convicted
individual.
Figure 16-5
Use of DNA fingerprints in forensics and in paternity
determination.
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(a) DNA fingerprints obtained from a rape victim,

a semen specimen collected from the victim, and
three potential suspects.
(b) a mother (M) gave birth to a child (C), whose
paternity was disputed. DNA fingerprints from the
two possible fathers are shown in the lanes labeled
F1 and F2.
(From J. M. Connor and M. A. Ferguson-Smith,
Essential Medical Genetics, 3rd ed., Blackwell Scientific
Publications (1991), p. 129.) Used by permission.
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It has been used in kidnapping cases to demonstrate that a particular child was, in fact, the offspring of a set of parents
whose child had been kidnapped years earlier, and not the biological child of the kidnappers. In cases of wildlife
poaching, DNA fingerprints obtained from the head of a lion mounted on a wall of a big game hunter have been used to
link the hunter to the remains of a lion found illegally slaughtered on a wildlife preserve. DNA fingerprinting is also
being used in other ways to help protect endangered species. The DNA from members of wild populations of animals
can be compared to determine their degree of genetic relatedness. This can be important for the purposes of determining
whether a species is endangered, whether different populations of a particular species can be interbred successfully, or
whether a proposed captive-breeding program is likely to result in excessive inbreeding of the animals involved. When
one takes into consideration the diverse applications of DNA fingerprinting and the amount of publicity they have
received in the media, it is not surprising that this once relatively unknown technology has emerged from the
laboratories to become one of the most discussed technological issues in our society today.
Baa, Baa Black Sheep, Have You Any Alpha-1-Antitrypsin? (Production of Pharmaceutical Products)
Recombinant DNA technology is rapidly moving from the laboratory to the pharmacy. Presently, several different
therapeutic approaches are available for the treatment of genetic diseases. One of these is drug or dietary treatment to
circumvent a metabolic block. In this case, the missing hormone or metabolite is administered to the patient.
Therapeutically important products are currently being synthesized using recombinant DNA technology. In brief, a gene
that codes for a particular peptide, along with an appropriate promoter and a sequence that instructs the cell to secrete
the gene product, are inserted into an expression vector (e.g., phage gt11); the gene is oriented in such a way that its
coding strand is linked to the strand containing a promoter in the vector. Bacterial cells can be prepared that contain
several hundred copies of the gene, and in such cells, synthesis of the genetically engineered gene product may account
for 1%5% of the total cellular protein. The gene product, which is secreted by the bacteria containing the recombinant
DNA, can be harvested from the medium in which the bacteria have grown. Somatostatin, insulin, human growth
hormone, interferon, opioid peptides (enkaphalins and endorphins), interferons, thymosin, tissue plasminogen activator,
urokinase, and hemophilia factor VIII have all been synthesized in this way. The list continues rapidly to lengthen.
Methods to deliver these protein products to the patient slowly or in sequential doses have also improved. In certain
cases it is now possible to replace the defective gene product with a functional protein, at concentrations that mimic the
normal physiological dose of the protein.
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If the gene producing the therapeutic product is of eukaryotic origin, special problems must be taken into consideration:
1. Eukaryotic promoters are not usually recognized by bacterial RNA polymerases; hence the eukaryotic gene must be
linked to a bacterial promoter.
2. The mRNA transcribed from the eukaryotic gene may not be translatable on bacterial ribosomes.
3. Introns may be present, and bacteria are unable to excise eukaryotic introns. In such cases, cDNA, or a synthetic
DNA with a sequence deduced from the amino acid sequence of the desired protein product, is used rather than the
desired eukaryotic gene.
4. The protein itself often must be processed (for example, insulin), and bacteria cannot recognize processing signals in
eukaryotic gene products.
5. Eukaryotic proteins may be recognized as foreign material by bacterial proteases and degraded.
There are several approaches to solving these problems in addition to those already mentioned. One procedure uses a
yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) as a cloning vector for eukaryotic genes. Recent studies suggest that when a
recombinant YAC containing a eukaryotic gene is put into a yeast cell (which is also a eukaryote) some of the problems
described above no longer exist.
An even more exciting technology involves the use of transgenic animals (primarily sheep and cows) to produce
pharmaceutically important human gene products, which are subsequently secreted into the animal's milk. This
technique has already been used successfully to produce both hemophilia factor IX and another protein known as alpha1-antitrypsin. Individuals who have an often-fatal hereditary form of emphysema are deficient in this second protein.
The human alpha-1-antitrypsin gene was cloned into vector at a site adjacent to a sheep DNA sequence that regulates
the expression of sheep milk proteins. Specifically, this promoter sequence limits the expression of the genes it controls
to the mammary gland of the sheep. The engineered gene was then injected in vitro into fertilized sheep oocytes, and the
eggs were implanted in ewes. Ultimately, several transgenic lambs were born. When the transgenic females were mated
as adults, they produced milk containing high concentrations of alpha-1-antitrypsin, nearly 0.3 lb of human protein per
gallon! Results with factor IX production have been less spectacular, but are still quite promising. Someday soon, we
may see large herds of transgenic sheep and cows filling many of our pharmaceutical needs. In 1997, a quantum leap in
animal cloning technology was made with the first successful cloning of a lamb from a cell (a fibroblast) taken from the
udder of an adult sheep. Scientists were able to achieve this remarkable feat by first growing the
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sheep fibroblast cells in culture, then serum-starving them to help synchronize the cell cycles of the donor (fibroblast)
cell and the recipient (egg) cell. Nuclei from these fibroblast cells were then transplanted into enucleated sheep eggs,
and each egg was implanted into the uterus of a female sheep. The result: a lamb (named ''Dolly") whose development
was directed by the genetic information provided by the transplanted fibroblast nucleus! Similar experiments utilizing
donor nuclei from sheep embryos and fetuses met with even greater success. Building upon these latter experiments,
Scottish scientists went one step further and genetically engineered human genes into the fetal sheep cells that served as
the source of donor nuclei. The resulting lambs carried a human transgene in their cells.
The use of such technology could revolutionize the production of transgenic animals and will facilitate production of
pharmaceutically important human gene products. It also paves the way for creation of transgenic animals capable of
producing blood proteins and antibodies for human transfusion, or organs suitable for use in human organ transplants.
Genetic engineering is also playing an important role in producing other types of medically important substances. Many
vaccines are now produced via recombinant DNA technology. These recombinant vaccines have the advantage of
inducing the production of protective antibodies in the immunized individual without exposing them to a potentially
pathogenic organism. In addition, since individuals involved in the production of the recombinant vaccine are working
with cloned genes that encode surface antigens of the pathogen, and not with the pathogenic organism itself, the entire
process of vaccine production becomes immeasurably safer. A recombinant vaccine against the deadly hepatitis B virus
is already in use, and someday this technology will undoubtedly play an important role in the development of vaccines
against other deadly diseases such as AIDS. In hopes of attaining this goal, genes encoding several different HIV
surface antigens have been cloned, including the gene for the gp120 protein found in the protein spikes on the surface of
the virus. This particular protein is involved in the attachment of the HIV virus to CD4 receptors on the surface of the
helper T cells, a step which precedes entry of the HIV virus into its host cell. It is hoped that a vaccine directed against
the gp120 protein might not only stimulate the production of antibodies against the HIV virus, but also help block
attachment of the virus to the CD4 receptors.
In other areas of medicine, recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) is being used to save the lives of heart
attack victims; interleukin-2 and gamma-interferon are being employed in cancer treatment; diabetics are receiving
recombinant insulin; and children suffering from hypopituitary dwarfism are receiving human growth hormone (hGH).
Prior to the development of a recombinant hGH, the only source of this hormone was the pituitary glands of human
cadavers. Treatment of a single child for one year required hormone from seventy cadavers, making treatment
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difficult to obtain and prohibitively expensive. With the cloning of the hGH gene, and production of recombinant hGH,
treatment is now accessible to all who need it.
Supportive Therapy and Gene Therapy
A second approach to treating genetic disorders is supportive or replacement therapy. In this case, the malfunctioning
cells are replaced with normal cells. This is precisely what occurs during the transplantation of bone-marrow cells. A
patient with bone-marrow cancer can be treated with radiation or chemotherapy to destroy all endogenous bone-marrow
cells. The bone marrow can then be reconstituted from cells preselected from the patient before radiation therapy, or
with cells from a matched donor such as a close relative (e.g., sister or brother).
Although these specific therapies may benefit the patient, they often serve to alleviate the symptoms, rather than cure
the disease. For many other diseases, neither drug nor replacement therapy is currently available. In addition, some
genetic diseases (i.e., cancer) are thought to involve mechanisms controlling the expression of a number of genes (e.g.,
socalled "oncogenes"), rather than the loss or malfunction of a single protein. The conventional treatments
(chemotherapy, radiation, immunological intervention) are ineffective in these cases (i.e., malignant melanoma). One
promising new approach to curing such diseases is gene therapy, or restitution of the normal gene in vivo.
Several recent advances have enhanced the potential to eliminate human diseases through gene therapy. One is the
ability to identify mutant genes that cause disease, and to clone them without having to isolate the protein they encode.
This powerful technique has been called reverse genetics. Considering the rapid rate at which genes are now being
assigned to chromosomes, it is likely that there will be a dramatic increase in the number of genetic diseases identified
as being caused by specific defects in single known and cloned genes. (At the first Human Gene Mapping Workshop in
1973, about 75 genes had been localized to 19 autosomes and the X chromosome; in the 1990 report of the tenth
meeting, ~5,100 genes had been described, and more than 2,000 had been mapped. The maps covered all of the
chromosomes.)
Another important advance is the development of techniques for the efficient transfer of DNA into human cells. This
achievement is the result of an increased understanding of the biology of cells, as well as the development of a number
of viral vectors. Several exciting human gene therapy trials are currently in progress. The very first, which began in
1990, involved a young girl who was suffering from a fatal genetic disorder, severe combined immunodeficiency
(SCID) one form of which is caused by a defect in the gene which produces the enzyme adenosine deaminase (ADA).
In individuals who lack this enzyme, the nucleotide 2'-deoxyadenosine accumulates in the bloodstream, killing both the
B and T lymphocytes of
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the immune system. Unless these youngsters are kept in a germ-free environment, they generally succumb to relatively
minor infections at an early age. In the world's first human gene therapy experiment, T lymphocytes were removed from
the young SCID victim and mixed with a genetically engineered retrovirus containing a normal copy of the ADA gene.
When the experiment goes according to plan, the retrovirus introduces a functional ADA gene into the genome of the T
cells. Researchers tested these modified T cells to verify that the ADA gene was indeed functioning, then transfused
them into the patient. The young girl's condition showed a dramatic improvement: her serum ADA levels rose, her
white-bloodcell count became relatively normal, and for the first time in her life, she was able to attend school and
interact with other children. Since T cells are relatively short-lived, this gene therapy procedure must be repeated
periodically.
Gene therapy has also been used in the treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia. Individuals suffering from this
disorder have a defect in the gene that codes for the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor. This results in the inability
to transport cholesterol-rich LDL into the cells. As a result, serum cholesterol levels skyrocket, atherosclerotic plaque
builds up in the arteries, and victims may suffer fatal heart attacks before the age of twenty. In a somewhat-successful
gene therapy experiment, part of the liver was removed from a 30-year-old hypercholesterolemia victim, and a
functional copy of the LDL receptor gene was introduced into the separated liver cells by means of a genetically
modified mouse virus. The cells were reintroduced to the liver, leading to a 25% decrease in serum LDL levels.
Another exciting gene therapy experiment that began in 1995 has been billed as "bypass-without-a-surgeon." A gene
has been discovered that stimulates growth of collateral blood vessels around the area of an arterial blockage. A
polymer impregnated with this vegf (vascular endothelial growth factor) gene has been used to coat an angioplasty
balloon. The balloon was threaded into the area adjacent to the arterial blockage and inflated, where the vegf genes were
taken up by the cells of the arterial wall. The transformed cells began to secrete the vegf protein, stimulating new
collateral blood vessels to form around the area of the blockage, and thereby relieved the arterial blockage.
A number of problems still remain to be resolved before gene therapy can be used to treat a wide variety of genetic
disorders. First, it is not possible to remove certain types of cells from the body in order to genetically modify them, nor
can all types of cells be grown successfully in culture. (Cells of the lung are a prime example of this problem.) Second,
there are major problems inherent in attempting to introduce foreign DNA into specific types of human cells in vivo.
Certain commonly used viral vectors infect only certain types of cells, or lack selectivity of infection, or insert their
DNA at random locations within the human genome. In order for gene therapy to be successful, the normal gene must
reach the
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tissue in which the gene is normally expressed, enter the cell, undergo homologous recombination with the defective
gene, and be expressed at an appropriate time, and at an appropriate level. All of this must be accomplished without
disrupting the function of any other genes. Obviously, much basic research still remains to be done. Nevertheless, the
advances that have been made increase the probability that genetic treatment can eventually lead to cures for a number
of devastating inherited human diseases. The development of efficient gene therapy is a compelling goal, because
although some genetic disorders occur in only a small percentage of the population (SCID for example), others, such as
sickle cell anemia and the thalassemias, affect millions of people around the world.
Uses of Recombinant DNA Technology in Agriculture
For decades, genetics has played an important role in plant breedingthat is, in the development of new strains of plants
with desirable characteristics. For the most part, plant breeders have had to rely upon the selection of mutants, and the
hybridization between different varieties of the same species. Although these approaches have been highly successful,
they are tedious. Organisms specifically constructed by recombinant DNA technologies can have much more precisely
tailored genes, and therefore this technology is likely to become the preferred approach in the future. Creating new
varieties of plants by direct alteration of the genotype is an increasingly important application of genetic engineering.
Genes for fixing nitrogen, improving photosynthesis, and providing resistance to pests, pathogens and herbicides, have
been transferred and successfully expressed in plant hosts. Introduction of herbicide resistance genes into economically
important plants such as corn, cotton, and tobacco will permit farmers to apply herbicides to their fields throughout the
growing season. (Before we become elated about this development, we need to consider whether we really want to take
steps that will undoubtedly increase the levels of toxic herbicides in the environment!) Another gene, from the
bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, encodes a protein that kills insect pests such as the cutworm, but which is nontoxic to
mammals. When introduced into plants, it will become possible to grow certain crops without heavy application of
nonspecific insecticides. This will not prove to be a universal panacea, however. Such insecticidal proteins tend to be
relatively selective with respect to the insects they kill. Moreover, just as resistance to chemical insecticides has arisen
within insect populations, so might similar resistance to genetically engineered insecticides.
In other related developments, a bacterium has been developed that increases the tolerance of crops to frost. Normal
bacteria of the genus Pseudomonas, which are found on the leaves of strawberry and potato plants, produce a protein
that initiates the formation of ice crystals on the leaves when temperatures drop below freezing. Bacteria have been
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genetically engineered to inactivate this gene, thus reducing frost damage. Other plants are being engineered for
increased resistance to drought and for tolerance to increased salinity.
One of the novel developments in plant genetic engineering involves crown gall, a plant tumor associated with infection
by the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens. When a segment of a plasmid carried by the bacterium is inserted into the
DNA of its plant host, tumor formation is induced. The plasmid, which is therefore called a tumor inducing (Ti)
plasmid, has been exploited as a vector to transfer foreign genes into host plants. Unfortunately, A. tumefaciens only
infects broad-leaved flowering plants (dicots). Alternative strategies have been developed for introducing foreign genes
into other types of plants. One of the more imaginative involves the use of a microprojectile gun which actually
"shoots" small tungsten particles coated with DNA into plant embryos. (The prototype was modified from a standard,
bullet-firing gun!) Along more conventional lines, electroporation has been used to transform plant protoplasts (cells
whose cell walls have been removed enzymatically).
Genetic engineering is being put to a number of creative uses in the areas of agriculture and aquaculture. Plants may
soon be synthesizing plastic packing materials, thanks to the efforts of scientists who have cloned two bacterial genes
necessary for the synthesis of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) into a plant called Arabidopsis. PHB is a biodegradable
plastic material that is naturally synthesized by certain strains of bacteria. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants containing
these bacterial genes are able to synthesize and accumulate small granules of PHB in their cytoplasm and vacuoles.
Before this system can be used commercially, additional work will need to be done to improve the growth
characteristics of these "plastic plants." Their growth tends to be stunted, possibly because PHB biosynthesis utilizes a
metabolic intermediate required for another metabolic pathway.
In another interesting development, tobacco plants have been genetically engineered to produce antibody molecules; socalled "plantibodies." Although these "plantibody" molecules are not completely identical to antibodies produced in the
human body, they may be useful as supplements to infant formulas. One of the more whimsical experiments produced
tobacco plants that glow in the dark. Scientists achieved this by cloning the firefly luciferase gene into a tobacco plant
(Figure 16-6). (If this technology were expanded to other plants, one might imagine seeing a field full of glowing
pumpkins at Halloween!)
Much of the effort in plant genetic engineering has been directed toward the production of fruits and vegetables with
higher nutritional value or improved postharvest qualities. Seeds such as beans and corn are naturally low in certain
essential amino acids. This can create serious nutritional problems for citizens of developing countries who rely upon a
single major crop for nourishment. Scientists are attempting to develop methionine-rich beans and lysine-rich corn, to
compensate for the low
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Figure 16-6
A transgenic tobacco plant which has been transformed with a
firefly lucieferase gene. The transgenic plant emits green light,
indicating that the luciferase gene is active.
(From D. W. Ow, Keith Wood, Marlene DeLuca, Jeffrey R. DeWet,
Donald R. Helinski, and Steven Howell. "Transient and Stable
Expression of the Firefly Luciferase Gene in Plant Cells and
Transgenic Plants." Science, November 1986. 234:856859, Figure 5.)
Used by permission.
levels of these essential amino acids in "normal" beans and corn, respectively. If such seeds were to become widely
available, they could help to provide a complete, economical source of protein for the citizens of less-wealthy countries.
Other plants such as tomatoes, which are normally picked when underripe in order to prevent spoilage and bruising
during the trip to market, have been modified to produce fruit that ripens more slowly. In one such tomato, the
MacGregor's FlavrSavr, scientists took the gene that codes for an enzyme responsible for softening of the tomato
(polygalacturonase), and reversed its orientation in the strand of the DNA normally transcribed. The gene is still
transcribed, but now codes for a messenger RNA that is complementary to that produced by the normal copy of the gene
(i.e., an antisense mRNA). The antisense mRNA will hybridize with the normal mRNA and prevent it from being
translated. As a result, these tomatoes ripen more slowly and can be picked when redder and more flavorful. Higherstarch potatoes have been developed for the production of crisper potato chips and frozen french fries, and high-solids
tomatoes for making thicker ketchup and tomato paste. It is becoming increasingly possible to tailor the properties of a
crop to fit its intended use.
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Recombinant DNA technology is being utilized to produce farm animals that reach maturity more rapidly, produce
more milk or leaner meat,
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or have other economically desirable characteristics, such as the ability to produce pharmaceuticals. These endeavors
have met with mixed success, and with a very mixed response from the public. When cattle were treated with a
genetically engineered hormone, bovine somatotropin (BST), to increase milk production, much concern was expressed
publicly about the safety of such milk for human consumption. Transgenic animals are not always healthier animals.
Researchers attempted to create a transgenic "superpig" by injecting human and bovine growth hormone genes into
fertilized pig ova. Although these pigs were leaner and utilized feed more efficiently, they were also prone to a myriad
of health problems, ranging from arthritis and stomach ulcers to heart enlargement and kidney disease.
Similar experiments in salmon have met with greater success. Growth hormone genes and promoters from sockeye
salmon have been inserted into coho salmon eggs. The transgenic coho grow to market size (10 lb.) in about half the
time required by their nonrecombinant siblings. Scientists still don't know how large they might become if not
harvested; unlike mammals, salmon continue to grow throughout their entire lifetime. This could prove to have a
detrimental effect upon the health of the salmon in the long run. In addition, if such "supersalmon" were to escape into
the natural environment and mate with wild salmon, one might imagine major ecological consequences.
Other Commercial and Industrial Applications
For many years, variance of plants, animals, and microorganisms has been exploited for a variety of commercial
applicationssuch as developing tetraploid corn, breeding faster race horses, and selecting suitable yeasts for brewing and
bakingusually by identifying and isolating naturally occurring or artificially produced mutants.
Apart from the obvious applications in the pharmaceutical industry, there are a number of other uses of recombinant
DNA technology. For example, attempts are being made to broaden the range of substrates of biological fermentation to
include cellulose or even plastic waste. It may be possible one day to engineer organisms that can ferment at high
temperatures, so that fermentation and part of the distillation process may take place simultaneously. A DNA
polymerase isolated from a thermophilic bacterium, Thermus aquaticus, is already being used successfully in PCR at
high temperatures. Furthermore, several genes from oil-metabolizing bacteria have been inserted into a plasmid, which
was then inserted into a marine bacterium to yield an organism capable of metabolizing petroleum at sea. These
organisms, naturally occurring oil-eaters, were used to help clean up the Alaskan shoreline after an 11-million-gallon oil
spill in 1989, as well as a 1990 open-ocean spill off the coast of Texas. These bacteria metabolically convert the oil to
an emulsion of fatty acids that can then be consumed by marine organisms. Although there is certainly
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a need for similar organisms to degrade other toxic products in the environment, the problems of the approach are
numerous. For example, the concentration of the pollutants is often too low to maintain the growth of the engineered
microorganism. The growing concern for cleaning up our planet may provide strong incentives to persuade industry to
develop the technology required to overcome these obstacles.
In the food industry, there is the likelihood of using engineered organisms to convert waste into usable food for animals
or humans. There is also the possibility of using recombinant DNA technology to devise tests designed to detect
harmful or unwanted substances in food and other products. In the future, genetic engineering will affect many
industrial and commercial ventures, and offer many applications as yet unimagined.
Molecular Biology: On the Front Line of the Battle against AIDS
In the 17-year period since the first cases of AIDS were recognized in the United States, this deadly disease has become
the leading cause of death among 1544 year olds in the United States. According to recent estimates, one out of every
92 young American males and approximately one-fourth as many females may be infected with HIV.
The virus responsible for AIDS, HIV, belongs to a class of viruses known as retroviruses. The replication of HIV in a
host cell is mediated by the reverse transcriptase encoded in the RNA genome of the virus. Upon infection, the virus
makes a DNA copy of the RNA genome, forming an RNA/DNA hybrid. The enzyme next makes a DNA/DNA doublehelix copy, using the RNA/DNA hybrid as a template. That DNA/DNA copy of the viral genome then integrates into
the host's chromosome, using recombination enzymes encoded in the genome of the virus. From its location in the host's
chromosome, the viral genome is repeatedly transcribed. Some of the transcripts are translated to form capsid proteins
for the virus. Eventually, full-length transcripts are packaged, along with several viral enzymes, into mature virus
particles.
HIV, or the "human immunodeficiency virus" derives its name from the fact that it primarily kills one specific type of
cell, the so-called "helper T cell," which plays a central role in activating and stimulating the replication of the other
cells essential for the immune response. The virus also attacks certain other white blood cells, including the
macrophages, which play a critical role in presenting antigens to the helper T cells and alerting them to the presence of
infecting microorganisms. By destroying the precise cells required for the mobilization of the immune response, the
AIDS virus prevents the activation of B cells (which produce antibodies) and cytotoxic T8 cells (which kill virusinfected cells). Lacking a functional immune system, AIDS patients usually die of infections such as pneumonia, which
in normal healthy individuals are routinely eliminated by natural antibodies.
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Several factors combine to frustrate attempts of molecular biologists to develop drugs, vaccines, or other treatments for
combatting the AIDS virus. These include the following: the virus inserts itself into the host genome, and therefore is
not easily removed from host cells; a long latency period permits the spread of the virus before infected individuals are
identified; frequent mutations alter the virus, so that its coat protein, the usual target for vaccines, changes often; the
target of the virusthe immune systemrepresents the body's main line of defense against viral infections. Nevertheless,
recent developments in AIDS research suggest that promising new methods of treating and preventing HIV infection
may be on the horizon.
Several new antiviral agents have been or may soon be added to the arsenal of antiviral agents being used to treat HIV
infected individuals. Many of the "traditional" agents such as AZT (azidothymidine), and its close relatives ddI
(dideoxyinosine) and ddC (dideoxycytidine) are nucleoside analogues acting both as an inhibitor of reverse transcriptase
and as a substrate for the same enzyme. When incorporated into a growing DNA molecule, they result in chain
termination. One significant problem associated with nucleoside analogue therapy is the emergence of resistant HIV
strains. This problem is especially common because the reverse transcriptase is highly error prone. As a consequence,
the AIDS virus exhibits an unusually high mutation rate. This problem can be circumvented, to a large extent, by using
combinations of two or three different nucleoside analogues. A second and equally troublesome problem associated
with the use of nucleoside analogues is the occurrence of serious side effects in certain individuals, including bone
marrow suppression. A second group of compounds also show promise as inhibitors of the reverse transcriptase. These
so-called non-nucleoside inhibitors (which include tetrahydro-benzodiazepine or TIBO and some related compounds)
act by binding to a hydrophobic pocket close to the active site of the reverse transcriptase.
Once the viral genome has been converted to double-stranded DNA, it enters the nucleus of the cell, where it is
integrated into the host chromosome by a viral enzyme known as integrase. Another new class of antiviral agents
currently under investigation are the integrase inhibitors. These agents are small oligonucleotide molecules that block
the essential integration reaction, and may be useful for AIDS therapy.
Two other types of antiviral agents block later steps in the HIV replication cycle. One group of compounds binds to the
highly-conserved zincfingers of the HIV nucleocapsid and block packaging of the viral genomic RNA into the capsid. A
second, and extremely promising, group of anti-HIV drugs are the protease inhibitors. The HIV protease enzyme is
packaged into the viral capsid, along with the viral RNA, the reverse transcriptase, and the integrase. The protease
become active during the late stage of viral assembly, and plays an essential role in processing the precur-
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sors of the nucleocapsid proteins and the viral enzymes. The protease inhibitors block the activity of the HIV protease,
halting the process of viral maturation and rendering the new virions noninfectious.
Recent clinical studies have demonstrated that the use of protease inhibitors in combination with the nucleoside
analogues AZT and 3TC can markedly reduce the levels of the HIV virus present in the blood of HIV-infected
individuals. In one study involving 97 patients, 80% of the patients showed no trace of the virus in their blood
following 12 months of drug therapy employing a combination AZT, 3TC, and protease inhibitors. These results, while
encouraging, should not be interpreted as indicating that the HIV virus has been totally eliminated from the body. The
virus itself may still be present within the lymph nodes of these individuals, and the viral genome is certainly still
present within the genome of a number of the host's cells. Nevertheless, the therapy shows promise, and may prove to
be especially useful in the treatment of recently-diagnosed, HIV-positive individuals.
Other therapeutic approaches are designed to boost the immune response to the AIDS virus. One more traditional type
of approach that has been proposed is that of "recreating" the immune system, much as we do when we perform bone
marrow transplants in cancer patients. The patient's damaged cells could be destroyed, and replaced with healthy cells
from a donor. Scientists also hope that they will someday be able to develop a vaccine that would prevent HIV
infection. One major stumbling block has been the high variability of the AIDS virus, which results from its high
mutation rate. Recently, it has been discovered that CD8+ cells (the cytotoxic T cells that kill virus-infected cells in the
body) produce several unique polypeptides (chemokines) that work together to suppress HIV replication. If these
substances prove to be effective therapeutic agents, molecular biologists should be able to clone the genes encoding
them and produce these chemokines in the laboratory, making them both readily available and affordable.
It is obvious that there is no simple solution to this complex AIDS problem. Its ultimate resolution will depend upon a
combination of preventative measures designed to curtail new infections, and therapeutic measures designed to halt the
transmission and progression of the disease in those already infected. It is certain to be a long battle, and one in which
molecular biology will play a critical role.
Social and Ethical Issues
Where is this brave new world of genetic engineering leading us? Are we on our way to creating a perfect world, or is
there a darker side to this intrusion of science into every aspect of our lives? Clearly humanity will derive many benefits
from the molecular revolution, but what are some
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of its potential drawbacks? Let's examine some of the ethical issues that are arising today.
First, some might ask whether scientists are ''playing God" by altering the genomes of living organisms. Do we have the
"right" to alter the genetic material of other organisms, thereby altering their evolutionary future? Although, from our
human perspectives, we may be "improving" these organisms, it is difficult to say what impact this will have in the long
run. Just as we learned what a devastating effect destruction of habitat, pollution, indiscriminate hunting, and use of
toxic chemicals can have upon living organisms, so might we someday realize that our genetic experimentation has had
unforseen consequences.
Let us consider our genetically engineered plants. We can create plants that are resistant to viruses, bacteria, and fungi,
but this does not guarantee that our future plants will be healthy. Just as human pathogens have developed resistance to
antibiotics, so plant pathogens are likely to evolve in ways that will allow them to infect resistant species of plants.
Ultimately we may end up with even deadlier, resistant strains of plant pathogens.
Second, what would happen if some of these recombinant plants crosspollinate with their wild relatives? One area of
great concern is the potential spread of herbicide resistance to wild plants, many of which are considered to be "weeds."
If a wild relative of one domestic plant were to acquire herbicide resistance genes, it might become almost impossible to
control. This is a real threat in areas where economically important crops grow side by side with related weed species,
as in Mexico where a close relative of corn (teosinte) may be found growing near corn fields. Even our own domestic
crops could potentially become weeds. If crops were rotated in a particular field, herbicide resistant "stragglers" from
the first crop might be difficult to eliminate, and might eventually begin to overgrow the second crop planted in the
same area. Another point should be considered with respect to the development of herbicide resistant plants. Should we,
in fact, be creating varieties of plants that will encourage the increased use of toxic herbicides? This is an important
issue that should not be ignored.
There is also concern that some of the strategies being used to create virus-resistant plants might backfire. In certain
instances, plants have been rendered virus-resistant by cloning viral genes into the plant, which, when expressed,
interfere with some aspect of the viral replication process. It has been demonstrated that recombination can occasionally
occur between the transgenic RNA of the plant and the genomic RNA of an infecting virus. Some scientists fear that
this recombination could give rise to new and potentially dangerous plant viruses.
The safety of certain genetically engineered foods has also been questioned. One major concern is the potential for
causing allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Let's consider a specific case: one seed company was in the process
of developing a recombinant soybean producing high levels of the amino acid, methionine. Unfortunately, the
methionine-pro-
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ducing gene was derived from the Brazil nut, a food to which many individuals have serious, sometimes fatal, allergic
reactions. When individuals allergic to Brazil nuts ate the recombinant soybeans, many of them produced antibodies to
the soybeans. Since this suggested that there was a real risk of an allergic reaction to the high-methionine soybeans,
their commercial production was halted. Other insect-resistant transgenic plants produce substances acting as inhibitors
of insect digestive enzymes. Unfortunately some of these substances also inhibit certain human enzymes, and might
prove harmful if expressed in parts of the plant normally consumed by humans.
Genetic engineering is also having an impact upon our legal system, and we are seeing a number of lawyers specializing
in the area of biotechnology. One of the interesting legal questions already being considered is who, if anyone, should
have the right to patent a cloned human gene? Should it be the scientists who performed the actual cloning? They may
have cloned the gene, but they certainly didn't create the original genome from which it was obtained. What about the
individual from whom the gene was obtained? Or the university or corporation where the research was performed? Or
the agency that funded the research? Or the biotechnology company that markets the sequence for research or diagnostic
purposes? It might be argued by some that a person has no more right to patent a human gene sequence than he would
have to patent an oak tree found growing in the forest. What do you think?
Let us now turn our attention to the direct impact this genetic engineering revolution is likely to have on our lives and
our society.
Genetic Testing
The Human Genome Project is expected to reach completion around the year 2000. Once this has been accomplished,
we can expect to see an upsurge in the mapping, isolation, and cloning of large numbers of human genes. As we gain
the ability to detect the presence of these genes in asymptomatic carriers, in individuals whose symptoms have not yet
appeared, and in prenatal tests we, as a society, can expect to be faced with a number of complex decisions.
First of all, who should have access to the information derived from these genetic tests? Only the individual? His or her
spouse? Parents? Children? Siblings? What about his or her physician, employer, or insurance company? These are not
simple questions. One might argue that only the individual should be informed. Yet the person who inherited a gene
linked to a deadly genetic disorder shares her genes with other members of her family. Do they also have the right to
know that they may be the potential victims of a genetic defect? What if the individual prefers not to know whether he
has inherited a particular gene; does he have the right not to know the results of genetic tests, or to refuse to have
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them performed? What about employers or insurance companies? One might argue that they have a vested interest in
the health of their employees or insurees. On the other hand, we have already seen numerous instances of individuals
being denied employment or insurance because of medical conditions. Do we really want to expand this situation into
the realm of potential medical conditions?
Inheritance of a particular gene does not always insure that the gene will be expressed in detrimental ways. Since the
cloning of the cystic fibrosis gene, it has been discovered that not all individuals who inherit the CF alleles develop fullblown cystic fibrosis. Some individuals exhibit only mild, nondebilitating symptoms. Drug therapy, diet, exercise,
medical intervention, avoidance of environmental risksall of these can help to delay the onset or reduce the severity of
the symptoms of certain genetic disorders. Should a person be denied insurance coverage because he might someday
become ill? Should only the healthy have access to insurance? Will we see the development of a whole new class of
disadvantaged citizensthe genetically disadvantaged?
Should genetic testing be limited to those conditions for which treatment is currently available, or in which access to
test results would aid the individual in making informed decisions, such as the decision to have children? Some have
argued that it is cruel to inform an individual that he has inherited a genetic disorder for which there is no treatment or
cure, especially if its symptoms may not develop for another 20 or 30 years. On the other hand, doesn't the individual
have the right to that information? Genetic counselling will clearly become more and more important as growing
numbers of individuals are faced with such situations, and the number of genetic counselors in this country will need to
increase to meet this demand.
Gene Therapy
Once we have isolated a gene associated with a genetic defect, cloned it, and begun to understand its mode of action and
how it is regulated, the next logical step may be the development of gene therapy to treat its symptoms, or even cure it.
As was the case with other genetic engineering endeavors, we may expect that some in our society will be opposed to
"genetic meddling," and see it as a form of eugenics. Even if one is not opposed to gene therapy, it does raise a number
of ethical issues. What types of traits should be altered, and who should decide? Hypothetically, we might all agree that
cystic fibrosis is a disorder that should be treated, but what about nearsightedness, or premature baldness, or short
stature? Do we really know what is best for the future of our species? Another important issue is who will have access
to gene therapy. Will this be an option reserved for the wealthy? Will it be covered by our health insurance (if we are
even eligible for health insurance)?
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These issues will become even more complex when we consider the possibility of creating transgenic humans. Should
we correct genetic defects in embryos, or in the germ cells of an adult? Are we playing God? Once again, who will
decide which traits should be altered? In the end, one of the questions we will need to ask ourselves is whether we have
the right to alter the genetic future of those who will have no say in the matterthe generations to come. These are not
simple questions, and there will certainly be no simple answers. Nevertheless, we as members of a society must educate
ourselves so that we can contribute to the discussion of these issues and make informed decisions when the time comes.
Ultimately our future may lie in our own hands.
Summary
Molecular biology is having a profound effect upon life in our society. Recombinant DNA technology is being used in
research for a variety of purposes. It has been used to produce specific mutations within the genome of an organism, to
alter the genotypes of organisms, to create transgenic organisms capable of synthesizing molecules of medical or
economic importance, to supply DNA and RNA molecules for research purposes, and to map the genomes of both man
and research organisms. Techniques such as RFLP analysis and DNA fingerprinting, which were originally developed
in the research labs, are being employed in areas ranging from forensics to preservation of endangered species. Genetic
engineering has made it possible to produce important, and previously scarce, pharmaceutical products in the
laboratory. Genes encoding substances ranging from human insulin to tissue plasminogen activator have been cloned,
and recombinant vaccines are increasing in prominence.
Gene therapy is currently being tested as a treatment for several different types of genetic disorders, including severe
combined immune deficiency, hypercholesterolemia, and cystic fibrosis. A number of practical problems remain to be
resolved before gene therapy will be widely available.
Transgenic plants and animals may soon revolutionize agriculture. Plants have been engineered to exhibit resistance to
pathogens, insect pests, and herbicides. Properties such as post-harvest quality, resistance to environmental factors,
nutritional value, and palatability have all been improved, using the techniques of molecular biology. Animals, too, have
been genetically modified. Current efforts are being directed toward the production of animals that mature more rapidly,
utilize feed more efficiently, or produce leaner meat or more milk.
In industry, too, molecular biology is having an effect. Genetically altered organisms are being used to ferment novel
substances, clean up oil spills, and even convert waste into usable food.
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The rapid growth of our genetic engineering capabilities has raised a multitude of social and ethical issues, some of
which were considered in the final section of this chapter.
Drill Questions
1. The following questions refer to site-specific mutagenesis:
(a) What is meant by site-specific mutagenesis?
(b) What advantages does this technique offer in comparison to the traditional forms of mutagenesis described in
Chapter 10?
(c) Describe a procedure by which site-specific mutagenesis could be used to investigate the effect upon enzymatic
activity of replacing a specific cysteine residue in the enzyme with a methionine.
2. For this question, refer to Figure 16-2.
(a) What is an embryonic stem cell (ES), and what is the advantage of using such cells in the production of
transgenic mice?
(b) How does the insertion of the neor gene into the c-abl gene alter the expression of the c-abl gene? What effects
does this alteration have upon the phenotypic properties of the cells into which the modified gene is inserted?
(c) How is the researcher able to identify ES cells that have been successfully transformed with this modified c-abl
gene?
(d) What is meant by "homologous recombination"? Why is it important to utilize cells in which the c-abl gene has
undergone homologous recombination when attempting to produce transgenic animals?
(e) Describe an experimental procedure that could be used to determine whether a particular clone of transformed
ES cells had integrated the c-abl gene via homologous recombination.
3. (a) Describe some of the possible practical applications of the technology used to create transgenic animals.
(b) What are some of the potential disadvantages and problems associated with the use of such technology?
4. (a) What is gene therapy and how does it differ from supportive (= replacement) therapy?
(b) Why is it much more difficult to utilize gene therapy to treat a human genetic disorder than it is to produce a
transgenic animal in the laboratory?
5. (a) What are RFLPs and how did they arise?
(b) What are some of the advantages of using RFLPs to diagnose human genetic disorders? What are the
disadvantages?
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6. (a) What is a VNTR?

