DNA/Protein structure-function analysis and prediction Lecture 11: DNA/RNA structure.
DNA/Protein structure-function analysis and prediction
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Transcript of DNA/Protein structure-function analysis and prediction
DNA/Protein structure-function analysis and prediction
Lecture 12: DNA/RNA structure
Central Dogma of Molecular Biology
Replication DNATranscription
mRNATranslation
Protein
Transcription is carried out by RNA polymerase (II)
Translation is performed on ribosomes
Replication is carried out by DNA polymerase
Reverse transcriptase copies RNA into DNA
Transcription + Translation = Expression
But DNA can also be transcribed into non-coding RNA …
tRNA (transfer): transfer of amino acids to theribosome during protein synthesis.
rRNA (ribosomal): essential component of the ribosomes (complex with rProteins).
snRNA (small nuclear): mainly involved in RNA-splicing(removal of introns). snRNPs.
snoRNA (small nucleolar): involved in chemical modifi-cations of ribosomal RNAs and other RNA genes. snoRNPs.
SRP RNA (signal recognition particle): form RNA-protein complex involved in mRNA secretion.
Further: microRNA, eRNA, gRNA, tmRNA etc.
Eukaryotes have spliced genes …
Promoter: involved in transcription initiation (TF/RNApol-binding sites) TSS: transcription start site UTRs: un-translated regions (important for translational control) Exons will be spliced together by removal of the Introns Poly-adenylation site important for transcription termination
(but also: mRNA stability, export mRNA from nucleus etc.)
DNA makes mRNA makes Protein
Some facts about human genes
There are about 20.000 – 25.000 genes in the human genome (~ 3% of the genome)
Average gene length is ~ 8.000 bp
Average of 5-6 exons per gene
Average exon length is ~ 200 bp
Average intron length is ~ 2000 bp
8% of the genes have a single exon
Some exons can be as small as 1 or 3 bp
DMD: the largest known human gene
The largest known human gene is DMD, the gene that encodes dystrophin: ~ 2.4 milion bp over 79 exons
X-linked recessive disease (affects boys)
Two variants: Duchenne-type (DMD) and becker-type (BMD)
Duchenne-type: more severe, frameshift-mutations
Becker-type: milder phenotype, “in frame”- mutations
Posture changes during progression of Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Nucleic acid basics
Nucleic acids are polymers
Each monomer consists of 3 moietics
nucleoside
nucleotide
Nucleic acid basics (2)
A base can be of 5 rings Purines and Pyrimidines can base-pair (Watson- Crick pairs)
Watson and Crick, 1953
Nucleic acid as hetero-polymers
Nucleosides, nucleotides
(Ribose sugar,
RNA precursor)
(2’-deoxy ribose sugar,
DNA precursor)
(2’-deoxy thymidine tri-
phosphate, nucleotide)
DNA and RNA strands
REMEMBER:
DNA = deoxyribonucleotides;RNA = ribonucleotides (OH-groups at the 2’ position)
Note the directionality of DNA (5’-3’ & 3’-5’) or RNA (5’-3’)
DNA = A, G, C, T ; RNA = A, G, C, U
So …
DNA RNA
Stability of base-pairing
C-G base pairing is more stable than