(b) Explain the difference between a microsatellite repeat and a mini-satellite repeat. Which of the two is more
useful in DNA fingerprinting? Why?
(c) Describe the general procedure used to produce a DNA fingerprint.
(d) What are some of the practical applications of DNA fingerprinting?
7. Suppose a researcher wished to clone the human growth hormone gene (hGH) and produce hGH in the laboratory.
(a) What technical problems might be encountered when cloning and expressing a gene such as the human growth
factor gene in a bacterial cell?
(b) Describe two alternative experimental approaches that might be used to circumvent such potential problems.
Problems
1. For problems 1 and 2, refer to Figure 16-2.
(a) Diagram the wild-type c-abl gene and show what this gene might look like relative to the wild-type gene, after
the insertion of the neor gene. Also, indicate a region of the wild-type gene which could be used as a hybridization
probe in the Southern blot screening procedure.
(b) Show possible homologous and nonhomologous recombination events that could lead to the production of G418resistant cells.
(c) Assuming that the restriction sites used for the Southern blot analysis flank the c-abl gene (are situated in the
chromosomal DNA upstream and downstream of the gene), show the chromosomal organization of transformed
strains (G418 resistant) for both homologous and nonhomologous recombination events. Indicate the approximate
positions of the restriction sites and the hybridizing and nonhybridizing fragments. (Please remember that this is a
diploid organism.)
2. What would be the outcome if the procedure used to create transgenic mice (as shown in Figure 16-2) were altered in
the following ways? (Consider each situation separately.)
(a) The ES cells did not possess a gene responsible for visible phenotypic trait (such as agouti coat color), which
differed from that of the cell in the recipient blastocyst.
(b) The inserted, "disrupting" gene (i.e., neor) did not insert into our gene of interest (c-abl).
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(c) Electroporation failed.

(d) The feeder layer allowed the ES cells to differentiate. (Hint: use the term "totipotent" in your answer.)
3. For this problem, refer to Figure 16-5.
(a) In 16-5(a), explain how you could determine which, if any, of the three suspects could be a prime suspect in this
rape case?
(b) Can you determine which of the three suspects is innocent, based upon the DNA fingerprints presented? Can you
state with absolute certainty which of the three suspects is guilty? Do you suppose it would be easier to prove guilt
or innocence in a court of law, based on DNA fingerprints?
(c) In 16-5(b), which of the two men (F1 or F2) is most likely to be the father of the child (C)? Please explain how
you arrived at your conclusion.
4. Consider the following hypothetical situation:
Normal German Shepherd dogs possess a thick coat of hair. The gene responsible for this normal coat (the H gene) is
cut by Eco RI into three restriction fragments: 0.4, 0.7, and 0.9 Kb in size, each of which is capable of hybridizing with
a radioactive probe produced from the cloned H gene. A dog breeder was shocked to discover that his newly acquired,
normal-haired male and female German Shepherds produced both hairless and normal-haired puppies when mated.
(About 25% of the puppies in the litter lacked hair.)
DNA was extracted from skin samples obtained from the hairless puppies, from their normal-haired littermates, and
from the parents of the puppies. The DNA samples were digested with Eco RI and Southern blotted, using the H gene as
a probe. It was found that the DNA samples obtained from the puppies produced three different patterns of bands:
(1) all (3) of hairless puppies: 0.9 and 1.1 Kb
(2) 3 of the normal-haired puppies: 0.4, 0.7, and 0.9 Kb
(3) 6 of the normal-haired puppies: 0.4, 0.7, 0.9, and 1.1 Kb.
(a) Draw a diagram of a restriction map of the normal H gene, showing all Eco RI cutting sites.
(b) Now draw a second restriction map that explains the occurrence of the hairless puppies. (It should be consistent
with the data presented above.)
(c) Draw a clearly labeled diagram of the Southern blots produced from the three different types of puppies (Lanes
13), and from the parents of these puppies (Lanes 4 and 5).
(d) How could this information be used to devise a screening test for normal-haired German Shepherds possessing
the undesirable hairless gene?
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1. Consider the issue of gene therapy in the treatment of human diseases and the potential of creating a world in which
diseases such as muscular dystrophy or hemophilia would be curable, and our elderly need not become senile. Given the
time and difficulty involved in identifying mutant genes that cause disease and replacing the mutant gene with a wildtype one in homologous fashion, is it worth the time and effort spent for the good of only a small group of people in
many cases? Who takes responsibility if a gene is integrated incorrectly during treatment?
2. One concern about recombinant DNA technology is the danger of creating recombinant oragnisms hazardous to the
environment, or to life on earth. Consider such dangers for yourself, versus the current and potential good for society.
Which side should prevail, and how great a threat do you think recombinant DNA technology is to life as we know it?
Imagine doing scientific research today without recombinant DNA technology. What types of findings would be
impossible to obtain? Consider also the legal applications of recombinant DNA technology such as using PCR- or
RFLP-mapping to confirm relatedness, or to identify criminals from a few cells left at the scene of a crime. What are the
potential benefits and dangers of using recombinant DNA technology in this manner?
3. The entire human genome is being sequenced. What types of information can be gained? With the potential for
identifying a great number of genes, how will their functions be determined? In your opinion, would it be better to use
the total sequencing approach, or more conventional gene isolation techniques to unravel the mysteries of the human
genome?
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Appendix
Chemical Principles Important for Understanding Molecular Biology
Judith A. Jaehning
Professor of Biologu,
University of Colorado,
Denver, Colorado
University of Washington,
Seattle
Graduate Degree:
Washington University, St. Louis
Ph.D. 1977, Biological Chemistry
Berkeley
19771978, Biochemistry
Stanford University, 19781980,
Biochemistry
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My laboratory studies RNA polymerases, the enzymes responsible for copying portions of DNA into RNA. We study
the structure of these complex, multisubunit proteins, and we analyze how they interact with DNA. We know that
additional regulatory proteins are required to "read" the DNA sequences and to tell the RNA polymerase where to start
and stop copying. We are also interested in the mechanisms that coordinate the expression of genes in the nucleus and in
the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells. We are studying nuclear and mitochondrial RNA polymerases to learn if these
enzymes are involved in communication between the organelles.
I decided to be a molecular biologist when I was about 14, after reading books from the library about viruses. The fact
that a single molecule of nucleic acid could reproduce itself was fascinating to me, and I wanted to understand this
process of self-propagation. I was fortunate to have excellent science teachers in high school, who encouraged my
interest in these areas and introduced me to the complexities of chemistry and biology.
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The complex structures and functions of the molecules described in this text are a consequence of the chemistry of their
component parts. To understand how these molecules function, we need to briefly review some of the fundamentals of
chemistry. In particular, we need to understand the unique features of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus,
and sulfur, which enable these elements to form the compounds essential for life. We will begin with an introduction to
atomic structure and chemical bonds.
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Structure of the Atom

Atoms are composed of a nucleus, which contains protons (positively charged particles) and neutrons (particles with no
charge), and electrons, which are negatively charged particles. The number of protons in the nucleus defines the atomic
number and specifies the identity of an element. For example, an atom with six protons has an atomic number of six and
has been given the name ''carbon." (Refer to a Periodic Table of the Elements.) The electrons are added to shells around
the nucleus.
Isotopes of the same element all have the same number of protons, but differ in the number of neutrons they contain. In
an uncharged atom, the number of electrons and protons is equal.
Chemical Bonds
When individual atoms form chemical bonds between one another, they create molecules. Chemical bonds are
important for the structure and properties of small molecules, such as water, and simple salts, acids, and bases; they are
equally important for the structure and properties of large molecules, such as DNA, and proteins (see Chapters 24).
Chemical bonds can be of several different kinds, which are described in the sections following.
Covalent Bonds
Covalent bonds are formed when electrons are shared between two atoms. The electrons occupy shells that optimally
contain the number of electrons shown in Figure A-1. Elements with completely filled outer shells do not readily form
bonds with other atoms. For example, helium with two electrons is unreactive. These elements are found in the far right
column of a Periodic Table of the Elements. In contrast, the elements found in biological compounds (hydrogen, carbon,
oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and
Figure A-1
Model of an atom showing electrons in shells around the nucleus.
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Figure A-2
Hydrogen atom and molecular hydrogen, H2.
phosphorus) are uniquely suited to share electrons in covalent bonds, thereby forming very stable structures. A simple
example of a covalent bond is shown in Figure A-2, where an atom of hydrogen (atomic number 1), with a single
electron occupying its outer shell, combines with another atom of hydrogen to form molecular hydrogen. The two
electrons are equally shared, giving each atomic nucleus a filled shell.
As shown in Figure A-1, the second shell can hold eight electrons. This means that oxygen (atomic number 8) has only
six electrons in its outermost shell and needs to attract two electrons to share to fill its outer shell. Molecular oxygen,
shown in Figure A-3, consists of two oxygen nuclei sharing two pairs or four electrons (dotted circle in Figure A-3).
This is known as a double bond. In this way, each oxygen gains two electrons and satisfies its need for a total of eight
electrons. Oxygen can also share electrons with many other types of atomic nuclei, as can be seen in the molecules
described throughout this text. When oxygen shares electrons to form covalent bonds with two hydrogen atoms, water is
formed, as shown in Figure A-4. These covalent bonds are very strong, and they have unique properties as described
further below.
In Table A-1, we see the atomic numbers and the number of electrons required for a filled outer shell for each of the
major elements found in biological molecules. The number of electrons needed to fill an atom's outermost shell reflects
the number of bonds in which that atom can engage. Therefore, all the elements listed in Table A-1 except hydrogen can
form multiple bonds such that large, complex molecules are possible. Furthermore, the smaller an atom is, the easier it
is to share electrons. Since the elements found in biological compounds all have relatively low atomic numbers, they
form very strong covalent bonds. The most common bonds are single bonds (in which only one pair of electrons is
shared), but double bonds (in which two pairs of electrons are shared) are also important for biological function.
Carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus can all form a variety of double bonds. Carbon and nitrogen are also found in
rare triple bonds (Figure A-5).
Figure A-3
Molecular oxygen, O2.
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Figure A-4
Water, H2O.
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TABLE A-1 ATOMIC CONFIGURATION OF BIOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT ATOMS

ELEMENT ATOMIC NUMBER ELECTRONS IN FULL SHELL NUMBER NEEDED TO COMPLETE
SHELL
H
10
10
10
15
18
16
18
Ionic Bonds
In some compounds, the electrons are not equally shared, but are effectively transferred from one atom to the other. The
result is two ionized species that associate due to their opposite charge. The salt that is formed from one atom of sodium and
one atom of chlorine is an example of an ionic bond. In sodium chloride, an electron from sodium (atomic number 11) is
transferred to chlorine (atomic number 17). The atomic nuclei in the resulting ionic compound each have a completely full
outer shell of electrons and opposite charges (Figure A-6). The strength of ionic bonds varies more widely than does the
strength of covalent bonds (Table A-2). In biological compounds, we will see many ionized species. In particular, oxygen,
nitrogen, and phosphorus are frequently involved in ionic bonds.
Polar Covalent Bonds
Many bonds in biological compounds are intermediate between covalent and ionic bonds. This means that the electrons are
neither equally shared
Figure A-5
Some examples of single, double, and triple bonds.
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Figure A-6
The ionic bond of sodium chloride, NaCl.
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Figure A-7
Geometry and partial charge distribution of water.
nor completely transferred between atomic nuclei. For example, the hydrogen and oxygen in a water molecule are actually joined by polar
covalent bonds; however, the shared electrons are held more tightly by the oxygen nucleus than by the smaller hydrogen nucleus. Since the
bonds holding the two hydrogens to the oxygen form a 105 angle, there is a charge polarity to the water molecule (Figure A-7). The oxygen side
of the molecule is more negatively charged than the hydrogen side, as indicated by the symbol, which stands for "partial."
Figure A-8
Partial positive and negative charges on carbon.
Bonds between hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus are often polar covalent bonds. Hydrogen and nitrogen frequently are
associated with a partial positive charge, while oxygen and phosphorus carry a partial negative charge. Carbon can carry either a partial
positive or a partial negative charge (Figure A-8). When only carbon and hydrogen are present in a compound, the bonds are not polar, since
carbon and hydrogen share electrons about equally. The four bonds formed by carbon show a tetrahedral symmetry (Figure A-9).
The existence of polar and nonpolar covalent bonds in biological compounds results in two additional classes of bonds that are very important for
the structure of macromolecules. These are the hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic bonds described in the next two sections.
TABLE A-2 STRENGTH OF VARIOUS TYPES OF CHEMICAL BONDS
TYPE OF BOND
FORCE REQUIRED TO BREAK (kcal/mole)
Covalent
50100
Ionic
80-1
Hydrogen
36
Hydrophobic
0.53
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Figure A-9
Tetrahedral carbon.
Hydrogen Bonds
When hydrogen is involved in a polar covalent bond with another atom, it carries a partial positive charge (Figure A-7).
This partial positive charge will attract and associate with molecules (or parts of molecules) with a partial negative
charge. For example, in water, the partially positively charged hydrogens will associate with the partially negatively
charged oxygens of adjacent molecules. These hydrogen bonds are much weaker than a true covalent bond (Table A-2),
but when present in large numbers,
they can contribute substantially to the stability of a mixture of molecules.
As shown in Figure A-10, liquid water is actually a highly ordered structure with each water molecule involved in
hydrogen bonds with three other molecules. This stable network gives water many of its unique properties, including its
high boiling point and low freezing point. In addition, the ability to form hydrogen bonds with a variety of polar
compounds makes water an extremely good solvent for most biological molecules.
Hydrogen bonds are also important for the structure of proteins and nucleic acids, as described in Chapters 3 and 4.
Hydrogen bonds can be formed intermolecularlythat is, holding atoms in different parts of one molecular together, and
intermolecularlyholding atoms in separate molecules together.
Figure
A-10 Hydrogen-bonded structure of water.
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Hydrophobic Bonds
Figure A-11
Phase separation of hydrophobic molecules and water.
Nonpolar bonds, such as those found in compounds made up only of carbon and hydrogen, also have unique properties.
These bonds are known as hydrophobic (literally "water-fearing"), because they do not readily associate with water.
Remember that the structure of water is stabilized by the formation of hydrogen bonds. Nonpolar compounds cannot
participate in hydrogen bond formation since there is no partial charge associated with their hydrogens. Mixing these
compounds with water disrupts existing hydrogen bonds, a situation that is energetically unfavorable. Nonpolar
compounds are therefore insoluble in water and tend to form separate phases or layers as shown in Figure A-11. In
complex molecules, we will see examples where part of a molecule is hydrophobic and part is polar or hydrophilic
(which means "water-loving"). The structure of the molecule is stabilized by the energetics of hiding the hydrophobic
("water-hating'') portions from water while exposing the hydrophilic portions for maximum interactions with water.
These interactions are important for the structures of proteins, nucleic acids, and the macromolecules that make up cell
membranes as described in Chapters 3 to 5.
Resonance Bonds
One final class of bonds is found in biological molecules. These are the resonance bonds, which are in between the
single and double covalent bonds described above. Resonance bonds were first described in synthetic molecules, such
as benzene (Figure A-12), where it was determined that electrons were actually shared between a network of atomic
nuclei. Resonance bonds are extremely stable and are found in many biological molecules, including the nucleotide
bases, which are the building blocks of nucleic acids, and some of the amino acids, which make up proteins. Although
many resonance-stabilized compounds are very hydrophobic (for example, benzene), sometimes resonance bonds are
involved in stabilizing the components of an ionic bond as shown in Figure A-13.
Figure
A-12 Resonance forms of benzene.
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Figure
A-13 Resonance forms of an ionic bond.
Key Concept
The Weak ForcesShape Concept

Weak chemical interactions such as H-bonds and hydrophobic clustering are responsible for the overall shape of
macromolecules.
The lonization of WaterThe pH Scale
Now we will review the interaction between water and the biologically important small molecules and macromolecules.
This interaction is critical to both the structure and function of virtually all the molecules in the living cell. Water is, of
course, the main component in a cell. All macromolecules reside in it, and all chemical reactions take place in it.
Water molecules ionize in the following way:
The polar covalent bonds between hydrogen and oxygen ionize forming hydroxyde ion (OH-) and hydronium ion (H3O
+). The hydronium ion may be treated simply as a hydrogen ion or proton (H+) making the dissociation reaction
The frequency of this dissociation is described by the following equation
where Keq is the equilibrium constant, and the terms in brackets are molar concentrations. The term, Keq[H2O], is a
constant such that in pure water
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where Kw is the dissociation constant or ion product of water. Thus, if the [H+] is known, the [OH-] can be calculated
by solving the equation
In pure water, [H+] = [OH-] = 1.0 10-7 = neutral pH. Using such
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molar concentrations to express the [H+], however, would be difficult.Imagine if shampoo and soap makers had to say
that their neutral products had a [H+] of 10-7M. Instead, they say that the product is "pH balanced." The pH scale was
devised to turn [H+] numbers into workable values. By definition
Therefore, neutral pH = 7, where [H+ = [OH-] = 1.0 10-7 = -log10[1.0 10-7]. A pH scale is shown below. Note that
it is a logarithmic scale such that the [H+] at pH 5 is 100 times greater than at pH 7; that is, a change of two pH units
causes a 102 = 100-fold change in [H+].
If a strong acid such as hydrochloric acid (HCl) is added to water, it will dissociate or ionize completely as follows
and the increase in [H+]causes the pH of the solution to drop (move to the left on the pH scale). If HC1 is added to a
final concentration of 0.1M (ignoring the very minor contribution of the 10-7M H+ of the water), then the pH = -log[101] = 1. Conversely, if a strong base such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is added to a final concentration of 0.1M, after
complete dissociation, the [OH-] = 0.1M or 10-1M. By solving the equation, [H+][OH-] = 1.0 1014 for [H+], we get
that [H+] = 1013, since (10-1)(10-13) = 1014, and the pH = log[10-13] = 13.
Most biological acids and bases are weak rather than strong, such as HC1 and NaOH; therefore, they do not dissociate
or ionize completely. An example is the carboxylic acid shown below.
The dissociation of this carboxylic acid is described by the equation
where A- represents the deprotonated acid (often referred to as the salt or conjugate base of HA), and HA represents the
protonated acid. Note the similarity between this equation and the earlier equation for the dissoci-
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ation of water. If we rearrange the terms and solve for [H+] we get
If we then take thelog of both sides of the equation, we get
This becomes
by realizing thatlog[H+] is the definition of pH, and by analogy,logKA become pKA. This is known as the HendersonHasselbach equation and permits us to calculate the pH of a solution if we know the ionization state of the constituents
(the ratio of acid and conjugate base), as shown in Figure A-14.
When the pH = pKA,
Therefore, the pKA of an acid or base is the pH at which the ratio of protonated and deprotonated forms is 1:1
(ionization is 50%), and is a constant for each acid or base. If we are dealing with a weak acid, then at a pH above its
pKA, most of the molecules will have lost their H+ and be negatively charged. At a pH below its pKA, most of the
molecules will retain their H+ and be neutral. If we have a weak base instead, then above its pKA, most of the
molecules will be deprotonated and hence neutral. Below its pKA, almost every molecule will be protonated and hence
carry a net positive charge as shown below.
Remember that these relationships are logarithmic such that at a pH one unit below the pKA, the ratio of [A-]: [HA]
will be 1:10, while at two pH units below the pKA, the ratio would be 1:100.
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Figure A-14
Titration curve of a weak acid.
Organic Chemistry
Now we turn our attention to a review of organic chemistry. Carbon is a special atom because it needs to share four
electrons to fill its outer shell. It is very versatile because it can form strong bonds with many other elements, in
particular, other carbon atoms, oxygen, hydrogen, phosphorus, nitrogen, and sulfur. Carbon is also versatile in that it
can form single, double, or triple bonds as shown below.
When four single bonds are formed, the shape of the molecule is a tetrahedron as shown in Figure A-9, but for
simplicity it is not always drawn as such. Several characteristic ways of drawing the tetrahedral methane molecule are
shown below.
Note that the Fisher Projection (on the left) ignores the three dimensional structure (it is merely assumed to be
tetrahedral), while the other two drawings simulate the tetrahedral arrangement. Lines are in the plane of the page. Solid
wedges project up out of the page, while dashed wedges project down into the page.
If there are four different substituents on one carbon atom, then this carbon is called a chiral center, and there are two
possible stereoisomers.
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Stereoisomers are mirror images of each other and are not superimposable, rather like your left and right hands (see
below).
Any carbon that has four different groups attached to it is asymmetric. All living systems choose one version for each
compound. Whereas ordinary chemical reactions cannot distinguish between Stereoisomers, biological enzymes usually
can act on only one stereoisomer, rather like a pair of gloves. One glove can fit the left hand, but not the right and vice
versa.
Next, we will discuss several classes of organic molecules that are important in molecular biology.
Alkanes
Alkanes are one class of hydrocarbons, molecules consisting only of carbon and hydrogen. In addition they have only
carboncarbon single bonds, and have the general formula CnH2n+2. A series of alkanes containing from one to four
carbons is shown in Figure A-15.
Methane, with one carbon, is the simplest alkane. For butane (four carbons) and all larger alkanes, structural isomers
exist. Structural isomers have the same chemical formula but differ in the exact set of chemical bonds they contain. The
different carbon chain lengths and different structural shapes give the various alkanes slightly different properties.
Alkanes are fully reduced (as opposed to oxidized) and are said to be saturated, meaning that they contain the maximum
number of hydrogens possible (only single bonds).
Many of the shorter alkanes are used as amino acid side chains. The longer forms of alkanes are a major component of
gasoline. These molecules, plus methane (natural gas) and propane, are very high-energy compounds that can be burned
or oxidized to produce CO2 and H2O (plus other by-products). Living cells obtain energy in a similar fashion. It is just
a controlled burning of reduced carbon compounds to produce CO2 and H2O. However, alkanes do not work as a food
source, since they are very hydrophobic and are therefore not water soluble. They are, in fact, toxic.
Alkenes
Another class of hydrocarbons are the alkenes, which, like alkanes, contain only carbon and hydrogen, but they differ
from alkanes in that they have
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Figure A-15
Alkanes containing one to four carbons.
one or more double bonds between carbon atoms. A series of alkenes is shown in Figure A-16.
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The double bonds in alkenes are somewhat strained and are, therefore, more reactive than single bonds. Alkenes are said
to be unsaturated, since they do not contain the maximum amount of hydrogen possible, and hydrogen or other atoms
can be added to the carbons of a double bond. These highly reactive bonds are used as the starting material for many
industrial polymers, including plastics, as well as for complex cellular
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Figure A-16
Some short chain alkenes.
compounds. For example, isoprene (Figure A-16) is the starting material for the synthesis of cholesterol and steroid
hormones.
The double bonds of alkenes also differ from the single bonds of alkanes in that the carbons on either side of the double
bond cannot rotate freely around the double bond, causing the molecule to be planar rather than tetrahedral (compare
ethane in Figure A-15 to ethylene in Figure A-16). Thus, in addition to the structural isomers that can form, geometric
isomers are possible when different substituents are bonded to the carbons in an alkene as shown below.
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Geometric isomers have the same set of chemical bonds (unlike structural isomers), but the groups are arranged
differently in space. In the cis isomer, the identical groups are on the same side of the double bond, whereas in the trans
isomer, they are on opposite sides.
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Alkynes
Alkynes are also hydrocarbons, but they contain one or more triple bonds between carbons. A simple alkyne, acetylene,
which is the basis for the oxyacetylene torch, is shown below.
Note that these molecules are linear around the carboncarbon triple bond. The triple bonds of alkynes are very strained
and, therefore, very reactive. Alkynes are even more unsaturated than alkenes. Carboncarbon triple bonds are rare in
biology.
Cycloalkanes and Cycloalkenes
So far, we have mentioned only straight chain molecules plus a few examples of branched structures. There are also
cyclic forms of alkanes and alkenes. Cycloalkanes still contain only single bonds, but they are now in a ring structure
with a general formula of ChH2n. Cyclopropane is the smallest cycloalkane possible, but it is unstable due to highly
strained bonds. Cyclohexane is stable. Note in the drawings below how the hydrogens and carbons may be omitted from
the drawing of the structure for simplicity. They are assumed to be there.
If a double bond is added, a cycloalkene is produced.
The alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, cycloalkanes, and cycloalkenes are all examples of aliphatic molecules, hydrocarbons
that may be part of an open-chain or cyclic configuration, may have a straight chain or branched structure, and may
contain single, double, or triple bonds.
Aromatic molecules are a special subclass of cycloalkenes that are not aliphatic. These molecules have the atoms
arranged in rings, and the double and single bonds alternate in a resonance pattern that gives these
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molecules a high degree of stability. Many aromatic molecules are based on the structural backbone of benzene (shown
below).
The actual structure of benzene (far right) is the instantaneous average of the two resonance structures shown at the left.
Several amino acids have aromatic side chains. We will also see further examples of resonance stabilization in the
sections that follow.
Key Concept
The "Carbon Utility" Concept

Carbon's special properties (forms strong bonds with other carbon atoms; can form long chains and stable rings; forms
single, double, and triple bonds) account for its widespread use in biological macromolecules.
So far, we have dealt only with carboncarbon and carbonhydrogen bonds. Now we will start adding other elements,
such as oxygen, sulfur, and nitrogen.
Alcohols
Alcohols are compounds of the general formula ROH, where R is a hydrocarbon chain in which one hydrogen has been
replaced with a hydroxy1 group (OH). Alcohols are polar, hydrophilic molecules due to the partial charges on the OH
group, as shown below.
Many alcohols are very soluble in water due to their ability to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules. A number of
small alcohols are shown in Figure A-17. Note that, as with hydrocarbons, structural isomers of alcohols exist.
However, since a functional group (the OH) is present, this leads to a distinction between primary, secondary, and
tertiary alcohols. A primary alcohol is one in which only one carbon chain (or only H in the case of methanol) is
attached to the carbon with the OH group, while secondary and tertiary alcohols have two and three carbon chains
attached, respectively (see Figure A-17). Thus, although propanol and isopropanol are structural isomers, one is a
primary alcohol, while the
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Figure A-17
Primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols.
other is a secondary alcohol. Also note that, since the water-solubility of alcohols is due to the OH group, as the
hydrocarbon chain size increases, they become less soluble in water. Like other organic molecules, many alcohols are
less dense than water.
The alcohols depicted in Figure A-17 are all examples of aliphatic alcohols. Below is an example of an aromatic
alcohol, phenol.
Many biological molecules are alcohols. Sugars, for example, are poly-alcohols. In fact, they are a special class of
polyalcohols called carbohydrates, which have the general formula (CH2O)n. Glycerol is a simple three-carbon sugar
and is shown below.
Notice that an -ol suffix following each of the compounds just discussed indicates that they are related to an alcohol.
Ethers
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Ethers are another class of oxygen-containing compounds with the general formula R-O-R', where R and R' are identical
or different hydrocarbon chains. Ethers may be thought of as the products of condensation reactions
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between two alcohols, specifically a dehydration reaction involving the loss of water as illustrated below.
Ethers are less polar than water or an alcohol, but more polar than an alkane due to the partial charges on the oxygen
and carbon, shown below for dimethy1 ether.
Ethers, in general, are not water soluble, but they are soluble in organic solvents and biological molecules, such as
membrane lipids. Ethers are volatile, highly flammable, and frequently have strong odors. Some, such as diethy1 ether
(shown below), act as anesthetics at low doses by altering nerve transmission. Higher doses are toxic.
Aldehydes and Ketones

Aldehydes and ketones are molecules that contain a carbon atom double bonded to an oxygen. This is called a carbony1
group. Aldehydes and ketones may be thought of as the products of the oxidation (or dehydrogenation) reactions of
primary and secondary alcohols, respectively.
Thus aldehydes have the general formula RCHO, where one R chain is attached to the carbonyl, while ketones have the
general formula RR'CO, where two R chains are attached to the carbonyl. As before, Ror R'
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refers to aliphatic or aromatic side chains. A commonly used aldehyde and a ketone are shown below.
Formaldehyde is used in biological laboratories as a fixative. Note that it has no carbon side chain, as it is derived from
methanol (CH3OH). Acetone is a laboratory solvent and also is used as nail-polish remover.
Aldehydes and ketones are somewhat polar, so they are somewhat water soluble. The extent of their solubility depends
on the rest of the molecule (as with alcohols). Aldehyde and ketone functional groups may be found in amino acids and
nucleotides, but are particularly evident in carbohydrates. An aldose or aldehyde containing sugar and a ketose or
ketone containing sugar are shown in Figure A-18. In solution, sugars can form ring structures in which the aldehyde or
ketone group is reduced to a hydroxyl (alcohol) and an ether linkage is formed. Due to the presence of the hydroxyl on
one of the carbons adjacent to the ether linkage, it is referred to as a hemiacetal (Figure A-18).
Carboxylic Acids
Carboxylic acids are compounds that contain both a carbonyl and hydroxyl (alcohol) group bonded to the same carbon
atom. They have the general structure shown below, where R, as usual, may be an aliphatic or aromatic side chain.
They may be thought of as the oxidized products of aldehydes, as shown further in the text.
For simplicity, the carbonyl functional group is often written as CO2H or COOH.
Carboxylic acids are very important biological compounds. Many of the foods we eat derive their taste and smell from
Carboxylic acids. Carboxylic acids also give many animals their characteristic odors. Amino acids
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Figure A-18
The sugars, glucose and fructose, in open and cyclic configurations.
are carboxylic acids. In addition, carboxylic acids are involved in energy production (intermediates in the Krebs cycle,
also referred to as the citricacid cycle or tricarboxylic-acid cycle) and in energy storage (fatty acids). Some examples are
given in Figure A-19.
Carboxylic acids tend to be water-soluble, weak acids. As such, they can donate hydrogen ions (protons). This
ionization is shown below.
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For simplicity carboxylate ions are usually written as only one of the resonance forms. The pKA values for this
ionization differ from one carboxylic acid to another but are in the range of 2 to 5.
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Figure A-19
Several carboxylic acids and their biological significance.
Esters
A final class of oxygen-containing compounds are esters, which are the product of a dehydration reaction between an
alcohol and a carboxylic acid, as shown below. Note that an ester contains a carbonyl group and an ether linkage.
Esters tend to be volatile and reactive. They frequently give various fruits and flowers their pleasant odors and flavors.
Figure A-20 shows several aliphatic and aromatic esters as well as the triglyceride sterin, containing three stearic-acid
molecules esterified to a glycerol backbone. If one of the fatty acids in a triglyceride is replaced with a phosphate
containing group, a phosphoester linkage is formed and a class of molecules called phospholipids is generated. They
comprise a major constituent of
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Figure A-20
Several esters and their biological significance
cellular membranes. Another example of the phosphoester is seen in the DNA backbone, where in fact, a
phosphodiester linkage occurs.
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Figure A-21
Thiols and a thioether with their character istic odors and biological uses.
Note that phosphoesters are acidic and tend to be ionized at neutral pH.
Thiols, Thioethers, and Disulfides
Thiols (or mercaptans), thioethers, and disulfides may be thought of as the sulfur analogs of alcohols, ethers, and
peroxides. They have the general formulas RSH, RSR', and RSSR', respectively. These sulfur-containing compounds
generally have very bad odors. Some thiols and a thioether are shown in Figure A-21.
Two thiols can react with one another to form a disulfide. This is a common occurrence in proteins where two cysteine
side chains react to form a disulfide bond as shown below.
These disulfide bonds, which can occur between different polypeptide chains or between different regions of the same
chain, are involved in the structure and stability of proteins. At high concentrations, -mercaptoethanol can reduce
(break) disulfide bonds and destroy a protein's structure.
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Figure A-22
Some simple primary, secondary, and tertiary amines.
Amines, Imines, and Amides
Several classes of compounds contain carbon bonded to nitrogen. Amines are derivatives of ammonia (NH3) in which
one or more hydrogen atoms are replaced with carbon chains. A series of amines is shown in Figure A-22. Note that the
amines may be primary, secondary, or tertiary, depending on whether one, two, or three of the ammonia hydrogens are
replaced with carbon chains.
In general, amines have fishy, ammonia-like odors. In contrast to carboxylic acids, which are weak acids, amines are
weak bases and can be protonated as shown below.
The pKA values of amines range from 8 to 12. Therefore, at neutral pH, amines are protonated.
An imine is the nitrogen analog of a carbonyl and has the general form shown below.
Imines can also be protonated much like amines. They are often found in ring structures of biological importance as
shown in Figure A-23.
Primary, secondary, or tertiary amides are a combination of a carbonyl group and a primary, secondary, or tertiary
amine and have the general structures shown below.
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Figure A-23 Some important biological compounds containing carbon-nitrogen bonds.

A number of biological compounds contain one or more of these carbon-nitrogen linkages. Several are shown in Figure
A-23.
Amino Acids
As we have seen, many molecules display more than one kind of functional group. One group of molecules that
demonstrates a number of the functional groups and concepts previously discussed is the set of twenty, naturally
occurring, amino acids. All amino acids have a carboxylic acid and amine group (both of which are ionizable) attached
to a central carbon atom called the -carbon. One hydrogen atom and a variable side chain (R) are also attached to the carbon. With the exception of glycine, in which R is a hydrogen, there are four different groups attached to the carbon, so it is a chiral center. Thus all the amino acids except glycine have a specific stereochemistry. The side chain
groups include aliphatic or aromatic carbon chains, primary or secondary alcohols, carboxylic acids, primary and
secondary amines, primary amides, thiols, and thioethers.
Since amine and carboxylic acid groups have rather different pKA values, amino acids have different charged states at
different pH values. These charge states as well as the L-isomer configuration of amino acids
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Figure A-24
A typical amino acid at acidic, neutral, and basic pH.
are shown in Figure A-24. The pKA values for the -carboxyl and -amine are about 2 and 9, respectively, differing only
slightly from one amino acid to another. Keep in mind that some of the amino acids have ionizable carboxylic acid or amine
side chains that have pKA values of about 3.9 to 4.2 and 10.5 to 12.5, respectively. Table A-3 illustrates the ionization of the
side chains of several of these amino acids at various pH values.
Note that at neutral pH, most amino acids are zwitterionic, from the German meaning both positive and negative charge in a
molecule with a net charge of 0. All amino acids are amphoteric, from the Greek meaning both acid and base. However, in
proteins, the -amine and -carboxyl are involved in peptide bonds linking one amino acid to the next and can no longer be
ionized. Only the terminal carboxyl and amine groups as well as the side chain carboxyls and amines can be ionized and lead
to the net charge of the protein. The structures of all twenty naturally occurring amino acids may be found in Chapter 2.
Key concept
The ''surface Interaction" Concept

Interactions between surfaces, facilitated by a variety of complementary weak forces, permit macromolecules to serve as
templates for ordering and/or synthesizing other cellular components.
TABLE A-3 EXAMPLES OF IONIZATION OF SIDE CHAINS OF AMINO ACIDS AT VARIOUS pH VALUES
LOW pH
(e.g.,2.0)
PHYSIOLOGICAL pH
(e.g., 7.0)
HIGH pH
(e.g., 12.0)
lysine's side chain amino group
+ charge
+ charge
no charge
aspartic acid's side chain carboxyl group
no charge
- charge
- charge
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Concluding Note
The chemistry of the complex macromolecules found in biological compounds is a simple extension of the rules
described in this appendix. They contain a variety of the functional groups discussed previously. Remember that the
types of bonds formed (covalent, polar covalent, ionic, hydrophobic, or hydrogen bonding) will determine how a
molecule interacts with water and with other macromolecules. Also, many of the reactions we have seen (dehydration,
dehydrogenation, reduction, oxidation, esterification, and the like) are common reactions during biochemical synthesis
and degradation.
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LIST OF ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS

Part I: The Structure of Proteins, Nucleic Acids, and Macromolecular Complexes
Chapter 2, Macromolecules
The "Bipolymer" concept: Polymers of small molecules such as amino acids (proteins) or nucleotides (nucleic acids) are
extraordinarily versatile, and hence have evolved in complexity to generate the diverse functional repertoires of living
cells. (p. 28)
Chapter 3, Nucleic Acids
The "Evolution of Structure" concept: Natural selection has favored the evolution of double-stranded DNA, for with its
tight helical structure and ease of unwinding the bases are protected, but also available for replication. (p. 42)
The "RNA Enzyme" concept: Although most enzymes are proteins, some RNAs are catalytically active. (p. 58)
Chapter 4, The Physical Structure of Protein Molecules
The "Primary Sequence" concept: The primary sequence of building blocks (amino acids in proteins and nucleotides in
nucleic acids) dictates the folding pattern and final shape, and, therefore, activity, of a macromolecule. (p. 70)
The "Shape/Size" concept: The specific function that a macromolecule is best suited to perform is largely dictated by its
size, shape, and charge. Those parameters set distinct limits on the number and types of interactions and relationships in
which macromolecules can participate. (p. 76)
The "Shapes and Surfaces" concept: Subtle features of the shape and surface characteristics of a macromolecule allow it
to interact with complementary surfaces on a neighboring macromolecule. (p. 79)
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The "Enzyme Catalysis" concept: Enzymes lower the activation energies of the chemical group that participate in a
reaction, and thereby speed up the reaction. (p. 80)
Chapter 5, Macromolecular Interactions and the Structure of Complex Aggregates
The "Macromolecular Complex" concept: By acting in concert, the functional capacity and repertoires of proteins and
nucleic acids are enhanced. (p. 99)
The "Connectedness" concept: The cell's need for connectivity and communication to the outside is achieved through
the action of various membrane proteins. (p. 102)
Part II: Function of Macromolecules
Chapter 6, The Genetic Material
The "DNA-Genetic Material" concept: Double-stranded DNA has evolved as the genetic material because it is
especially well-suited for replication, repair, change, and long-term stability. (p. 124)
The "Gene" concept: Genes contain all the information for the synthesis and functioning of cellular components. (p. 128)
Chapter 7, DNA Replication
The "Evolution of DNA Replication" concept: Due to the antiparallel nature of DNA strands, as well as the need for
rapid replication and timely error correction, the discontinuous DNA replication mode has evolved. (p. 152)
Chapter 8, Transcription
The "Upstream/Downstream" concept: Transcription starts upstream of a gene's protein coding region and ends
downstream, beyond the coding sequence. Thus, information for regulating gene expression resides outside (upstream/
downstream) the protein coding region. (p. 171)
The "RNA Processing" concept: Eukaryotic mRNAs are extensively processed (edited) prior to functioning as template
for protein synthesis. (p. 180)
Chapter 9, Translation
The "Universal Genetic Code" concept: The triplet code is universal (i.e., the same code is used by all organisms). It
also has redundancies (i.e., multiple codons exist from most amino acids). (p. 191)
The "Prokaryotic Simplicity" concept: RNA synthesis and protein synthesis are coupled in prokaryotes, separate (due to
the nuclear membrane) in eukaryotes. 206)
The "Antibiotic Action" concept: The mechanism of action of most antibiotics is understood in terms of the antibiotic
interfering with a specific step in protein synthesis, or a step in the synthesis of the cell wall, or other indispensable
component of the bacterial cell. (p. 208)
Chapter 10, Mutations, Mutagenesis, and DNA Repair
The "Mutation Variation" concept: Mutations, which represent changes in the nucleotide sequence of genes, generate
the wide-ranging diversity that characterizes the biological kingdom. (p. 229)
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The "DNA Repair" concept: Despite the inherent chemical stability of dsDNA, from time to time it sustains damage,
and hence its continual repair is necessary for cells to function properly. (p. 243)
Part III: Coordination of Macromolecular Function in cells
Chapter 11, Regulation of Gene Activity in Prokaryotes
The "Regulation" concept: A multitude of regulatory mechanisms function in cells to insure that the supply of various
macromolecules matches up with the cell's everchanging needs. (p. 253)
The "Protein Levels" concept: The net amount of a protein in a cell represents a balance between the rate it is produced
and the rate at which it is degraded or exported from the cell. (p. 273)
Chapter 12, Bacteriophage
The "Simple Genome" concept:Viral genomes are extraordinarily simple, in part because viruses borrow functions from
their host cells. (p. 286)
The "Levels of Sophistication" concept: Prokaryotes such as viruses and bacteria, under heavy natural selection
pressure, have evolved more streamlined mechanisms for regulating gene expression than higher organisms (e.g.,
humans). (p. 307)
Chapter 13, Regulation of Gene Activity in Eukaryotes
The "Combinatorial Action" concept: The expression of eukaryotic genes is regulated by macromolecular complexes
consisting of a variety of proteins that combine with each other and bind to specific nucleotide sequences (e.g.,
promoters and enhancers). (p. 320)
The "Mix and Match" Transcript concept: Many eukaryotic primary transcripts are "cut and shut" or "cut and pasted" to
generate different mRNAs from a single long primary transcript. RNA editing can further change a reading frame. (p.
329)
The "mRNA Half-life" concept: The contribution an mRNA makes to cellular function is determined in large part by
how quickly it is degraded. (p. 334)
The "Instability Flexibility" concept: The inherent instability of most macromolecules (e.g., proteins and RNAs)
insures that living cells are in a constant state of flux, and therefore amenable to rapid change. (p. 338)
Part IV: Experimental Manipulation of Macromolecules
Chapter 14, Plasmids and Transposons
The "Changing Genome" concept: The sequence or arrangement of nucleotides in genes is constantly evolving, either
by random mutation, by occasional recombination events, or from the action of transposable elements. (p. 375)
Chapter 15, Recombinant DNA and Genetic Engineering: Molecular Tailoring of Genes
The "Recombinant DNA" concept: DNA is DNA, regardless of the organism from which it is isolated. Hence, genes
from diverse species can be recombined to construct novel genes, or, in certain instances, even new organisms. (p. 403)
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Appendix
The Weak Forces Shape concept: Weak chemical interactions such as H-bonds and hydrophobic clustering are
responsible for the overall shape of macromolecules (p. 450)
The "Carbon Utility" concept: Carbon's special properties (forms strong bonds with other carbon atoms; can form long
chains and stable rings; forms single, double, and triple bonds) account for its widespread use in biological
macromolecules. (p. 458)
The "Surface Interaction" concept: Interactions between surfaces, facilitated by a variety of complementary weak
forces, permit macromolecules to serve as templates for ordering and/or synthesizing other cellular components. (p. 468)
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GLOSSARY
A
A helix - double stranded DNA configuration featuring right-handed twisting and characteristic tilting of the helical axis.
Activator - protein that acts to increase frequency of transcription of an operon.
Active site - region of an enzyme to which the substrate binds.
Adenine (A) - purine base that pairs with thymine (T) in DNA.
Agar - gelatinous substance prepared from refined seaweed extract providing a smooth, inert surface useful for growth
of bacteria (when supplemented with nutrients).
AIDS - acquired immune deficiency syndrome (caused by virus).
Allele-specific oligonucleotides (ASO) - nucleotide polymers that are designed to be highly specific and are therefore
capable of distinguishing, with hybridization procedures, between genes differing in only a single nucleotide.
Allosteric interaction - protein's functional activity is regulated by interaction of one part of protein with another
molecule.
Alpha helix - right-handed twist structure common to double-stranded DNA and portions of many proteins.
Alkylating agent - mutagenic compound which adds a methyl or ethyl group to a base (e.g., guanine).
Alpha complementation - technique for recognizing bacterial colonies containing a hybrid plasmid (-galactosidase
enzyme is made functional and can be tested for).
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Alternative splicing - removal of introns and/or exons from a primary mRNA transcript in multiple patterns, generating
more than one type of mRNA for translation.
Ames test - method for recognizing potential carcinogens, which uses the ability of test substances to generate
mutations in bacteria as an indicator for potential carcinogen.
Aminoacyl (A) site - binding site on larger ribosomal subunit serving as a docking site for incoming charged tRNA
during protein synthesis.
Amino acid - small molecule building block of protein.
Amino terminus - the end of a protein molecule displaying an amino group (also called "N-terminus").
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases - enzymes that covalently link amino acids to the 2' or 3' OH position of tRNA.
Annealing (of DNA) - reassociation to form a hybrid molecule of two complementary single-stranded DNA molecules.
Antibiotic - substance having the ability to inhibit the growth of bacteria, usually by interfering with specific metabolic
process.
Antibody - protein (immunoglobulin) that recognizes a specific antigen.
Anticodon - three-base sequence in a tRNA that base-pairs with a specific triplet codon in mRNA.
Antigen - molecule that provokes synthesis of an antibody (immunoglobulin).
Antiparallel - opposite polarities of two strands of a DNA double helixone strand is 5'-3' top to bottom and the other
strand is 3'-5'.
Antisense mRNA - complementary copy of coding strand of bonafide mRNA, which usually will hybridize with the
cognate mRNA.
Antiterminator - proteins associated with bacteriophage reproduction allowing RNA polymerase to transcribe beyond
normal transcription termination sites.
Attenuation - regulatory mechanism for controlling frequency of transcription of a gene, which employs a nucleotide
sequence that leads to premature transcription.
Autoradiography - method for detecting radioactively labeled molecules by the image they produce on photographic
film.
Autoregulation - regulation system for gene expression in which the gene product serves to bind to the promoter region
and, depending upon the specific gene, either enhance or diminish transcription.
Auxotroph - organism that requires one or more growth supplements in the culture medium.
B
Bacteria - tiny, free-living microorganisms characterized by lack of nuclear membrane.
Bacteriophage - virus that infects and reproduces in bacteria (often denoted as "phage").
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Base-pair - pair of bases (either A-T or G-C) that are opposite one another in a double-stranded DNA molecule.
Base analog - chemically similar to one of the naturally occurring bases (A,T,G,C,U, etc.) except that one or more
atoms are substituted or modified.
Base-stacking - arrangement of nucleotide bases in a relatively rigid, strung out fashion, due to hydrophobic interactions
between ring structures of bases (see also "stacking of bases").
-galactosidase - enzyme that hydrolyzes lactose into glucose and galactose.
Beta structure - extended region of a protein characterized by rigidity due to hydrogen bonds between adjacent
polypeptides.
Bidirectional replication - DNA replication process that involves two replication forks that move in opposite directions.
B lymphocytes (or B cells) - cells in which antibodies are synthesized.
bp - abbreviation for base-pair.
C
cAMP - nucleotide that is similar to adenosine monophosphate except that its phosphate group is bonded back onto the
sugar.
Cap - a G nucleotide (sometimes methylated) that is added to the 5' end of eukaryotic mRNA after transcription.
CAP - regulatory protein that is activated by cyclic AMP and is involved in transcription of the lac operon of E. coli.
Capsid - protein coat of virus.
Carboxyl terminus - end of a polypeptide that contains a free carboxyl group.
Carcinogen - agent (e.g., chemical or ultraviolet light) causing cells to express oncogenes (which leads to formation of a
tumor or spreading cancer).
Catabolite repression - reduced expression of bacterial genes, which results from growth of excess glucose.
cDNA - single-stranded DNA with a nucleotide sequence, which is complementary to an RNA.
cDNA clone - double-stranded DNA sequence that is complementary to a specific RNA and inserted in a cloning vector
such as a plasmid.
cDNA library - collection of cDNAs in a cloning vector, to be used for selecting clones containing specific sets of
coding sequences.
Charging - enzymatic attachment of an amino acid to its appropriate tRNA.
Chromatin - macromolecular complex of DNA, protein, and RNA, which comprises chromosomes of eukaryotic cells.
Chromosome walk - method for sequentially isolating overlapping segments of DNA so that very large genes can be
studied.
Cistron - region of DNA comprising coding sequence for one protein.
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Clone - large number of either molecules (e.g., DNA) or cells (e.g., E. coli) derived from a single progenitor.
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Clonal selection - biological process that sorts through antibody-producing cells and induces those combining with the
challenging antigen to reproduce and thereby increase production of specific antibody.
Cloning vector - plasmid or phage into which a foreign DNA is inserted for replication.
Coding strand - DNA strand that is transcribed into mRNA.
Codon - triplet of nucleotides that codes for a specific amino acid or translation start-stop signal.
Cohesive ends - compatible (complementary) ends of double-stranded DNA generated by the action of restriction
enzymes.
Cointegrate - intermediate in replicative transposition consisting of both donor and target molecules covalently linked as
a large circular dsDNA molecule.
Colony hybridization - method for detecting bacteria that carry a vector with a desired inserted sequence.
Compatible ends - cohesive ends generated by the action of restriction enzymes on dsDNA.
Complementary DNA - cDNA.
Concatamer - series of repeats of a single nucleotide (DNA) sequence.
Conditional lethal mutation - kills the cell that harbors it, but only under certain (nonpermissive) conditions, such as
elevated temperature.
Conjugation - "mating" between two bacteria, involving movement of genetic material from an F+ to an F- cell.
Consensus sequence - composite nucleotide sequence commonly believed to serve the same function in different genes
(e.g., promoter sequences).
Constituitively expressed - gene that is expressed under all circumstances regardless of the presence of inducing
substance.
Corepressor - small molecule combining with protein repressor to activate that protein for binding to an operon.
Core enzyme - portion of a larger enzyme complex containing catalytic activity, but which lacks regulatory subunits
usually associated with "holoenzyme."
Core particle - enzyme digestion product of nucleosome that contains a histone octamer and approximately 150 bp of
DNA.
Covalent extension (DNA replication) - process of DNA replication that initiates with leading-strand synthesis
extending from a preexisting 3'OH rather than from a newly synthesized RNA primer.
CpG island - sequences in eukaryotic DNA that are rich in CG bases, and usually exhibit promoter and/or enhancer
activity.
Cruciform - loop-like structure formed when inverted complementary repeat nucleotide sequences within the same
strand of double-stranded DNA match up.
Cytoplasm - collection of cell components that exist within the cell, but does not include nucleus.
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Cytoskeleton - fibrous network of structural proteins found in eukaryotic cell cytoplasm.

Cytosine (C) - pyrimidine base that pairs with guanosine in DNA.
D
D loop - opening in double-stranded DNA formed when RNA primer for DNA synthesis is inserted into dsDNA.
Deletion - removal of gene region from chromosome.
Deamination - loss of an amino group, usually by cytosine, causing a C-to-U conversion at that site.
Denaturation - for DNA or RNA, describes separation of a double-stranded molecule to a single-stranded state, usually
by heating; for protein, describes change in physical shape, which usually renders it inactive.
Deoxyribose - five-carbon sugar found in DNA.
Diploid - the normal number of chromosomes (two copies of each2N) in virtually all eukaryotes.
Direct repeats - multiple identical (or closely related) nucleotide sequences in the same orientation in a DNA molecule.
Directional cloning - use of recombinant DNA vectors that permit the inserted (foreign) DNA to fit into the cloning site
in only one direction (vs. ''bidirectional" cloning).
Discontinuous replication - synthesis of DNA in many short (Okazaki) fragments that are later joined to form a single,
continuous strand.
Disulfide bond - covalent bond formed when two -SH groups in a protein(s) are oxidized, linking the two polypeptide
regions together.
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) - polynucleotide that contains deoxyribose sugar.
DNAase - enzyme that cleaves phosphodiester bonds in DNA to break the molecule into pieces.
DNA fingerprint - individual gel pattern of DNA fragments produced when person's DNA is cut with restriction
enzymes and sized on gel electrophoresis.
DNA ligase - enzyme that joins two double-stranded DNAs together, end to end.
DNA polymerase - enzyme that polymerizes nucleotides into double-stranded DNA using single-stranded DNA as a
template.
Double-stranded helix - three-dimensional shape exhibited by two complementary base-paired DNA strands.
Downstream - direction away from transcription start site in DNA and towards the last section of the coding region to
be transcribed.
E
Editing - a system of enzymes that monitors each nucleotide to ensure that it is correctly base-paired during DNA
replication.
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Electrophoresis - separation technique that involves placing charged macro-molecules in a voltage field and permitting
them to migrate according to their individual net charges.
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Electroporation - permeabilization of cells by electric shock for the purpose of inserting a foreign gene.
Elongation factors - regulatory proteins that associate with ribosomes to pro mote either the tRNA binding or the
translocation step in the elongation phase of translation.
Endonuclease - enzyme that cleaves phosphodiester bonds within a nucleic acid.
Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) - folded membrane sheets to which polysomes (sites of protein synthesis) are anchored.
Enhancer - nucleotide sequence that increases the utilization of eukaryotic promoters; it can function in either an
upstream or downstream location relative to the promoter.
ES complex - combination of an enzyme with its substrate, which results in catalysis of a chemical reaction to the
substrate by the enzyme.
ES cells - embryonic (stem) cells found in early mammalian embryos, which are capable, when transplanted into a host
embryo, of differentiating into all types of tissues and organs.
Escherichia coli (E. coli) - intestinal bacterium widely used because it can be conveniently cultured for prokaryotic
genetics studies.
Excision-repair - an enzyme system that removes a short, single-stranded sequence of double-stranded DNA, containing
mispaired or damaged bases, and replaces it by synthesizing a sequence complementary to the remaining strand.
Exon - nucleotide sequence of a eukaryotic gene that is represented in the mRNA.
Exonuclease - enzyme that cleaves nucleotides one at a time off the end of a DNA or RNA molecule.
F
F' - plasmid that has bacterial (host) genes incorporated into its genome.
F factor - bacterial plasmid that functions to generate sex or fertility characteristics.
F plasmid - fertility plasmid in E. coli, which permits a donor bacterial cell to conjugate (mate) with a recipient bacterial
cell.
F1 generation - progeny of a cross between two parental types that differ in one or more genes.
Feedback inhibition - regulation mechanism for controlling activity of enzymes in a metabolic pathwayone of the
metabolites inhibits one of the enzymes, which normally leads to its production (allosteric inhibition).
Filter hybridization - method for nucleic acid hybridization performed by soaking a denatured DNA preparation,
immobilized on a nitrocellulose filter, in a solution of radioactively labeled RNA or DNA.
Fingerprint (DNA) - specific pattern of fragments of DNA on gel electrophoresis, generated by first treating DNA
sample with endonucleases.
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Fluid mosaic model - conceptualization of biological membranes in a manner that portrays some proteins within the
membrane as moving laterally.
Frameshift mutation - insertion or deletion of either one or two bases in the coding region of a gene, which results in an
altered downstream amino acid sequence.
G
Gene - basic unit of heredity consisting of the nucleotide sequences of DNA involved in synthesis of a protein.
Gene family - set of very similar genes derived by duplication of an ancestral gene and subsequent minor alteration in
each gene in the family.
Gene therapy - introduction of a foreign gene into embryos or cells in an attempt to correct a genetic disease.
Genetic code - set of 64 codons (triplets) in DNA and the amino acids they represent.
Genetic engineering - use of recombinant DNA methods to insert foreign and/or manipulated genes into a host genome.
Genetic marker - mutant gene that is useful in genetic mapping studies for locating sites of other genes.
Genome - complete set of genetic information in a specific organism.
Genomic library - collection of cloning vectors (plasmids or phages) which contains fragments of chromosomal DNA.
Genotype - genetic constitution of an individual organism.
Guanine (G) - purine base that pairs with cytosine in DNA.
Gyrase - topoisomerase (enzyme) that can introduce negative supercoils into DNA.
H
Haploid - chromosome number in the gametes of a species, symbolized by "N."
Helicase - enzyme that unwinds DNA double helix during DNA replication at the replication fork.
Heterochromatin - regions of chromosomes of eukaryotes which are highly condensed and not expressed.
Heteroduplexing - formation of double-stranded DNA by annealing two single-stranded DNAs differing in nucleotide
sequence in one or more regions.
Heterogeneous nuclear (hn) RNA - transcripts of varying size synthesized by RNA polymerase II.
Heterozygote - diploid genotype with different alleles for a specific gene.
Hfr - strain of E. coli that exhibits an unusually high frequency of recombinations.
Histones - class of approximately five small, basic DNA binding proteins of eukaryotes that together with DNA and
RNA comprise chromatin.
HIV - human immune-deficiency virus that causes AIDS.
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Holoenzyme - complete enzyme complex, including catalytic subunits as well as regulatory subunits.
Homeobox - nucleotide sequence, found in many genes, that codes for a polypeptide with DNA-binding properties.
Hotspot - region in DNA where mutations occur at exceptionally high frequency.
Human Genome Project - international program designed to obtain the complete nucleotide sequence of each-and-every
base in the human genome.
Hybridization - formation of a double-stranded nucleic acid molecule from complementary single-stranded molecules.
Hydrophilic - describes molecules (e.g., some amino acids) that prefer to be in contact with water.
Hydrophobic - describes molecules that prefer to avoid direct contact with water (e.g., many lipids).
Hydroxylmethylcytosine (HMC) - cytosine base which contains a CH2OH in place of a usual hydrogen. Found in the
DNA of certain bacteriophages.
Hyperchromic - describes solution of macromolecule (e.g., DNA) which exhibits (relatively) increased absorbance of
ultraviolet light (e.g., when denatured).
I
Immunity - for bacteriophages, the state that exists for the bacterial host when it contains a lysogenic phage and is
thereby immune from further infection by phage of the same type as its lysogenic virus.
Immunoglobulin - a large antibody molecule consisting of four protein subunits.
Inducer - Small molecule (e.g., galactose) that causes the operon to be expressed.
Induction - expression of specific genes in response to the presence of substrates for the proteins (enzymes), coded by
the induced genes. In the life cycle of a phage, this term means the initiation of the viral replication cycle.
Initiation factors - regulatory proteins that associate with the small subunit of the ribosome to facilitate initiation of
translation of the mRNA.
Inosine (I) - nucleotide containing the base hypoxanthine, which base-pairs with cytosine (C).
Insertion - placement of additional nucleotide pairs in a specific site in DNA.
Insertion sequence (IS) - DNA sequence in bacteria capable of relocating itself to a new location in the genome, using
transposase encoded in its nucleotide sequence.
Insertional inactivation - cloning procedure involving insertion of foreign DNA into a plasmid at a site which disrupts (i.
e., inactivates) the activity of an indicator gene (such as the -galactosidase gene).
Intercalating agent - chemical that is approximately the same size as a normal DNA base-pair and, when inserted into
DNA between normal bases, can disrupt DNA replication and cause a mutation.
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Intergenic suppression - canceling of the effects of an initial mutation by a second mutation in the same gene.
Intervening sequence - intron.
Intragenic suppression - canceling of the effects of an initial mutation by a second mutation in a different gene.
Intron - nucleotide sequence in a gene that is transcribed, but eventually removed from the mRNA by specific splicing
enzymes.
Inverted repeats - symmetrical nucleotide sequence of DNA that is repeated in opposite orientations on same molecule.
Isopropylthiogalactoside - structural analog of lactose, which can induce expression of thelac operon without itself
being metabolized.
Isozymes - multiple forms of enzymes that differ from one another in either catalytic or physical properties.
J
Joining region (J) - short segment of an antibody gene that is joined to a larger segment to constitute a complete variable
region of an immunoglobulin gene.
K
kb - an abbreviation for 1,000 nucleotide base-pairs of DNA or RNA.
Knockout mice - mice which have received a copy of a mutated foreign gene that inactivates the host's copies of the
normal version of that inserted gene.
L
Lac operon - collection of genes in some bacteria that produce enzymes for metabolizing the milk sugar lactose.
Lactose permease - protein product of the lac operon that transports lactose into the bacterial cell.
Lagging strand (DNA) - replication of DNA employing short segments (Okazaki fragments).
Leader (sequence) - nontranslated sequence of mRNA, upstream of the initiation codon.
Leading strand (DNA) - replication of DNA as a continuous strand.
Library - collection of cloned fragments in a vector (plasmid or phage); usually "cDNA" or "genomic."
Ligation - enzymatically catalyzed formation of a phosphodiester bond that links two DNA molecules.
Linker (DNA) - DNA contained in a nucleosome that is not directly complexed with histones.
Lipid bilayer - model for cell membranes in which hydrophobic portions of two layers of lipid molecules face inward
and hydrophilic portions face outward.
Long-terminal repeat (LTR) - nucleotide sequence that is repeated at the end of a DNA molecule.
Looping (of DNA) - double-stranded DNA bends back on itself, usually when in contact with proteins.
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Lysis - the last step in the bacteriophage life cycle, which involves bursting of the bacterial cell membrane and release
of multiple phage progeny.
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Lysogenic - describes bacteriophage existing permanently in bacterium in the form of a "prophage" that is integrated
into bacterial genome.
Lysozyme - enzyme that degrades bacterial cell wall during the lysis phase of the phage reproduction cycle.
Lytic - describes bacteriophage capable of undergoing typical reproductive life cycle.
M
Major groove - area of open space present in turns of the alpha-helix in the common staircase model of double-stranded
DNA.
Melting temperature (Tm) - midpoint of heat denaturation curve for double-stranded DNA.
Membrane bilayer - for eukaryotic cell, a lipid bilayer that contains various proteins and surrounds the cytoplasm.
Messenger RNA (mRNA) - single-stranded template RNA that contains information for amino acid sequence of the
protein.
Methylation - addition of methyl group by an enzyme to a preexisting base (usually cytosine).
Minimal medium - nutrient recipe for culturing cells, which contains fewest possible components required for growth,
and thereby lacks supplements such as amino acids, vitamins, and the like.
Minor groove - area in double-stranded DNA between the antiparallel sugar-phosphate backbones, which includes the
hydrogen-bonded nucleotide bases.
Mismatch repair - enzyme-mediated repair system for replacing bases in DNA which are incorrectly paired.
Missense mutation - change in DNA nucleotide sequence that leads to substitution of one amino acid for another in the
protein.
Monocistronic - sequence of DNA that codes for a single protein.
Molecular biology - study of structure and function of the proteins, nucleic acids, other polymers, as well as related
components, which comprise the working apparatuses of living cells.
Mutagen - an agent that causes changes in the nucleotide sequence of DNA.
Mutagenesis - process of producing nucleotide sequence changes, which are subsequently inherited (mutant).
Mutant - organism that carries a modified inherited gene.
Mutation - change in the nucleotide sequence of DNA that is inherited.
Mutator gene - gene (in bacteria) that, when mutated, leads to higher-than-usual number of mutations occurring.
N
Negative regulation - process resulting in the transcription of a specific gene or operon normally being repressed.
Negative supercoiling - twisting of double-stranded DNA in the opposite direction of the natural double helix twist.
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Nick - gap in one strand of DNA of a double helix, caused by breakage of a phosphodiester bond.
Nick translation - method for radioactively labeling double-stranded DNA; DNA polymerase begins at a nick and
replaces the original strand with a new one.
Nonsense mutation - mutation that changes a normal codon into a stop codon.
Nonsense suppressor tRNA - mutated tRNA containing an anticodon that can base-pair with a stop codon, and thereby
relieve the effects of the non-sense mutation.
Nuclease - enzyme that cleaves phosphodiester bonds in nucleic acids.
Nucleosome - chromatin subunit that consists of DNA and a set of eight histone proteins.
Nucleoside - chemical structure that includes either a purine or pyrimidine base and a five-carbon sugar (either ribose or
deoxyribose).
O
Okazaki fragments - short run of nucleotide's synthesized lagging strand during DNA replication.
Oncogenes - genes that when expressed transform cells into a tumor-like state, characterized by rapid growth.
Operator - nucleotide sequence that binds repressor protein and thereby prevents transcription of adjacent gene.
Operon - set of genes in bacteria that is coordinately regulated and contributes to a single cellular function.
Ori - origin of replication in DNA.
P
Palindrome - DNA sequence consisting of adjacent inverted repeats that read the same in left direction on one strand as
in right direction on the other strand.
Peptide - polymer synthesized by forming a covalent bond between the alphaamino group of one amino acid and the
alpha-carboxyl group of another amino acid.
Peptidyl (P) site - binding site (similar to "A site") on larger ribosomal subunit serving as a docking site for incoming
charged tRNA during protein synthesis.
Peptidyl transferase - enzyme that forms peptide bonds between amino acids during protein synthesis.
Photolyase - enzyme that breaks the thymine dimers in DNA produced by ultraviolet irradiation.
Photoreactivation - reversal of the effects of ultraviolet irradiation (thyminedimers) by the action of enzymes, which
themselves require energization by visible light.
Pilus - extension of surface of male bacterial cell that connects to female cell for the purpose of transferring DNA from
male (F+) to female (F-).
Poly A - sequence extension of polyadenylic acid at the 3' end of a eukaryotic mRNA.
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Polysome - macromolecular complex consisting of mRNA and several ribosomes, as well as associated components
required for protein synthesis.
Positive regulation - process resulting in a specific gene or operon being transcribed, usually as the result of interaction
of proteins with DNA.
Preinitiation (30S) complex - macromolecular complex consisting of mRNA, 30S ribosomal RNA subunit, fMet-tRNA,
GTP, and initiation factors, which begins the process of protein synthesis by combining with a 50S ribosomal RNA
subunit.
Prophase - early step in mitosis of eukaryotic cell in which chromosomes, although in a highly condensed state, have
not interacted with the mitotic spindle.
Protease inhibitor - drug capable of inactivating enzymes that hydrolyze pro teins (proteases), and is used in AIDS
therapy.
Protoplast - cells that have been treated, usually with enzymes, to remove their cell walls.
R
R factor - bacterial plasmid that carries genes specifying resistance to one or another antibiotic.
Recombinase - enzyme that cuts and joins the V and J regions of genes which code for immunoglobulins.
Recombinant DNA - DNA that has been experimentally manipulated in the laboratory with restriction enzymes/lygase
so as to contain novel or modified genes.
Regulation - control of the activity of a gene or enzyme by mechanisms which increase or decrease that activity.
Regulatory gene - gene that codes for an RNA or protein used to control the expression of other separate genes.
Regulon - set of genes that are not necessarily located adjacent to one another, but that are regulated by a common
mechanism.
Renaturation - process of a macromolecule returning to its native three-dimensional structure. For DNA this involves
the two strands base-pairing; for protein, it involves folding to its active configuration. Also known as reannealing.
Replication fork - the Y-shaped region of DNA, which serves as the site of synthesis of new strands.
Represser protein - a "regulatory" protein that binds to the operator locus on DNA and blocks transcription of the
adjacent gene.
Resolution site (IRS) - nucleotide sequence in DNA recognized by resolvase enzyme for the recombination event used
in replication of complex transposons.
Resolvase - enzyme that carries out recombination between two repeated transposons.
Restriction enzymes - enzymes that recognize specific, short nucleotide sequence DNA in double-stranded DNA and
cleaves at that site.
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Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) - individual DNA nucleotide sequence differences that lead to
variation in lengths of fragments when DNA is digested with specific restriction endonuclease.
Restriction map - linear representation of DNA sequence that illustrates sites cut by specific restriction endonucleases.
Retrovirus - virus containing an RNA genome but which replicates inside a cell by making a double-stranded DNA
copy of itself, as an intermediate for RNA duplication.
Reverse transcriptase - enzyme that synthesizes DNA from an RNA template.
Reversion - change in nucleotide sequence of DNA that reverses the effects of the original mutation.
Rho factor - E. coli protein that recognizes specific nucleotide sequences and causes RNA polymerase to terminate
transcription.
Ribose - five-carbon sugar found in RNA.
Ribosomal RNA - RNA component of a ribosome.
Ribosome - component of protein synthesis machinery comprised of RNA and protein; it provides structural support for
mRNA.
Ribosome binding site - Shine-Dalgarno sequence.
Ribozyme - RNA/protein complex that has catalytic activity of the type normally associated with protein enzymes.
RNA (ribonucleic acid) - polynucleotide that contains ribose sugar.
rRNA - ribosomal RNA.
RNA editing - enzymatic modification of mature mRNA's nucleotide sequence so that the coding sequence is slightly
changed.
RNA polymerase - enzyme that synthesizes RNA from ribonucleotide triphos phates; it requires a DNA template.
RNA splicing - process that removes segments of RNA (usually introns) from a long RNA molecule and joins
remaining segments (usually exons).
Rolling circle replication - process for replicating double-stranded circular DNA.
S
Sanger procedure - dideoxynucleotide DNA sequencing procedure (aka chaintermination method).
Satellite DNA - short nucleotide sequence repeated several times (in tandem) that, upon centrifugation, separates away
from the main DNA fraction.
Secondary structure - the folding pattern of proteins or nucleic acids, which results from interaction of subunits.
Semiconservative replication - format for DNA replication that uses one old strand (conserved) as a template for the
synthesis of a second, complementary new strand.
Sex factor - sex plasmid.
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Sex plasmid - plasmid that enables host bacterium to conjugate (mate) with another bacterium.
Shine-Dalgarno sequence - the AGGAGG purine sequence on bacterial mRNA, which facilitates binding of the mRNA
to a ribosome.
Sigma factor - subunit of RNA polymerase that facilitates binding to promoter sites on DNA.
Signal recognition particle (SRP) - macromolecular complex that recognizes signal sequence on proteins and helps
transport them to the endoplasmic reticulum.
Silencer - nucleotide sequence having effects opposite those of enhancersreduces rate of transcription of associated gene.
Site-specific mutagenesis - laboratory procedure that alters the nucleotide sequence of a cloned gene in a specific and
deliberate fashion.
SOS response - DNA repair mechanism that is activated by ultraviolet light and permits error-prone DNA replication to
proceed past thymine dimers.
Southern transfer (also known as Southern blotting) - method for transferring nucleic acids from an electrophoresis gel
to nitrocellulose paper (for subsequent hybridization).
Spacer - nucleotide sequence of mRNA that is devoid of start/stop codons and hence is not translated.
Spliceosome - RNA/protein complex that carries out splicing of RNA.
Splicing - process that removes introns from RNA and joins exons (coding sequences) to form "translatable" mRNA.
SSB protein - protein that binds to single-stranded DNA during replication.
Stacking (of bases) - the tight packing of purine and pyrimidine base-pairs in both single and double-stranded DNA due
to hydrophobic interactions between the bases.
Substrate - the target molecule for an enzyme, which when acted upon by the enzyme is chemically altered.
Supercoiling - coiling of a large, circular, double-stranded DNA molecule back around itself.
Suppressor mutation - a mutation that acts to restore the original phenotype.
T
Tandem repeats - nucleotide sequence of DNA that is serially repeated many times.
TATA box - an A-T-rich sequence, usually consisting of 7 or 8 nucleotides, located approximately 10 base-pairs
upstream of the transcription start site. It serves as a binding site for RNA polymerase.
Temperate - describes a bacteriophage that integrates into the host genome and, although normally silent, can be
induced to undergo a lytic life cycle.
Temperature sensitive - describes a mutant phenotype apparent at a relatively elevated temperature, but not recognizable
at a "normal" temperature.
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Template - nucleotide sequence that is ''read" by one of the nucleotide polymerases and thereby serves to dictate the
sequence of the newly-synthesized (complementary) nucleic acid.
Tertiary structure - the native three-dimensional configuration of a macromolecule, which results after its subunit
interactions are complete.
Theta replication - Configuration of prokaryotic cell's circular DNA replication apparatus, including parental and
daughter strands, which as drawn in two dimensions resembles the Greek letter theta.
Thymine (T) - pyrimidine base found in DNA.
Thymine dimer - adjacent thymine residues in DNA that have been chemically linked, usually by the action of
ultraviolet irradiation.
Tn element - bacterial transposable element.
Topoisomerase - enzyme that alters amount of supercoiling in large, double-stranded DNA molecules.
Totipotent - describes a cell that is capable of developing into virtually all the tissues and organs of an adult organism.
Trailer (sequence) - nucleotide sequence at the 3' end of an mRNA that is not translated into part of the protein.
Transcription - synthesis of RNA from a complementary DNA template.
Transcription factors - proteins that bind to specific nucleotide sequences and facilitate the binding of RNA polymerase
to the DNA template.
Transduction - transfer of bacterial gene from one bacterium to another by a bacteriophage.
Transfer RNA (tRNA) - small RNA that transfers amino acids to the mRNA template for protein synthesis.
Transforming principle - extract of cells (DNA), which when added to bacterial cells, has the capacity to change their
phenotype.
Transgenic animal - animal that has been altered with genetic engineering technology so as to contain a foreign gene.
Translation - synthesis of a protein from an mRNA template.
Translational frameshifting - reading of an mRNA template for protein synthesis by ribosomes, which shift back one
nucleotide when a stop codon is encountered, and hence continue translation, yielding a longer-than-usual protein
product.
Translocation signal - amino acid sequences on proteins, which are recognized by"signal recognition particles (SRPs)",
and thereby get transported to specific locations in the cell cytoplasm.
Trans-splicing - primary transcript processing that involves exons originating in primary transcripts of different genes
being ligated together.
Transposable element - transposon.
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Transposase - enzyme that functions to insert a transposon into a new site in DNA.
Transposition - relocation of transposon to new location.
Transposon - nucleotide sequence that can insert itself, with the aid of an enzyme (transposase), into new locations in
the genome.
Triplet - sequence of three nucleotides that serve, in DNA, to ultimately specify the position of a single amino acid in a
protein.
Tumor inducing (Ti) plasmid - plasmid that, when it infects a plant cell, can integrate into the host cell's DNA and lead
to production of a tumor.
U
Ubiquitin - small protein that binds to other proteins and thereby targets them for destruction by proteolytic enzymes.
Upstream - direction ahead of the start site for transcription or translation.
Uracil (U) - pyrimidine base found in RNA.
Uracil N-glycosylase - enzyme that cleaves the N-glycosylic bond and thereby releases uracil its sugar (which is usually
incorporated into the DNA's sugarphosphate backbone).
V
van der Waals forces - weak attractive forces that result from transitory fluctuations in electron-charged densities in
neighboring atoms.
Variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) - short nucleotide sequences that are repeated, in variable "repeat numbers," in
the genomes of higher eukaryotes.
Vector - plasmid, phage, or other genome into which a foreign gene is inserted for cloning.
Virulent - bacteriophage capable only of lytic (vs. lysogenic) growth.
Virus - smallest "living" form that, although not capable of an independent existence, can reproduce itself.
W
Wobble hypothesis - explanation for ability of certain tRNAs to exhibit unusual base-pairing with more than one triplet
codon.
Y
Yeast artificial chromosome - genetically engineered yeast chromosome that can serve as a cloning vector for large
fragments of eukaryotic DNA.
Z
Z-helix - double-stranded DNA existing in a left-handed helix rather than the more common right-handed format.
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REFERENCES FOR FURTHER READING

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Chapter 9: Translation
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ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS

Answers to Drill Questions (Ch. 2)
1. proteinsamino acids; nucleic acids nucleotides; polysaccharidessugars (most often glucose).
2. An amino group and a carboxyl group are linked to form a peptide linkage.
3. The termini of a protein molecule consist of an amino group and a carboxyl group. These groups are also contained in
the side chains of some of the amino acids forming proteins. For example, both aspartic acid and glutamic acid have a
free carboxyl group, and both asparagine and glutamine have a free amino group.
4. DNAthymine; RNAuracil
5. the 5'-phosphate of one nucleotide and the 3'-OH of the adjacent nucleotide; a phosphodiester group.
6. A nucleotide is a nucleoside phosphate.
7. Two molecules that are poorly soluble, that is, interact poorly with water, can reduce contact with water by
clustering, because clustering minimizes the ratio of surface to volume.
8. strongestionic bond; weakestvan der Waals attraction
9. All DNA molecules have a negative charge and, therefore, move in the same direction when electrophoresed. This is
not true for protein molecules, however, because they may have a net positive or negative charge.
10. One molecule of SDS binds per amino acid, giving each protein the same charge per amino acid, and, thus, the same
net charge. When SDS is bound and there are no disulfide bonds, all proteins unfold and have nearly the same shape.
Answers to Problems (Ch. 2)
1. a. No, since differences in shape can affect mobilitythat is, two proteins differing in both molecular weight and shape
might have the same electrophoretic mobility.
b. Yes. All linear DNA fragments have the same basic shape and same charge-to-mass ratio. Therefore, if all bands seen
were of equal intensity, the conclusion would be that five different DNA fragments were present.
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2. cysteinedisulfide bonds; lysineionic bonds and hydrogen bonds; isoleucinehydrogen bonds; glutamic acidionic bonds
and hydrogen bonds. All could participate in van der Waals attractions.
3. a. The compactness probably results from an ionic bond(s) between unlike-charged groups.
b. The molecule probably contains many groups having like charges, and in the lower ionic strength of 0.01 M NaCl
these groups repel one another.
4. Three. Other possible interactions involving amino acid side chains such as hydrophobic interactions, ionic bonds,
and van der Waals attractions would determine the naturally occurring structure of the protein.
5. Electrophoretic mobility increases with charge but is reduced by friction between the moving molecule and the
solvent molecules. Since valine has a longer side chain than alanine, it generates greater friction and moves more slowly.
1. The fraction that is A is 0.083 (8%).
2. The virus must have as its genome a single-stranded DNA molecule (at least one), because [A] + [G] is not equal to
[T] + [C].
3. In a double-stranded molecule, [A] + [G] = [T] + [C]. The relationship between [A] + [T] and [G] + [C] varies from
molecule to molecule.
4. The B helix is considered to be the common form of DNA, but DNA forms an A helix under conditions of
dehydration. A Z helix is favored by segments with alternating Gs and Cs.
5. a. Nothere would be nothing to prevent the circle from untwisting.
b. Yesthis would form a supercoil.
c. G Nothis would merely form a relaxed circle.
6. hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties of the bases and phosphate groups, respectively, and hydrogen bonding
between the bases of a base-pair.
7. The salt concentration must be high enough to neutralize the mutually repulsive negative charges of the phosphate
groups, and the temperature must be sufficient to avoid extensive intrastrand base-pairing.
8. With no cations to complex with the phosphate groups, the repulsion among them would be great enough to denature
the DNA.
9. 480 turns of the helix are present (4,800 bases at 10 bases per turn). The molecule would be 1.632m long (480 turns
34 /turn).
10. No, there would be no free ends to the molecule.
1. a. would be least likely to re-form the original structure, as it could have extensive intrastrand base-pairing.
2. a. would require a higher temperature for reannealing (relative to its Tm) in order to overcome the intrastrand basepairing.
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b. would have the highest Tm, as it has the highest G+C content.
3. 5'-ATCAAGGTA-3'
5. 30%.
6. The solution contained a mixture of copies of two different DNA molecules. One type had a considerably higher G+C
content than the other.
1. a. The polar amino acids are arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, histidine, lysine,
serine, threonine, and tyrosine. The nonpolar amino acids are alanine, glycine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine,
phenylalanine, proline, tryptophan, and valine.
b. Isoleucine is more nonpolar than alanine, because it has a long, nonpolar side chain.
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2. the peptide bond.

3. cysteinedisulfide; arginineionic; valinehydrophobic; aspartic acidionic and hydrogen bonds. All of course could be
involved in van der Waals attractions.
4. Both will probably be near an amino acid with the opposite charge.
5. Set (c), in a hydrophobic cluster.
6. They would probably be scattered throughout the primary sequence, though there would probably also be a few in
small clusters.
7. Primary structure is simply the linear sequence of amino acids. Secondary structure involves hydrogen bonding
between peptide groups. Examples are the helix and structure. Tertiary structure is the folding of a polypeptide
chain and is formed from secondary structure elements plus several other interactions between amino acid side chains,
including ionic bonds between oppositely charged side chains, various hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic clustering of
nonpolar side chains, and the coordination of metal ions.
8. Since the helix and structure are both rigid, the former protein would be long, and thin or fibrous; the latter would
be more flexible, and spherical or globular in shape.
9. Both the enzyme active site and the substrate change shape slightly upon binding and the strain placed on the
substrate by the shapechange aids in the catalysis.
1. a. yes. A van der Waals attraction would favor aggregation. This would be aided by a hydrophobic interaction if the
side chains on the surface were very nonpolar.
b. no. For geometric reasons, the hydrophobic regions probably cannot come into contact.
c. no. Charge repulsion by the lysines will effectively counteract any tendency to form a hydrophobic cluster.
d. yes. If the geometry is appropriate, the alternation of unlike charges will allow unlike charges in the two molecules to
attract one another.
2. no. In general, enzymes must be slightly flexible in order to adapt their shape to the substrate and to carry out the
required chemical reaction.
3. The enzyme could be a multisubunit protein in which one defective subunit is sufficient to eliminate the enzymatic
activity.
4. When there is a single binding site, it is probably located at or near the junction of all the subunits. This location is
certainly unlikely if there are several identical binding sites. If the number of binding sites equals the number of
subunits, one might guess that the binding sites are far from all regions of contact between the subunits. If the number of
binding sites is half the number of subunits, each site probably includes the contact region of two subunits.
5. If you looked at the protein structures with and without substrate bonds, there should be no change in the structure for
a lock-and-key mechanism, but there will be a change in the structure for an induced-fit mechanism.
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1. An octameric disk is an aggregate of two each of histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4. A coreparticle consists of an
octameric disk plus the 140 base-pairs of DNA that encircle it. A nucleosome includes the core-particle, linker DNA,
and the histone H1.
2. A eukaryotic cell has more DNA than a prokaryotic cell, and that DNA must be contained within a nucleus.
3. During cell division, the DNA must be organized into a compact unit in order to be moved from the metaphase plate
toward the poles of the cell. During other stages of the cell cycle (when replication and transcription occur) proteins
must interact with specific base-sequences of DNA, so the DNA must be less compact to permit these interactions.
4. The DNA would be most compact during mitosis, to facilitate movement of the chromosome as a unit. During S
phase, DNA is being replicated, and so must be less compact.
5. 3.4 nm, the length of one turn of the helix.
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6. The polar regions are on the ''ends" of the protein that are outside of the membrane, while the nonpolar region is the
part of the protein that is actually within the membrane.
7. Van der Waals attractions and hydrophobic interactions are the main factors stabilizing a lipid bilayer.
1. In this case, there are 200 base-pairs per nucleosome. A DNA molecule 2.4 cm long contains about 7 107 base pairs
(0.34 nm per base-pair). Therefore, there would be about 3.5 104 nucleosomes.
2. electrostatic interactions.
3. The unknown component is a covalently linked nucleotide-amino acid complex; the protein-DNA binding is
therefore through a covalent bond.
4. the phosphate groups of the backbone of the helix.
5. Since the Cro protein binds stereospecifically, it is likely that the Cro-DNA complex would not form. Also, specific
contact points might be blocked.
1. the conversion of the genotype of a bacterium to the genotype of a second bacterium by exposure of the first
bacterium to DNA from the second.
2. many plant and animal viruses and some bacteriophages.
3. a codon.
4. 32P for DNA and 35S for proteins.
5. mutation.
6. uracil.
7. Thymine is 5-methyluracil.
8. chemical alterations and replication errors.
1. The RNA in a virus is protected from the environment by a protein coat.
2. Progeny of a transformed cell all had the new character; in genetic terms, the cells bred true.
3. The chemical mechanism for hydrolysis of a phosphodiester bond requires participation of a free OH group, which is
present on the 2' carbon in RNA, but not in DNA.
4. It is widely believed that DNA was a simple tetranucleotide incapable of carrying the information required of a
genetic material.
5. Transforming activity was not lost by reaction with either proteolytic enzymes or ribonucleases. Treatment with
DNases inactivated the transforming principle.
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6. During replication, an incorrect base or an extra base is inserted or deleted in the daughter molecule.
1. semiconservative.
2. Template.
3. all, 1/2, 1/4, respectively.
4. theta replication.
5. rolling circle replication.
6. positive supercoiling.
7. negative supercoiling.
8. polymerizing activity, 5'3' exonuclease, 3'5' exonuclease.
9. a 3'-OH group.
10. polymerization, and the 5'3' exonuclease.
1. no. After one round of replication it has hybrid density, but an 15N strand always remains in the circle.
2. The 5'3' activity removes ribonucleotides from the 5' termini of precursor fragments, and the 3'5' exonuclease
removes a base that has been incorrectly added to the growing end of a DNA strand.
3. Pol III requires a helicase to unwind the DNA; pol I can unwind a helix without an accessory protein.
4. DNA polymerase joins a 5'-triphosphate to a 3'-OH group and in so doing removes two phosphates, so that the
phosphodiester bond contains one phosphate; a ligase joins a 5'-monophosphate to a 3'-OH group.
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5. One strand is copied from the 3' end to the 5' end, and the other strand is copied in the direction opposite to the
movement of the replication fork by synthesis in short pieces (see Figures 716 and 717).
6. The RNA primer must be removed from the precursor fragment that was made first, because DNA ligase cannot join
DNA to RNA.
1. a. ribonucleoside 5'-triphosphates.
b. double-stranded DNA.
c. RNA polymerase.
d. no.
2. The reactions are identicalreaction of a nucleoside 5'-triphosphate with a 3'-OH terminus of a nucleotide to form a 5'
to 3'-diester bond. The substrates differ in that DNA polymerase joins deoxynucleotides while RNA polymerase joins
ribonucleotides.
3. a 5'-triphosphate and a 3'-OH.
4. a. an RNA molecule that is translated into one or more proteins.
b. A primary transcript is a complementary copy of a DNA strand. It could be a precursor to mRNA, tRNA, or rRNA
and may be processed to form a functional RNA.
c. A cistron is a DNA segment between and including translation start-and-stop signals that contains the base-sequence
corresponding to one polypeptide chain. A polycistronic mRNA molecule contains sequences encoding two or more
polypeptide chains.
d. Leaders, spacers, and the unnamed region following the last stop codon of a mRNA are not translated.
5. Five subunits, the sigma subunit is responsible for positioning.
6. a. -10 and -35.
b. TATAAAA
7. a. a terminal structure in which a methylated guanosine is in a 5'-to-5'-triphosphate linkage at the 5' terminus of
mRNA.
b. the 3'-OH end.
c. All mRNA molecules (except those of several viruses) are capped. Some mRNA molecules lack the poly(A) tail.
8. a. untranslated sequences that interrupt the coding sequence of a transcript, which are removed before translation
begins.
b. removal of introns and linking together of exon sequences.
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1. a. It is probably a sequence that existed at very early times and from which others were derived by mutation.
Furthermore, it indicates that the biochemical system that used the sequence existed very long ago.
b. It is essential for some stage or promotionin particular, binding of RNA polymerase or initiating polymerization.
c. The rates of initiation may differ slightly. It is difficult to be certain of this point, though, because the rate of initiation
is mainly determined by the -35 region.
2. Since the triphosphate of the primary transcript is absent, the molecule has been processed. The processing could be
extensive, or as simple as triphosphate hydrolysis; but there is no way of knowing from the information given.
3. Eukaryotic mRNA molecules contain a terminal poly(A) that can hydrogen-bond to the dT in the column under
renaturing conditions. The mRNA thus will be retained by the column, and other RNA species will pass through. The
mRNA can be eluted from the column simply by heating.
4. The number of times each of the four bases appears at each position is noted. The maximum value (as a percentage)
is indicated as a subscript in the consensus sequence that follows:
A80T70G80C90A80C70.
5. 5'AGCUGCAAUG3' and 5'CAUUGCAGCU3'
6. E. coli is a prokaryote and its RNA polymerase does not recognize all eukaryotic promoters. The eukaryote yeast, on
the other hand,
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provides not only a suitable eukaryotic RNA polymerase, but also various transcription factors that act to facilitate
transcription.
1. a., b., and c. are true. d. Amino acyl tRNA synthetases are required (see question 2). e. Rho is involved in the
termination of transcription, not translation. However if the anticodon of a tRNA has been altered, it can sometimes read
a termination codon.
2. c., d., and e.
3. prokaryotic: 70S and 30S and 50S subunits containing 5S, 16S, and 23S RNA. eukaryotic: 80S with 40S and 60S
subunits containing 5S, 5.8S, 18S, and 28S RNA.
4. 1. Prokaryotes initiate translation at an AUG codon just downstream of the Shine-Dalgarno sequence (ribosomebinding site) AGGAGGU, which base-pairs with a section of the 16S rRNA near its 3' end. The eukaryotic ribosomal
small subunit binds at the 5' cap of mRNA, and the first AUG encountered is used.
2. Prokaryotes initiate translation with formylmethionine, whereas eukaryotes initiate with an unmodified methionine.
3. Prokaryotic mRNAs may be polycistronic, since the ribosome may reinitiate translation at a second AUG following
termination of translation of the first reading frame. Eukaryotic ribosomes do not reinitiate translation without first
dissociating.
5. Steps a., b., and d. are true. Step c. is false. Amino acids are coupled to tRNA molecules by aminoacyl tRNA
synthetases.
6. A reading frame is a string of sequential, nonoverlapping codons beginning with an initiation codon (AUG), ending
with a termination codon (UAA, UAG, or UGA), and containing codons for amino acids in between. In addition to a
reading frame, most mRNAs have 5' leader and 3' tail sequences. A 5' cap and poly A tail is present in eukaryotic
mRNAs. Prokaryotic mRNAs can have several cistrons separated by short spacer regions.
7. Translation occurs along the mRNA in the 5'-to-3' direction, the same direction as the synthesis of the mRNA itself.
Thus protein synthesis can occur while the mRNA is being copied from the DNA. In the reverse polarity, protein
synthesis would have to await the completion of the molecule of mRNA. In the existing system, protein synthesis thus
can start earlier than would be possible with reverse polarity, and the mRNA is relatively resistant to nuclease attack.
This is only true in prokaryotes, of course.
8. b.
9. formation of the 70S initiation complex and translocation.
1. Met Pro Leu Ile Ser Ala Ser.
2. There are two families of codons for arginine, the CGX family and the AGAG family. Single base changes in the first
two bases of the CGX family in any of the bases of the AGAG family could yield the following amino acid
replacements: histidine, glutamine, cysteine, tryptophan, serine, glycine, leucine, proline, isoleucine, threonine, lysine,
or methionine.
3. For UAG, the amino acids are Tyr, Leu, Trp, Ser, Lys, Glu, and Gln. For UAA they are Tyr, Lys, Glu, Gln, Leu, and
Ser.
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4. The Arg-2 codon must have been AGG (the only arginine codon that can become AUG in one step), and Arg-2 could
therefore also be replaced by Gly, Trp, Lys, Thr, or Ser. The Arg-3 codon must have been AGA, and Arg-3 could also
be replaced by Ser, Lys, Thr, and Gly. The Arg-1 codon could have been any one of the six arginine codons, and cannot
be unambiguously identified.
5. Val-Cys-Val-Cys-Val-Cys , and peptides of various sizes starting with Val or Cys.
6. a. threonine, i.e., 5'-ACX-3'. Remember that the codon-anticodon pairing is antiparallel.
b. ACU, ACC, and ACA, since I in the wobble position can pair with U, C, or A.
c. CGU, since only ACG remains to be read, and C in the wobble position will only pair
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with G. U in the wobble position would read G, but also A, so that both ACG and ACA codons would be read, and
ACA is already read by the first tRNA discussed.
1. BU is a base-analogue mutagen. It is a thymine analogue and is incorporated into the DNA during replication by basepairing with adenine. Due to the bromine atom, a shift in the keto-enol equilibrium occurs, such that the enol form is
more prevalent than it would be with thymine. The enol form may base-pair with guanine in future rounds of
replication, leading to A.T G.C or T.A C.G transitions after one more round of replication. BU also inhibits the
synthesis of dCTP without inhibiting the synthesis of TTP, so the level of TTP relative to dCTP becomes very high, and
T is then often incorporated into DNA by pairing with G due to the shortage of C. This causes G.C A.T or C.G T.
A transitions.
2. Many amino acid changes will not yield a mutant phenotype, and many mutations will be chain-termination mutants.
3. There are two possibilities: There are two genes for the original tRNA species, and only one of these has been
mutated, or natural chain-termination sequences might usually consist of two or more different termination codons. The
nonsense suppressor would suppress only one, and chain termination would still occur. Both possibilities occur.
4. They clearly interact. Since a charge signchange yields a mutant and a second signchange in another amino acid
yields a revertant, amino acids 28 and 76 are probably held together by an ionic bond.
5. depurination and deamination of cytosine.
6. One explanation is that the T4 possesses its own repair system.
7. d. DNA polymerase I.
1. This mutant could not be isolated because there is no temperature at which it could grow. a., c., g., and h., as they
involve either changes in polarity, charge sign, or chemical properties.
2. no. If the original rate of mutation is one in 105 for a sequence 1,000 base-pairs long, this gives the approximate
probability of hitting any base in the sequence and causing a detectable mutation. Since the reversion rate is also one in
105, this probably represents other random changes in the sequence. The frequency of an exact replacement should be
the probability of a change the number of sites that can be changed. For this problem the answer would be one in (105
1,000), which is one in 108, about 1,000 times less than the initial mutation rate. However, since not all changes at the
original site would regenerate the original amino acid, the actual rate of exact reversal would still be somewhat lower.
3. The original mutation is probably a frameshift mutation. The mutagens listed cause a variety of transitions and
transversions, some of which would almost certainly suppress a missense or nonsense mutation. To suppress a
frameshift mutation would require an intercalating agent such as proflavine or acridine orange; mutagens that
themselves cause frameshifts. The original mutation could also be caused by a transposable element, which would not
be suppressed by the mutagens available.
4. a. X is not inducible, because the enzymes were present before protein synthesis was blocked by chloramphenicol.
b. X would probably be considered to be inducible. The residual 5% could be due to either a second, noninducible
system, or to a small amount of synthesis of X proteins when chloramphenicol is present.
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1. In negative regulation an inhibitor bound to the DNA must be removed before transcription can occur. In positive
regulation an activator molecule must bind to the DNA. Negative and positive autoregulation is the same, except the
gene product is its own inhibitor or activator.
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2. A repressor protein binds to operator on NA to prevent transcription. A corepressor is a small molecule that binds to a
regulatory protein, an aporessor, to prevent transcription.
3. Derepressed state is the same as induced when describing the normal state of a gene; it has the same meaning as
constitutive in describing the effect of mutation.
4. F' Oc lacZ+/O+ lacZ-; constitutive expression of lacZ.
F' Oc lacZ-/O+ lacZ+; inducible expression of lacZ.
5. In the absence of arabinose, AraC binds to operator and prevents transcription. In the presence of arabinose,
arabinose-AraC complex activates transcription from the ara promoter.
6. In eukaryotes transcription and translation are not coupled.
7. frequency of transcription initiation. frequency of transcription termination (attenuation). mRNA ability.
8. mRNA stability. frequency of translation initiation. protein stability.
1. b. and probably also c.
2. In all cases lacZ will not be expressed.
3. Attenuation is controlled by the levels of charged tRNAtrp inside the cell. If there is no tryptophan present, the
concentration of charged tRNAtrp becomes inadequate, and a translating ribosome stalls at the tryptophan codons of the
leader peptide, preventing the terminator from forming, and hence preventing premature transcription termination.
However, other mutations (RNase P) that decrease the levels of charged tRNAs in the cell will not induce transcription
termination.
4. There might be a mutation in the gene for adenylate cyclase, or for the cyclic AMP receptor protein. Another
possibility is a membrane transport mutant, if these sugars were to utilize the same transport system.
1. one.
2. tailed icosahedra, nontailed icosahedra, filaments.
3. single- and double-stranded DNA (linear or circular); single-stranded RNA and segmented double-stranded RNA
(linear).
4. T4, T7, : linear, double-stranded DNA, M13: circular, single-stranded DNA. MS-2: linear, single-stranded RNA.
5. In general, the bacterium will lack an absorption site.
6. proteins.
7. complementary single-stranded ends.
8. virulent.
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9. 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (HMC)
10. transducing.
1. no, because DNase cannot penetrate a phage head.
2. adsorption, entry of nucleic acid, transcription, production of phage proteins, production of phage nucleic acid,
assembly of particles (including encapsidation of nucleic acid), release of progeny particles.
3. a protein coat to enclose the nucleic acid, a component capable of adsorbing to a bacterium, an element designed to
enable the nucleic acid to penetrate the cell wall. The latter could be an injection system or a component that stimulates
the bacterium to take in the particles.
4. A phage gene is considered nonessential if its product is not needed for growing the phage in the laboratory. Those
genes that duplicate host genes may be truly nonessential, even in nature.
5. Phage-host specificity refers to the fact that a particular phage can grow on only one or a small number of bacterial
species or strains. The most frequent cause is the inability of a phage to adsorb, except to certain bacteria.
6. no. Phage can only develop in a metabolizing bacterium.
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7. It must be a host enzyme.

8. After the first transcript is made by the host RNA polymerase, T7 inactivates E. coli RNA polymerase and
synthesizes a T7-specific polymerase. uses the bacterial polymerase throughout the life cycle.
9. a double-stranded circular molecule.
10. The linear molecular spontaneously circularizes via the single-stranded termini, and the single-stranded breaks are
sealed by DNA ligase.
1. RNA polymerase I transcribes genes encoding ribosomal 18S, 5.8S, and 28S RNA. RNA polymerase III transcribes
genes encoding transfer RNA, ribosomal 5S RNA, and U6 small nuclear RNA (U6 snRNA). RNA polymerase II
transcribes protein-encoding genes, and most of the snRNA types.
2. The position of eukaryotic regulatory sequences with regard to the genes they regulate is often of great importance.
However, in contrast to such regulatory sequences in prokaryotic genomes, far more difference in type and exact
position of these regulatory sequences is seen in eukaryotes. In fact, some of these sequences (known as enhancers) can
be experimentally moved, often hundreds of nucleotide pairs upstream or downstream, without affecting regulatory
activity.
3. variable region; A V segment and a J segment are joined to the C region of the gene. The C region encodes the
constant region.
4. increase in the stability, and thus, lifetime, of the mRNA. Activation of a strong promoter by a transcription factor.
Activation of transcription through binding of a hormone to its receptor.
5. Active chromatin is at least partially devoid of histones and hypomethylated. To define such active regions,
chromatin can be treated with DNase to locate hypersensitive sites.
6. Both cis- and trans-splicing can occur in the processing of eukaryotic mRNA. With cissplicing, exons from the same
transcript are joined. In trans-splicing, an exon from one transcript is spliced to an exon located on a different mRNA.
7. The gene encoding the protein could have a unique promoter. An effector molecule (e.g., transcription factor) could
cause synthesis of two new proteins, an inhibitor of the cellular RNA polymerase, and a new RNA polymerase that
could recognize only that promoter. There are also other possibilities.
8. An embryonic gene contains a large number of different base-sequences that constitute the coding sequences for all
antibodies. These sequences are contiguous in the DNA. In the course of development, a genetic recombinational event
removes large blocks of DNA that include many adjacent sequences. There are many blocks that can be removed, so
that many different coding sequences can remain after this recombinational event occurs. One event occurs in a
particular cell leaving that cell with a unique coding sequence that enables it to make a particular antibody.
1. a. increase the number of J genes.
b. (150)(12)(3)(5000) = 2.7 107
2. very likely, unless gene B was somehow separated from some element needed for its activity.
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3. Some upstream sites at which regulatory proteins seem to act are too far from the start site for a polymerase to bind
both to a regulatory protein and the start site. Many upstream sites can, furthermore, be moved somewhat without
significantly affecting the rate of transcription, and enhancers can even be moved downstream of the genes with which
they are associated.
4. E somehow regulates excision of a single, 30-nucleotide intron near the 5' terminus of the RNA. The 5' initiation
AUG is located either slightly upstream of the intron, or is contained within the intron. With the intron present, there is
also an in-frame stop codon that may or may not be in the intron. Thus, without splicing, only a short product can be
made due to the early stop caused by the in-frame stop codon. Once the intron is excised, and the
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downstream exon placed in the correct frame, the Q product can be translated utilizing either the upstream exon's AUG
if present, or the first AUG contained in the downstream exon. Translation continues until the proper inframe stop
codon in the downstream exon is encountered.
5. a. The promoters for both transcription units probably have a common sequence acted on by either the effector itself,
another factor requiring the effector for activity, or a negative regulator that is inactivated by the effector.
b. Both primary transcripts have a common sequence acted on by an element that prevents some stage of processing.
This element is inactivated by the effector.
c. Both processed mRNA molecules have a common sequence involved in ribosome binding. The effector may remove
a protein bound to this sequence, or it may denature a double stranded region containing the ribosome binding site.
6. Probably the simplest explanation would be that the two mRNAs had different lifetimes. More complicated
explanations include posttranslational modification of one of the proteins decreasing its stability, or some inhibition of
translation of one of the mRNAs.
1. The plasmid would have an origin of replication similar enough to the host origin of replication so that it would be
recognized by the host replication machinery without the aid of a plasmid-encoded Rep protein. The plasmid might also
contain a partition, or par sequence.
2. a. Replication begins at the ori sequence of the plasmid.
b. The Rep protein binds the ori sequence and then directs the assembly of the replication machinery.
c. DNA polymerase III.
d. a replisome.
3. Synthesis in the donor provides the singlestrand that is copied. Synthesis in the recipient converts the transferred
strand to doublestranded DNA.
4. a. the various genes of the tra operon.
b. a pilus, or conjugational bridge.
c. rolling circle replication.
d. an endonucleolytic nick at oriT producing 5'-PO-4 and a 3'-OH ends.
5. a. an Hfr or high frequency of recombination strain.
1. a. Lac-.
b. The F' (ts) lac+ has integrated into the bacterial chromosome.
c. Integration has occurred inside a gal gene.
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2. a.
b.
c.
3. a. If the mutation affects only the transposase repressor function, transposition frequency would go up, and the
products would be an unaltered chromosome and a plasmid with the Tn3 element. If the mutation affects only the
recombination function, transposition frequency would remain the same but the prod-
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uct would be a cointegrate, that is, the plasmid would be integrated into the chromosome. If the mutation affects both
functions, transposition frequency would go up, but only cointegrates would form.
b. Very little to no resolvase is made, so transposition frequency goes up but only cointegrates form, since transposase is
not repressed, and resolution of the cointegrate cannot take place.
c. Transposition would be abolished either because the transposon excision or target DNA cutting functions are
impaired. Either no products would be formed, or the donor or recipient molecules might be lost due to cleavage of only
one of these molecules.
d. Transposition would be abolished since little to no transposase is made, and no products or intermediates would be
detected.
e. There would be no effect on transposition or resolution, but screening for transposition becomes impossible since the
selectable market has been knocked out.
f. Transposition frequency would remain the same, but only cointegrates would form since resolvase cannot recognize
the res sites.
4. The number of copies of the transposon in the new plasmid would answer the question. The number would be two
copies if fusion were mediated by a transposon.
1. a. A restriction enzyme is an endonuclease that makes cuts in DNA at one particular base sequence.
b. The biological function is to destroy foreign DNA.
c. Scientists use restriction enzymes to make defined, reproducible DNA fragments from DNA, and for cloning in vitro.
d. Each sequence is a palindrome. That is, it has rotational (dyad) symmetry. In other words, it reads the same in both
directions.
2. The single-strand breaks may be directly opposite one another at the center of symmetry of the recognition site, or
they may be staggered (several nucleotides apart, but symmetric around the line of symmetry of the recognition site).
Breaks directly opposite one another produce blunt ends, while staggered cuts produce either 5' or 3' overhangs. Overhanging breaks are called cohesive ends because they can stick to similar overhangs by base-pairing.
3. They must both recognize the same base-sequence.
4. An ideal cloning vector must have an origin of replication. Two selectable marker genes are helpfulone conferring
antibiotic resistance or complementing a genetic mutation in the host such that only transformed cells live on a selecting
medium, and another that distinguishes recombinant molecules from non-recombinant ones by being inactivated when a
fragment is cloned into it. A poly-linker containing numerous, unique cloning sites would make the vector more
versatile. If the fragment is eukaryotic and is to be expressed, a promoter sequence is necessary.
5. Insertional inactivation is the process of cloning a DNA fragment into a site within a vector gene such that the gene is
no longer active. Usually the gene encodes an antibiotic resistance such that colonies transformed with a recombinant
plasmid will be sensitive to the antibiotic. With -complementation, only a portion of a selectable gene is present on the
plasmid, while the host strain contains a different portion of the same gene. Neither is active alone, but together they
function in a wild-type manner. Insertion into the vector-encoded portion of the gene prevents complementation.
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6. If the DNA fragment is available, it may be radiolabeled and used for colony hybridization or DNA hybridization of
membrane lifts taken from plates containing isolated plasmids or phage. If the fragment has a known restriction map,
then a number of plasmid or phage DNA fragments can be isolated, cut with one or more restriction enzymes, and
analyzed by gel electrophoresis. The resulting patterns can be compared to the predicted ones. Ultimately DNA from the
plasmids or phage can be sequenced to verify the insert.
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7. a. kanamycin
b. Kan-r Amp-r, Kan-r Amp-s
c. Kan-r Amp-s; Colonies resistant to kanamycin can be replicated on agar containing ampicillin. Those that do not
grow are Amp-s.
8. Since DNA ligase requires a 5'-phosphate and a 3'-hydroxyl for ligation, removal by a phosphatase of the 5'phosphate from the cut vector molecules will prevent relegation of the vector alone. Another method is to use
directional cloning involving cutting the vector and using an insert with two different restriction enzymes. As long as
the ends generated are not compatible, the plasmid can not religate. The small vector DNA fragment between the cut
sites must, of course, be removed to prevent its favored relegation into the plasmid over the desired insert.
9. A genomic library is made by cloning pieces of genomic (chromosomal) DNA into an appropriate vector. A cDNA
library contains DNA fragments derived from cellular mRNA by reverse transcriptase. A genomic clone could contain
promoter and regulatory elements as well as introns. The advantage here is that the gene may be studied as it exists in
the organism with control elements intact. A cDNA clone would have no introns or control elements, but if supplied
with a bacterial promoter, it can still be expressed.
10. Site-specific mutagenesis is the alteration of a cloned gene in vitro either by synthesizing the entire gene using short,
overlapping single-stranded oligomers containing one or more specific changes from the wild-type sequence or by
replacing a wild-type region of a cloned gene with a mutant region. The advantages over conventional mutagenesis are
twofold. First, the changes made are specific; they are the exact ones that the experimenter wishes to make. Second, the
changes occur only in the gene of interest, and the time-consuming search for mutants in the gene and the complication
of second-site mutations are eliminated. Several disadvantages are that the gene of interest often must be properly
reintroduced into the organism, and since the experimenter chooses the changes that are made, some interesting
mutations may be missed. Information gained from using site-specific mutagenesis includes understanding the role of
specific amino-acid residues in enzyme structure and function, the interaction of multiple proteins, and the location
within an enzyme of its active site. Likewise, mutagenesis within promoter and regulatory regions can lead to
information on the regulation of gene expression.
1. a. The EcoRI digest will generate eleven fragments from the linear molecule (n + 1 fragments, where n is the number
of sites) and ten fragments (n fragments) from the circular molecule.
b. Only nine of the fragments (n 1) from the linear molecule will circularize, since the two end fragments will only have
one EcoRI cohesive end. All of the fragments from the circular molecule can circularize. This assumes that all
fragments are long enough to circularize.
2. a. BamHl and BglII plasmid:
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Yes, they are compatible as follows:
Neither site is regenerated. Note that the opposite cloning orientation is also posible.
b. BamHl and Sau3A plasmid:
These ends are also compatible as follows:
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Again both cloning orientations are possible. In all cases, the Sau3A sites are regenerated. In this orientation, the left
BamHl site is regenerated, but the right one is not.
c. BamHl and Dpnl plasmid: same as in (a) and (b) fragment:
These are not compatible. Although Dpnl recognizes the same sequence as Sau3A, the cut position is different. Dpnl
produces blunt ends which are not compatible with the BamHl cohesive ends.
3. The following circles would be produced. In addition, double T5 and double T7 circles would probably form.
Since low concentrations of DNA ligase allow the double fragment circle to form, the enzymes probably produce
cohesive ends with either 5' or 3' overhangs. Blunt end ligations require high concentrations of DNA ligase. Since both
enzymes can cut the double circle, the enzymes probably recognize identical sequences.
4.
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5. Chromosome walking using a human genomic clone bank is required. The first step is to create a genomic bank.
Human genomic DNA can be partially digested and the fragments cloned into a phage vector. A partial digest is
necessary to produce the overlapping fragments required for chromosome walking.
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An initial genomic clone can be isolated by probing the library with a radiolabeled probe from one of the cDNA clones
by plaque hybridization (similar to colony hybridization but on phage plaques). Radioactive probes corresponding to
both ends of this genomic clone should be prepared by radiolabeling short restriction fragments or synthesized
oligomers. These may be used to screen the genomic library for clones on either side of the first fragment. The walk
must proceed in both directions, since the orientation of the two genes on the chromosome is not known. The new
fragments can be properly oriented by restriction mapping and/or nucleotide sequencing. These new fragments should
be probed with a radioactive fragment from the second gene by Southern or phage plaque hybridization to see if the
walk has proceeded into the second gene. If the second gene is not found within a reasonable distance in both directions
from the first gene, they are probably not linked.
1. a. Site-specific mutagenesis is an experimental technique in which a synthetic oligonucleotide containing a mutant
base or base-sequence is used as a DNA synthesis primer for inducing a mutation in a specific site in a cloned gene.
b. This technique offers the following advantages: First, the changes made in the gene are specific; they are the exact
ones that the researcher wishes to make. Second, the changes occur only in the gene of interest and the time-consuming
search for mutants in the gene and the complication of second-site mutations are eliminated.
c. Clone the wild-type version of the gene of interest into a vector such as the phage M13. Use this cloned gene to
transform E. coli cells and collect the single-stranded (+) DNA from the progeny phage. Next, synthesize a synthetic
oligonucleotide containing the desired altered coding region (which codes for methionine rather than cysteine). Anneal
this synthetic oligonucleotide to the (+) strand of the phage DNA containing the cloned gene, and
use it as a primer for in-vitro DNA synthesis. Use this mutant phage DNA to transform E. coli cells as before, allow the
phage DNA to infect the cells, and collect the mutant progenyphage. After extracting the mutant DNA from the purified
phage particles, the gene of interest can be excised from the phage DNA via restriction enzymes, recloned into an
appropriate expression vector, and used to transform host cells derived from the type of organism in which the gene
normally occurs. The effects of the mutation on the activity of the enzyme can then be studied in vivo.
2. a. ES cells are undifferentiated, totipotent cells found in the blastocyst of an early-stage mammalian embryo. Such
cells can be removed from the embryo, genetically altered and introduced into another blastocyst, where they have the
capability of being incorporated into any and all of the tissues of the developing embryo.
b. Insertion of the promoterless neor gene into the c-abl gene inactivates the latter gene. The cells into which this
inactivated gene is inserted are unable to express this copy of the c-abl gene, and simultaneously become neomycinresistant.
c. after the researcher can identify ES cells which have been successfully transformed with this modified gene by
growing them on medium containing G418, a neomycin-like compound. Only cells that are neomycin-resistant (and
therefore are likely to contain the neor gene, linked to the c-abl gene), will be able to grow.
d. Homologous recombination involves genetic exchange between two DNA molecules having substantial DNA basesequence homologyin this case, between the wild-type c-abl gene found in the ES cell and the foreign, mutated c-able
gene introduced into the ES cell via electroporation. Incorporation of the c-abl gene at a site other than itsnormal
chromosomal location could result in its altered or abnormal expression, and in possible alteration, inactivation, or
inappropriate expression of other genes in the ES cell.
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e. Neomycin-resistant colonies of transformed ES cells could be isolated and their DNA analyzed by Southern blotting,
using a probe which was derived from the c-abl gene. Since the parent cell line contained its own wild-type c-abl gene,
one criterion for homologous recombination would be the presence of two distinct bands on the Southern blot: one at a
position representing the normal size of the gene, and a second at a position slightly larger (representing the cable gene
containing the neor gene insert). If nonhomologous hybridization had occurred, only the normal-sized band would
appear.
3. a. The technology used to create transgenic animals could be used to introduce new and sometimes novel genes into
various organisms, to inactivate genes in order to learn more about their normal function in embryonic development,
tissue differentiation, development of cancer, or functioning of the immune system; and a variation on this technique
can be employed in gene therapy.
b. If the engineered gene is essential for normal embryonic development, homozygous off-spring may die before birth.
Due to host-specific differences, the modified cells may fail to be incorporated into the developing embryo, and/or to be
transmitted to subsequent generations of offspring. Nonhomologous recombination occurs more often than homologous
recombination, and could result in the consequences described in 2(d).
4. a. In gene therapy, a normal, functional copy of a gene is introduced into the tissues of a patient who is suffering from
a genetic defect as a result of the presence of a specific defective gene, thus correcting the genetic defect in those tissues
and allowing the patient to lead a more normal life. Supportive (=replacement) therapy involves the replacement of
malfunctioning cells with normal cells, such as occurs in bone marrow transplants.
b. It is difficult to utilize gene therapy to treat many disorders because, in order to do so, the functional gene must be
introduced into the correct tissue, at the proper site, in a complex multicellular organism. Many tissues cannot be grown
in culture, and cells cannot be removed from certain parts of the body in order to genetically modify them. In addition,
viral vectors must be available, which selectively infect the proper types of cells and insert their DNA at an appropriate
location. Unless these conditions are met, gene therapy can be ineffective or even harmful.
5. a. RFLPs are restriction fragment length polymorphisms. They represent variations in DNA base-sequences from one
individual to another, which are manifested in terms of variations in restriction enzyme cutting sites. RFLPs can arise if
a deletion, insertion, or point mutation alters a restriction site within or near a gene, or if such a change occurs in a
noncoding region between genes.
b. By using RFLPs, it is often possible to diagnose human genetic disorders prior to the onset of their symptoms, in
fetuses before birth, in ova prior to artificial insemination, and in individuals who may be carriers of detrimental genes
and wish to make an informed decision prior to starting a family. Several possible disadvantages can be associated with
the use of RFLPs in this manner. The gene associated with the genetic disorder must be identified, sequenced, and
cloned before such tests are possible. An RFLP pattern difference must be detectable between normal and affected
individuals. In some cases, recombination may occur between the gene associated with the genetic disorder and the
adjacent polymorphic DNA region associated with the RFLP, and some individuals may inherit the disease gene
without inheriting the altered restriction site, or may inherit the altered restriction site but not possess the defective gene.
6. a. VNTRs (=Variable Number Tandem Repeats) are short base-sequences occurring in variable numbers within
tandemly-repeated clusters throughout the genome.
b. Microsatellite repeats consist of 25 nucleotide-long repeats occurring at many locations throughout the entire
genome. Minisatellite repeats consist of longer repeating units (3035 bp) containing a shorter, common-core sequence,
and tend to occur at fewer sites
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within the genome. Minisatellite repeats are more useful in DNA fingerprinting because their base-sequences are more
unique and do not occur so frequently within the genome that they are difficult to separate and distinguish
electrophoretically.
c. Genomic DNA from the individual is isolated and cut with a restriction enzyme that does not cut the VNTR array
itself, but which cuts to include the entire repeat section. (If the quantity of DNA available in the sample is small, it may
first be amplified via PCR.) The restriction fragments produced are separated via gel electrophoresis. Southern blotting
is carried out, using a radioactive probe that hybridizes with the basic repeated sequence. Autoradiography will reveal
the presence of a large number of DNA fragments of different sizes that hybridize with the probe, giving rise to a highly
individual pattern of fragments (the DNA fingerprint).
d. DNA fingerprinting has been used in forensics, to establish the paternity of a child, in cases of wildlife poaching, in
captive breeding programs of endangered animals, and in a number of other instances.
7. a. The technical problems encountered when attempting to clone and express the human growth factor gene in a
bacterial cell might include the following: (1) The eukaryotic promoters might not be recognized by the bacterial RNA
polymerases; (2) The mRNA transcribed from the eukaryotic gene might not be translatable on bacterial ribosomes; (3)
Introns may be present in the eukaryotic gene, and bacteria lack the capability to excise introns and splice the exons
together; (4) The protein itself might require processing, and the bacterium might be unable to respond appropriately to
the eukaryotic processing signals; and (5) Eukaryotic proteins might be perceived as ''foreign" material by bacterial
proteases and degraded.
b. One alternative approach might involve cloning a eukaryotic gene into an eukaryotic cloning vector such as a yeast
artificial chromosome (YAC), and utilizing yeast cells as the host for the vector. A second approachmight involve using
transgenic animals such as sheep or goats to produce the gene product, which would then be secreted in the animal's
milk.
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Note that the open box again represents the c-abl promoter, while the hatched box represents a different cellular
promoter. Sawtooth lines represent flanking chromosomes, and the dashed line represents the coding region
downstream of the hatched promoter.
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2. a. It would not be possible to distinguish the transgenic offspring from the nontransgenic offspring on the basis of
physical appearance, making the subsequent steps of the experiment much more difficult.
b. Our gene of interest would not be disrupted (and hence not inactivated). In addition, cells which had been
transformed with the c-abl gene would not become neomycin resistant, and would fail to grow on the G418 medium.
c. The recombinant gene would not enter the cell, and no transgenic ES cells would be produced.
d. If the ES cells began to differentiate, they would no longer be totipotent, and hence we might fail to observe
integration of the transformed ES cells into certain tissues, possibly including the germline tissues and/or the tissues
exhibiting the visible phenotype on the basis of which we were identifying chimeric animals.
3. a. The DNA fingerprint pattern obtained from suspect #1 most closely matches that found in the semen specimen.
The DNA fingerprints of the other two suspects (#2 and #3) do not match that of the semen specimen at all.
b. Suspects #2 and #3 are innocent, since their DNA fingerprints do not match that of the semen specimen. We cannot
say with absolute certainty that suspect #1 is guilty without knowing how often this particular DNA fingerprint pattern
occurs in the general population or in the ethnic group to which suspect #1 belongs. (We also don't know whether
suspect #1 has an identical twin brother, whose DNA fingerprints would be expected to be identical to his!) It would
obviously be easier to prove innocence, based upon the failure of a DNA fingerprint to match that found at a crime
scene, than it would be to prove guilt based upon a single apparent match.
c. F2 is most likely to be the father of the child. The child's DNA fingerprint pattern is a combination of the bands found
in the mother's pattern and in F2's pattern. F1's DNA pattern is much less consistent with that of the child.
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INDEX
A
A helix, 43, 46
A site, 202
Absorbance A, 48
Ac, 374
Acid, weak, 452
Actin filaments, 102
Activator, 254
Active site, 80
Adenine, 27, 41
Affinity, of ES binding, 80
Affinity maturation, 344
Agar, 6
Agrobacterium tumefaciens, 376, 428
AIDS, 158-159, 331, 424, 431-433
Alanine, 25
Alcohols, 458-459
Aldehydes, 460-461
Aldose, 461, 462
Aliphatic molecules, 457
Alkaline hydrolysis, 49, 57
Alkanes, 454-455
Alkenes, 455-456
Alkylating agents, 219, 236
Alkynes, 457
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Allele-specific oligonucleotides (ASO), 419

Allelic exclusion, 344
Allosteric effectors, 254, 275
complementation, 394-395, 399, 402-403
helix, 71-72, 74, 75
keratin, 72
Ames test, 235-236
Amides, 466-467
Amines, 466-467
Aminoacyl site, 202
Aminoacyl tRNA synthetases, 191-194
Amino acid attachment site, 193
Amino acids, 24
analysis and sequencing, 11, 32
chemical structure, 24-26, 467-468
encoding by tRNA, 188-189
hydrophobic interactions, 30
and protein folding, 69-70
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Amino terminus, 24
Amphipathic molecule, 99
Amphoteric, 468
"Antibiotic action" concept, 208
Antibiotics, 208
resistance to, 216, 352-353, 367
Antibodies, 76; see also Immunoglobulins
artificial production system, 307
Anticodon, 188, 191
Antigens, 76, 340
Antigen-antibody reaction, 76, 307; see also Immunoglobulins
Antiparallelism, 140, 145-146
Antiterminators, 296
AP endonucleases, 221, 222
Arabidopsis, 9, 428
Arabinose (ara) operon, 265
Arber, Werner, 384
Arginine, 25, 91
Aromatic molecules, 457-458
ASO, 419
Aspargine, 25
Aspartic Acid, 25
Atom, 444, 446
ATP, 164
Attenuator, 172, 269, 270
Autoregulation, 271
Auxotroph, 5
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AZT, 159, 432

B
B helix, 40, 44, 46, 47
Bacillus thuringiensis, 427
Bacteria, 5-6
culture media, 5-6
metabolic regulation in, 6; see also Regulation, Prokaryotic
Bacteriophage; see Phage
Bal I, 385
BamH I, 385
Base, conjugate, 451
Base, weak, 452
Base composition, 41, 43
Base-pairing, 41, 42
Base-stacking, 29-30, 31, 47
Benzene, 458
-galactosidase, 255
-pleated sheet, 72, 73, 75
structure, 72-73, 74, 75
"Biopolymer" concept, 28
Blender experiment, 117-120
Blunt ends, 384, 385, 394, 396
BMP, 344
Bone maturation protein, 344
Branched pathway, 275
Broth, 5
C
C terminus, 26
cAMP, 261
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cAMP-CRP, 262-264, 271

cAMP receptor protein, 262, 271
Cap, mRNA, 175, 176, 201, 206-207
CAP protein, 98, 168
Capping, 176
Capsid, 117, 283
Carbohydrate, 459
"Carbon utility" concept, 458
Carboxyl terminus, 26
Carboxylic acids, 461-462
Carboxy-terminal domain, 320
Carcinogens, 234-236
cDNA library, 398
Cell culture, 8-9
Cell membranes, 99-102, 464
Cells, animal, 8-9
Cells, plant, 9
"Changing genome" concept, 375
Chargaff's rule, 116-117
Chase, Martha, 117
Chemical bonds; see also under specific bond type
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covalent, 444-446
disulfide, 465
hydrogen, 448
hydrophobic, 449
ionic, 446
polar covalent, 446-447, 448
resonance, 449-450
strengths, chemical, 447
Chemistry, Organic, 453-468
alcohols, 458-459
aldehydes, 460-461
alkanes, 454
alkenes, 454-456
alkynes, 457
amines, imines, and amides, 466-467
ammo acids, 467-468
carbon bonding, 453
carboxylic acids, 461-463
cycloalkanes, 457-458
cycloalkenes, 457-458
esters, 463-465
ethers, 459-460
ketones, 460-461
thiols, thioethers, and disulfides, 465
Chemokines, 433
Chiral center, 453, 467
Chromatin, 91-95
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and DNA replication, 156-157

hypersensitive sites, 321
and transcription, 313, 314, 316-317, 321
Chromatography, 11, 31-32
Chromosome
and chromatin, 91-95
of E. coli, 88-90
early observations, 110-11
jumping, 384, 388-389
replication, 156-158
solenoidal model, 95
walking, 384, 387-389
Circular permutation, 289, 290
cis-dominant, 259
Cistron, 172
Clonal selection, 344
Cloning, 33, 383; see also Recombinant DNA technology
directional, 394-397
ligation reaction, 393-394
Southern transfer, 181-182
transgenic animals, 9, 412-417, 423-424, 429-430
transgenic plants, 428-429
vectors, 33-34, 295, 382, 390, 392-398, 410-412, 423
Coactivators, 318
Cockayne's syndrome, 238
Codon, 123, 172, 188
start, 191, 196
stop, 190, 191, 193, 196, 203
Codon-anticodon binding, 193-194, 194-196
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Cohesive ends, 384, 385, 386

in phage , 295, 296
Cointegrate, 369, 371, 373
Colicin, 354
"Combinatorial action" concept, 320
Compatible ends, 386
Concatemer, 138
Conjugate base, 451
Conjugation bridge, 355
"Connectedness" concept, 102
Constant region, 77
Constitutive expression, 258
Core enzyme, 143, 166
Core particle, 94
Corepressor, 266
cos region, 299
Cosmids, 388-389, 390
Covalent bond, 26, 444-446
Covalent extension, 136, 138, 153-155
CpG islands, 323
Crick, Francis, 4, 41
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Cro protein, 97-98, 298

CRP, 262, 271
CTD, 320
CTP, 164
Cyclic AMP, 261
Cycloalkanes, 457-458
Cycloalkenes, 457-458
Cysteine, 25, 26, 70
Cytosine, 27, 41, 125-126
Cytoskeletal elements, 102-103
Culture, bacterial, 5
D
D-loop, 138, 154
Daughter strand, 134, 145
Deamination, 125-126, 219, 222-223
Dehydration reaction, 460
Dehydrogenation reaction, 460
Denaturation, 47-50
De Novo initiation of DNA replication, 136-138
Depurination, 219, 220, 221
Derepression, 261, 264-265
Dihydrouracil, 192
Dinucleotide, 27
Dipeptide, 26
Discontinuous synthesis, 146
Displacement loop, 138, 154
Disulfide bond, 26, 70, 75, 76-77, 465
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DNA
A helix, 43, 46
absorbance A, 48
alternate structures, 43-45
antiparallel orientation, 42
B helix, 40, 44, 46, 47
base composition and pairing, 41
base stacking, 47
bases of, 27
blender experiment, 117-120
cDNA, 398
cDNA library, 398
chemical synthesis of, 11, 60-62
circular and superhelical, 45-50
cloning, 33, 181, 390-392; see also Cloning
Cro-DNA complex, 97-98
cruciform structures, 46, 47
denaturation of, 47-50
density, 43
differences from RNA, 26
eukaryotic, 313
fingerprinting, 420-422
first described, 4
folding in chromosome, 92, 95
four-stranded, 45
handedness, 42, 44
hybridization, 53-54, 180, 399, 400
hydrogen bonds in, 29
hyperchromic, 48
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identification as genetic material, 112-121

looping, 263-265
melting curve, 48-49
oligonucleotides, 383
palindromic, 46, 47
physical and chemical structure, 40-53
polymerase; see DNA polymerase
protein binding, 47, 96-99
reannealing, 50-53
recombinant; see Recombinant DNA technology
renaturation, 50-53
repair; see DNA repair
repeated sequences, 51-53, 313
in IS sequences, 365-366
replication; see DNA replication
satellite, 43, 52
sequencing, 58-60
single-stranded, 44-45
stability, 26, 124-126
storage and transmission of genetic information, 122
suitability as genetic material, 122-127
termini, 42
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tetranucleotide model, 111, 116

transcription; see transcription
triple-stranded, 45
Z helix, 44, 46
"DNA-genetic material" concept, 124
DNA-RNA hybridization, 54, 180
DNA gyrase, 90, 152; see also Topoisomerases
DNA ligase, 150-151, 152, 153
DNA polymerase, 140-145, 158-159, 361; see also Pol I, pol III
directionality, 145
editing function, 124, 143, 242
in DNA replication, 132, 152-153, 155
for sequencing, 58
DNA repair, 236-244
direct reversal, 236
excision repair, 237-238
mismatch repair, 220, 221, 243-244
postreplicational, 240
recombinational, 238-240
SOS response system, 228, 240-243
spontaneous mutants, repair of, 220-223
"DNA repair" concept, 243
DNA replication, 123-124, 131-161; see also DNA synthesis
antiparallelism, 140, 145-146
bidirectional, 154-155, 361-363
complete system overview, 152-153
complexity, 131-132
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concatemer, 138
copy error rate, 124
covalent extension, 136, 138, 153-155
D loop, 138
de novo initiation, 136-138
discontinuous synthesis, 145-149
DNA ligase, 150-151
DNA polymerase, 132, 140-145, 152-153, 155, 158-159, 242, 361
editing function, 124, 143, 242
error prone, 241
eukaryotic, 156-158
helicase, 134, 135, 139-140
initiation, 136-138
lagging-strand synthesis, 146, 148, 150
leading-strand synthesis, 146, 149, 150
mismatched bases, correcting, 142-143
nick translation, 143, 153
Okazaki fragments, 146-149
ori, 136
in plasmids, 361-364
in phage, 149, 293-295, 299, 303
pol I, 140-143, 144, 145, 152-153
editing function, 143
lagging-strand assembly, 150, 151
in phages, 154
pol III, 140-143, 153
inhibition of editing function, 242
in phages, 154
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subunits, 143-144
polymerization reaction, 140-142
postdimer initiation, 239
precursor fragments, 148
primer, 141, 149-150
primosome, 150
pulse-chase experiment, 147, 148
pulse-labeling experiment, 147-148
rate, 156
replication fork, 132, 139, 152
replisome, 363
rolling circle, 154, 294
semiconservative character, 132
sigma, 154
single-strand DNA binding proteins, 139-140
ssbs, 139-140
replication, 133-135, 153, 299
thymine dimers and, 237-239
topoisomerases and, 47, 134, 135-136, 153, 155
unwinding of DNA during, 133-136, 139-140
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DNA synthesis; see also DNA

replication
chemical, 11, 60-62
DnaA protein, 137
DnaB gene, 139
DNA-RNA hybridization, 54
DNase, 57
Drug resistance; see Antibiotics, resistance to
Ds, 374
E
E. coli, 5, 88-90
EcoR I, 382, 383, 385, 388, 394, 395, 396, 402
Editing function, 124, 143, 242; see also Proofreading function
Efficiency argument, 12
Electron microscopy, 11, 34
Electrophoresis, 11, 32-34
restriction mapping, 386-387
sequencing nucleic acids, 59-60
Southern transfer, 181-182
Electroporation, 413, 428
Embryonic stem cells, 9, 413-415, 416
EMS, 225-226
End product inhibition, 274-275
Endolysin, 285
Endonuclease, 57, 174
Endoplasmic reticulum, 330, 336
Enhancers, 314, 316, 317, 318, 319-320
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Enterotoxin, 354
"Enzyme catalysis" concept, 80
Enzyme-substrate complex, 80-81
Enzymes, 73, 79-83
Error-prone SOS repair, 228, 240-243
ES cells, 9, 413-415, 416
ES complex, 80-81
Escherichia coli, 5, 88-90
Esters, 463-465
Ethers, 460
Ethylmethane sulfonate, 225-226
Eukaryotes
cell nucleus, features, 110
cellular and genomic organization, 312-313
chromosome, 91-95
mRNA, 175, 206-207
polypeptide synthesis, 204
rate of DNA replication, 156
and recombinant DNA technology, 423
regulation of gene activity in, 311-347
repeated DNA sequences in, 51-53
ribosome, 200
RNA polymerases, 176-177, 314, 315
RNA splicing in, 178-179, 325, 331
satellite DNA, 43
transposable elements in, 374-375
transcription in, 174-180
"Evolution of DNA replication" concept, 152
"Evolution-of-Structure" concept, 42
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Exon, 177, 179-180, 324, 327, 328

Excision repair, 237-238
Exonuclease, 57, 142-143, 144
F
Familial hypercholesterolemia, 426
Feedback inhibition, 254, 274-276
Fingerprinting, DNA, 421-422
5'-P terminus, 27
Fluid mosaic model of membrane structure, 100, 101
Flush ends, 384, 385, 394, 396
Formylation, 200
G
Galactose (gal) operon, 263-265
Galactoside transacetylase, 256, 257
Gel electrophoresis; see Electrophoresis
Gene activator protein, 168
"Gene" concept, 128
Gene rearrangement, 340-344
Gene therapy, 9, 416, 425, 436-437
Genes
constitutive, 258, 271
DNA restriction and modification, 354
housekeeping, 317
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monocistronic, 313
mutator, 229
oncogenes, 413
overlapping, 196-198
plasmid-borne, 353-354
polycistronic, 313; see also Polycistronic RNA
Genetic code, 189-191
Genetic engineering; see Recombinant DNA technology
Genetic material, 109-129
Genetic testing, 435-436
Genetics, 10, 12
Genomic imprinting, 323
Genomic library, 387, 398
Glutamic acid, 25
Glutamine, 25
Glycine, 25
GTP, 164
Guanine, 27, 41
H
H chain, 77
Hairpin structure, 55
Headful mechanism, 290
Helicase, 134, 135, 139-140
and bidirectional replication, 155
complexed with primase, 150, 152-153
in phage, 154
Hemiacetal, 461
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Henderson-Hasselbach equation, 452

Heredity, historical observations on mechanism, 110-112
Hershey, Alfred, 117
Heterochromatin, 323
Heteroduplexing, 52-53
Heterogeneous nuclear RNA, 177-178
Hfr cells, 357-359, 359-360
Hind III, 383-385, 394, 395, 396
Histidine, 25
Histones
in chromatin, 91-93, 94-95
and DNA replication, 156-158
histone mRNA stability, 332-333
HIV; see AIDS
HMC, 287
hnRNA, 177-178
hnRNPs, 330-331
Holism, 14-15
Holoenzyme, 143, 166
Hot spots, 222-223, 367
Human genome project, 417, 435
Human growth hormone, 424-425
Hybridization, 399, 400
DNA-RNA, 54
Northern, 54
Hydrocarbons, 454
Hydrogen bonds
and alpha helix structure, 71
and beta structure, 72
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in biological systems, 29, 448

in DNA, 41, 42
in polypeptide chain folding, 31, 70
and tertiary protein folding, 74, 75
Hydrophilic interactions, 449
Hydrophobic interactions, 29-30, 31, 74, 75, 449
Hydrolysis, 56-57
Hydroxylamine, 225, 226
I
IgG; see Immunoglobulin G
Imines, 466-467
Immunoglobulin G
and gene rearrangements, 340-342
protein structure, 76-79
Immunoglobulins, 75, 76, 340-344
Induced-fit model of enzyme binding, 80-81
Inducer, 253, 260, 261, 264
Initiation factors, 201
Insertion sequences, 360, 364, 365-367
Insertional inactivation, 399, 400-401
"Instability flexibility" concept, 338
Integral membrane proteins, 100, 101
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Integrase, 432
Intercalating agents, 219, 226-227
Intermediate filaments, 102
Internal resolution site (IRS), 368
Introns, 175, 177, 313
in evolutionary history, 324
intron retaining mode of alternative splicing, 331
possible reasons for, 179-180
and recombinant plasmids, 397
Ionic bonds, 30, 31, 446
IPTG, 258
IS sequences, 360, 364, 365-367
Isoenzymes, 275
Isoleucine, 25
Isomers
cis, 456
geometric, 456
stereoisomers, 453-454
structural, 454
trans, 456
Isopropylthiogalactoside, 258
K
Ketones, 460-461
Ketose, 461, 462
Kinase, 83
Knockout mice, 412
L
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L chain, 77
Lactose permease, 255
Lactose system, 255-263
allosteric conformational changes in, 275
lac operon, 98, 255, 256, 260, 261-262
Lac repressor, 258
lactose degradation, 6
metabolism, 255-256
post-transcriptional control in, 272-273
Lagging strand, 146,149, 150, 152-154, 158
LCR, 320
Leader RNA, 267
Leader sequence, 172, 196
Leading strand, 146, 148, 149, 150, 152-154, 158
Leucine, 25
"Levels of sophistication" concept, 307
LexA protein, 240-242, 271
Lipid bilayer, 99-102
Liquid growth medium, 5
Lock-and-key model of enzyme binding, 80-81
Locus control regions (LCR), 321
Lysine, 25, 91
Lysis, 284, 285
Lysogen,300
Lysogenic life cycle, 283, 299-300
Lytic life cycle, 283-286, 295-299, 300, 301
Lysozyme, 81-82, 285
M
"Macromolecular complex" concept, 99
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Macromolecules, 23-64
denatured, 47
isolation and characterization, 31-34
native, 48
Major groove, 40, 41, 44
Malaria, 103
Media, culture, 5-6
Meiosis, 45
Melting curve, 48-49
Membrane bilayer, 99
Membrane filters, 53
Membranes, 99-102, 464
Mendel, Gregor, 110
Messenger RNA; see mRNA
Methionine, 25
Methylation, 221, 321-324, 373-374
Methyl methane sulfonate (MMS), 225, 236
Microsatellite repeats, 420
Minisatellite repeats, 420
Microtubules, 102
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Miescher, F., 4
Minimal medium, 5
Minipreps, 402
Minor groove, 40, 41, 44
Mismatch repair, 220, 221, 243-244
''Mix and match" transcript concept, 329
MMS, 225, 236
Model building, 13
Model biological systems, 5-9
Molecular Biology
concepts in, 16-17
genetic methods for, 10, 12
logic of, 12-14
methodology, 9-12
history, 4-5
rewards of, 17, 19-20
table of methods, 11
Molecular sieve, 31-32, 34
Monoclonal antibody histochemistry, 11
Mononucleotide, 26
Morphogen, 319
mRNA, 55, 172-173
antisense, 429
cap, 175, 176, 201, 206-207
in chloroplast, 206
cloning of eukaryotic genes, 397-398
creation of cDNA library, 398
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eukaryotic, 175, 204, 206-207

function, 123
importance of, 163-164
leader sequence, 172, 196
mitochrondrial, 206
monocistronic, 175
poly (A) terminus, 175, 176-177, 206, 327
polycistronic, 172, 196
stability in eukaryotes, 331-334
stability in prokaryotes, 272-273
synthetic, 208
"mRNA half-life" concept, 334
Mutagens, 214
alkylating agents, 219
base analogues, 221, 223-224
BU, 224, 225
chemical, 224-226
detection of, 235-236
5-bromouracil, 224-225
intercalating agents, 219
ultraviolet radiation, 228
Mutagenesis, 218-220
induced, 214
misalignment, 227
p53 mutation cancers, 243
site-directed (site-specific), 392, 410-412
transposable elements, 228-229
ultraviolet radiation, 228
Mutants, 214
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bacterial, notation, 215-216

biochemical basis of, 216-218
Lac-, 255
suppressor, 283
uses in molecular biology, overview, 10
Mutations, 126-127
back, 229
base addition, 214, 215, 218
base deletion, 214, 215, 218
base substitution, 214, 215, 418-419
chain termination, 214, 215, 217, 232, 233
conditional, 215
constitutive, 258
frameshift, 217, 227
hot spots, 222-223, 367
induced, 223-229
leaky, 217
missense, 214, 215, 234
multiple, 214
neutral, 214, 215, 216, 217
nonleaky types, 217
nonsense, 214, 215, 217, 232, 233
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notation, in bacteria, 215, 216

point, 214, 215
polar, 229
rate of, 127
reverse, 229
second-site, 230
silent, 214, 215, 217
site-specific, 214
spontaneous, 214, 220-223
suppressor, 230
tautomeric shifts, 221
temperature-sensitive, 214
transition, 224
types, 214-215
"Mutationvariation" concept, 229
Myf 5, 318
Myo D, 318
N
N-glycosylic bond, 27, 218
N terminus, 26
NAD, 151
Nathans, Daniel, 384
Nick translation, 143, 153
Nitrous acid, 225, 226
Northern hybridization, 54
Nuclear pore complexes, 330
Nuclear translocation signal, 318
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Nucleases, 57
Nucleic acids, 26-27, 39-65
DNA, physical, and chemical structure, 40-54
electrophoresis, 33
hybridization, 11, 54; see also Hybridization
hydrolysis, 56-58
hydrophobic interactions, 29-30
noncovalent interactions, 28-31
RNA, structure, 55-58
sequencing, 58-60
Nuclein, 110, 111
Nucleoid, 88-89
Nucleoproteins, 111
Nucleoside, 27
Nucleosome, 92-94, 157
Nucleotide
components, 26-27
sequencing, 11, 34; see also Sequencing
NusA protein, 169, 170
O
Octameric disc, 94
Oct-1, 318-319
Oct-2, 318-319
Okazaki fragments, 146-149, 152, 153, 239, 240; see also Precursor fragments
Oligonucleotides, 182-183
Oncogenes, 413
Open-promoter complex, 168
Operator, 259, 260-261
Operon model, 260-263
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Optimism, 14
Ori, 136, 154, 155, 363
Overlapping genes, 196-197
P
P site, 202
Palindrome, 46, 47, 383, 384
Parallelism, 13
Partial diploid, 255-256, 259
PCR, 11, 390-392, 421
Peptide bond, 24, 26, 69
Peptidyl site, 202
Peptidyl transferase, 202
Peripheral proteins, 100, 101
pH, 450-453
Phage, 7, 281-309
in blender experiment, 117-120
capsid, 117, 283
catalytic proteins, 285
coat, 283
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display library, 307

DNA replication in, 153
endolysin, 285
injection sequence, 284
life cycles, 118, 283
lysogenic, 283, 299-304
lytic, 283-286, 295-299, 300, 301
lysate, 118
lysis, 284, 285
lysogen, 300
lysozyme, 81-82, 285
minimal functions, 281
morphogenesis, 285
nucleic acids in, 282-283
and plasmids, 354-355
properties of specific phage, 282
prophage, 300, 302-303
structural proteins, 285
structures, 11, 117, 282-283
temperate, 283
transducing, 304-306
virulent, 283
Phage G4, 198
Phage , 295-304
antiterminators in, 296
as cloning vector, 390, 392
cohesive ends, 295, 296
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cos region, 299

Cro protein-DNA binding in, 97-98
de novo initiation of replication, 136-138
determination of lifecycle pathway, 304
DNA replication in, 149, 299, 303
excisionase and induction in, 302
genetic map, 297
heteroduplexing in, 54
immunity of lysogen, 300-302
integrase, 302
lysogenic cycle, 299-304
lytic cycle, 295-299
prophage integration and excision, 302-303
regulatory genes, 297-298
repressor-operator system, 301-302
terminase, 299
UV reactivation and, 242-243
Phage lysate, 118
Phage M13, 292-295, 307, 392, 410-412
Phage P1, 300
Phage -174, 120, 197-198
Phage PM2, 46
Phage T2
and blender experiment, 117
Phage T4
DNA packaging, 289-290
illustration, 7
circular permutation, 289, 290
headful mechanism, 290
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lifecycle, 283-286
metabolism, 287-288
size, 286-287
polymerase, 144
terminal redundancy, 288-289, 290
Phage T7, 290-292
Phenylalanine, 25
Phosphatase, 83
Phosphodiester group, 27, 464
Phosphoester linkage, 27, 464
Phospholipids, 463-464
Photolyase, 236
Photoreactivation, 228
Phototroph, 5
Phylogenetic history, 12
Pilus, pili, 355, 382
Plasmid transfer, 354-361
Plasmids, 255, 351-353
in Agrobacterium tumefaciens, 376
as cloning vectors, 33-34, 382, 390, 392-398, 410-412
Col, 354
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ColE1, 352, 354, 356, 361

cosmids, 388, 390
DNA replication in, 361-364
F, 255-256, 352, 354-361, 369
F', 255-256, 360-361
Hfr cells, 357-360
insertion sequences, 360
merodiploid, 361
mobilizable, 356
P1, 352
plasmid copy number, 361-364
plasmid transfer, 354-361
polylinkers, 392, 396, 402
R, 353, 356
R6K, 352
R100, 352
in recombinant DNA technology, 382
replication, 361-364
self-transmissible, 355
sex factor, 355
size, 352
tumor-inducing, 428
Plasmodium, 103
Pol I, 140-143, 144, 145, 152-153
lagging-strand assembly, 150, 151
in phages, 154
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Pol III, 140-143, 153

inhibition of editing function, 242
in phages, 154
subunits, 143-144
Polar covalent bonds, 447
Poly (A) terminus, 175, 176-177, 206, 327
Polyadenylic acid; see poly (A) terminus
Polycistronic mRNA, 172, 196, 203, 253
in gal operon, 263
in lac system, 260
Polylinker, 392, 396, 402
Polymerase alpha, 156, 158
Polymerase chain reaction, 11, 390-392
Polymerization, 141-142
Polypeptide chain, 24, 31;
see also Proteins folding of, 68-70
Polypeptide synthesis, 198-204; see also Translation
in eukaryotes, 204
in prokaryotes, 200-204
stages of, 198-204
Polyprotein, 204
Polyribosome, 205
Polysaccharides, 28
Polysome, 205, 336
Post-transcriptional control, 272-273
Precursor fragments, 148, 149, 150-151, 155
Pri A, 139
"Primary sequence" concept, 70
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Primase, 149, 150, 152-153

Primer, 58, 59, 141, 149-150, 152-153, 155
in PCR, 390-392
Primosome, 150,152-153, 154
Probe, 181, 419
Progression diagram, 17, 18
chapter 1, 18
chapter 2, 22
chapter 3, 38
chapter 4, 66
chapter 5, 86
chapter 6, 108
chapter 7 130
chapter 8, 162
chapter 9, 186
chapter 10, 212
chapter 11, 250
chapter 12, 280
chapter 13, 310
chapter 14, 350
chapter 15, 380
chapter 16, 408
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Prokaryotes, 5
base composition in, 43
cellular and genomic organization, 313
chromosome, 88-90, 95
mRNA in, 172-173
polypeptide synthesis in, 200-204
rate of DNA replication, 156
"Prokaryotic simplicity" concept, 206
Proline, 25
Promoter core, 315
Promoters, 166-168
and constitutive genes, 271-272
in gal operon, 263-265
in lac operon, 260
methylation and, 323
in phage lysogenic cycle, 301-302
in phage lytic cycle, 296-298
in phage T7, 291-292
and splicing, 326, 327
and transcriptional activation in eukaryotes, 319-320
and transcriptional regulation in eukaryotes, 315-317
in trp operon, 266-267
Proofreading function, 124, 143, 221
Prophage, 300, 302-303
Protease inhibitors, 432-433
"Protein levels" concept, 273
Protein processing, 200, 204, 336-337
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Protein synthesis; see Translation

Proteins, 24-26
allosteric conformational changes, 275-276
catalytic, 73
cytoskeletal elements, 102-103
disulfide bonds in, 26, 75, 465
DNA-binding, 96-97
domains, 179-180
electrophoresis, 32
enzymes, 73
fibrous, 73
global regulatory, 271
globular, 73
hydrogen bonding, 29
immunoglobulins, 340-344
integral membrane, 100, 101
intracellular translocation, 335-336
isolation of, 31-32
membrane-associated, 100-102
molecular weight, 68
mutation in, 216-218
noncovalent interactions, 28-31
peripheral, 100, 101
plasmid encoded, 354
posttranslational modifications, 200, 336-337
proteolysis, 273, 337
regulation of activity of, 335-339
regulation of stability of, 336-337
side-chain interactions, 74
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single-strand DNA binding, 139-140

SRBs, 319-320
structure, physical, 67-85
primary, 68
secondary, 68, 70-73
tertiary, 73-76
subunits, 76-79
translocation signals, 336
transmembrane, 100-102
Proteolysis, 273, 337
Protoplasts, 428
Provirus, 375
Pseudoreversion, 230
Pseudouridine, 192
Pulse-chase experiment, 147, 148
Pulse-labeling experiment, 147-148
Purines, 27, 41
Pyrimidines, 27, 41
pyrimidine dimer, 228, 237-239
Q
Quantitative assessment, 13
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R
R factor, 353
Radioisotope tracers, 11
Random coil, 28-29, 70
Reading frame, 196-198, 202
RecA protein, 239, 240-242, 358, 359
Recognition region, 193
"Recombinant DNA" concept, 402
Recombinant DNA technology, 11, 381-407
agricultural uses, 427-430
applications, 403
cloning, 33, 383; see also Cloning
detecting recombinant molecules, 399-403
DNA fingerprinting, 420-422
gene therapy, 416
industrial uses, 430-431
knockout mice, 412
in medicine, 417-427, 431-433
and phage M13, 295
pharmaceuticals, production of, 422-425
and plasmids, 382
research applications, 410-417
restriction enzymes, 382-392, 399, 402
site-directed mutagenesis, 410-412
social and ethical issues, 433-437
transgenic animals, 9, 412-417, 423-424, 429-430
transgenic plants, 428-429
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vectors, 33-34, 295, 382, 390, 392-398, 410-412, 423

Recombinase, 342-343
Redundancy, 125, 127, 190, 194-195
Reductionism, 14
Regulation
Eukaryotic, 311-347
control levels, 311-312
enhancers, 314, 316, 317, 318, 319-320
gene rearrangements, 340-344
methylation, 321-323
of mRNA stability, 331-334
of nucleocytoplasmic mRNA transport, 330-331
promoters, 315-317, 319-320
of protein activity, 335-339
of protein stability, 336-337
RNA polymerases, 314
RNA processing, 324-329
of transcription initiation, 313-324
of translation, 334-335
Prokaryotic, 251-279
arabinose (ara) operon, 265, 275
autoregulation in, 271
attenuation, 266-270
constitutive genes and, 271
coordinate, 253
DNA looping, 263-265
feedback inhibition, 254, 274-276
galactose (gal) operon, 263-265, 275
global, 271
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of isoenzymes, 275
lactose system, 255-263, 272-273, 275
mRNA degradation and, 272-273
negative, 253, 254
positive, 253, 254
posttranscriptional control, 272-273
principles of, 252-253
by proteolysis, 273
regulon, 271
translational control, 272
transcriptional, 253-272
tryptophan (trp) operon, 266-271, 275
"Regulation" concept, 253
Regulon, 271
Release factor, 202
Renaturation, 50-53
Replacement therapy, 425
Replication; see DNA replication
Replication bubble, 155
Replication fork, 132, 139, 152
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Replisome, 363
Repressor, 253, 260, 261, 264-265, 317
Resolvase, 368
Resonance bonds, 449-450
Restriction endonucleases; see Restriction enzymes
Restriction enzymes, 57, 181
in recombinant DNA technology, 382-392, 399, 402
Restriction fragment length polymorphism,418-419
Restriction maps, 386, 387-389
Retroviruses, 375, 398, 431
Reverse genetics, 425
Reverse transcriptase, 158-159, 375, 398, 431,432
Reversion, 229-236
detecting mutagens and carcinogens and, 234-236
intragenic revertants, 230-232
intergenic revertants, 232-234
RFLP, 418-419
Rho factor, 170-171
Ribonucleoprotein, 178
Ribosomal RNA; see rRNA
Ribosome, 173, 188, 198-200
Ribosome binding site, 201
Ribozyme, 57, 174
RNA
bases in, 27
base-pairing in, 55-56
catalytic activity in, 57
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chemical synthesis, 62
differences from DNA, 26, 55
double-stranded, 43
editing, 329
as genetic material, 120-121, 127-128
helix-loop structures in, 45
structure, 55-56
types, 55, 171
"RNA enzyme" concept, 58
RNA polymerase; see also Transcription
de novo initiation of transcription, 137-138
eukaryotic, 174, 176-177, 314, 315
primer RNA synthesis, 149, 153
RNA synthesis, 163, 164, 168; see also RNA synthesis
type II regulation, 315-317
RNA primer; see Primer
RNA processing, 123, 173-174, 324-329
"RNA processing" concept, 180
RNA splicing, 177-180, 325-329
RNA synthesis, 122; see also Transcription
antiparallelism, 164-165
direction of chain growth, 165
essential chemical characteristics, 164-166
initiation, 164, 168
polymerization reaction, 166; see also RNA polymerase
precursors, 164
stages, 166,170
transcription signals, 166-171
RNase, 57
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RNP, 178
rNTP, 164
Rolling circle replication, 154, 357
rRNA, 55
in eukaryotes, 200
posttranscriptional modification, 173-174
and repeated sequences, 52
in ribosomes, 199-200
S
S-value, 90, 148
Salts, chemical, 451
Sanger procedure, 58
Satellite DNA, 43, 52
Scaffold, 89, 95
Sedimentation coefficient, 148; see also S-value
SCID (Severe combined immunodeficiency), 425-426
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Semiconservative replication, 132

Sequences, repeating, 51
Sequencing, 58-60
Serine, 25
70S initiation complex, 202
"Shape/size" concept, 75
"Shapes and surfaces" concept, 79
Shine-Dalgarno sequence, 201
Shuttle vectors, 393
Sickle cell anemia, 418-419
Sigma factor, 170
Sigma replication, 154
Signal recognition particle (SRP), 336
Silencer sequence, 317
"Simple genome" concept, 296
Single-strand DNA binding proteins, 152, 153, 154
Sister-strand exchange, 239-240
Site-directed mutagenesis, 392, 410-412
Site-specific mutagenesis, 392, 410-412
Small nuclear ribonucleoprotein, 178-179
Smith, Hamilton, 384
snRNP, 178-179, 325
Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), 32
SOS repair, 228, 240-243
Southern transfer, 181-182, 418, 421
Spacer, 172, 196
Spliceosome, 178-179, 325, 331
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Splicing, 177-180, 325-329, 331

SRBs, 319-320
SRP, 336
ssb proteins, 152, 153, 154
Stem cells, embryonic, 9, 413
Stem-loop structure, 55, 170, 171
Stereoisomers, 453-454
Sticky ends, 384; see also Cohesive ends
Strong inference, 13-14
Suppression; see Reversion
"Surface interaction" concept, 469
SV 40, 136, 137, 198
T
TAFs, 315-317, 319-320
taq polymerase, 390
TATA box, 315, 317, 319
TATA-box binding protein (TBP), 315-317, 319
Tautermerization, 218, 220
TBP, 315, 316
TBP-associated factors (TAFs), 315-317, 319-320
Template strand, 169, 172
Terminal redundancy, 288-289, 290
Terminator, 169-170
Tetrapeptide, 26
replication, 133-135, 153, 299
Thioethers, 465
Thiols, 465
30S preinitiation complex, 201
3'-OH terminus, 27
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Threonine, 25
Thymine, 27, 41, 125
dimers, 237, 238-239
Tissue engineering, 344
Tn elements; see Transposable elements
Tobacco mosaic virus, 120-121
Topoisomerases, 47, 134, 135-136, 153, 155
Totipotent, 413
tra operon, 355, 356
Transcription, 122, 163-184; see also RNA synthesis
activators, 316-317
assembly of apparatus, 319-320
coupled with translation, 205-206
enhancers, 314, 316, 317, 319-320
in eukaryotes, 174-180
gene activator protein, 168
open promoter complex, 168
in phage 296-298, 301-302, 304
in phage T7, 291-292
posttranscriptional modification, 173; see also RNA processing
primary transcripts, 173
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promoters, 166, 291-292, 296-298, 301-302, 304, 315-317, 319-320

regulation of initiation, 313-324
RNA polymerases and 315-317; see also RNA polymerase
signals, 166-171
silence sequences, 317
template strand, 169, 172
terminators, 169
Transcription factors, 175, 315
domains, 318-319
posttranslational regulation, 338-339
and regulation of transcription initiation, 314, 315-317
Transdimer synthesis, 239
Transducing particles, 304-306
Transfer RNA; see tRNA
Transformation experiments, 112-114
Transforming principle, 112, 114-116
Transgenic animals, 9, 412-417, 423-424, 429-430
Transgenic plants, 428-429
Translation, 123,187-211; see also Polypeptide synthesis
aminoacyl tRNA synthetases, 191-194
complex translation units, 204-207
coupled with transcription, 205-206
genetic code, 189-191
in-vitro, 208
negative translational control, 335
polysome, 205, 336
in prokaryotes, 196-198
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regulation of, in eukaryotes, 334-335

regulation of, in prokaryotes, 272
signal recognition particle, 336
translational frameshifting, 335
tRNA and, 188-189, 191-194; see also tRNA
Translocation, 202
Translocation signals, 336
Transmembrane proteins, 100, 102, 103
Transposable elements, 52, 219, 228-229, 364-375
Transposase, 366
Transposition, 229, 327, 364, 369-374
Transposons, 364, 367-368, 371, 373, 375; see also IS sequences
Triglyceride, 463
Triplet, 123
tRNA, 55
acylated, 193
amino acid attachment site, 193
anticodon, 188, 191
charged, 193
codon, 123, 172, 188
formylation, 200
mischarged, 193
nonsense suppressor, 233-234
posttranscriptional modification, 173-174
in protein synthesis, 188-189
recognition region, 193
structure, 191-193
suppressor, 233-234
uncharged, 193
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unusual bases in, 192

Tryptophan, 6, 25
Tryptophan (trp) operon, 266-270
Tyrosine, 25
U
Ubiquitin, 337
Ultracentrifugation, 11, 32, 34
Ultraviolet radiation, 228, 236, 239, 242-243
"Universal genetic code" concept, 191
"Upstream/downstream" concept, 171
Uracil, 27, 125
UTP, 164
UV light; see Ultraviolet radiation
UV reactivation, 242-243
V
Valine, 25
Van der Waals bonds, 30-31, 73, 75
Variable number tandem repeats, 420-421
Variable region, 77
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Vectors, 33-34, 295, 382, 390, 392-398, 423

vegf (vascular endothelial growth factor), 426
Virus, 5
bacterial, 7; see also Phage
host, 5
VNTRs, 420-421
W
Watson, James D., 4, 41
Weaver, Warren, 4
"Weak forceshape" concept, 450
Wobble hypothesis, 194-196
X
Xeroderma pigmentosum, 238
X-ray diffraction and crystallography, 11, 32, 40
Y
YAC, 423,
Yeast, 7-8
Yeast artificial chromosome, 423
Z
Z helix, 44, 46
Zwitterionic, 468
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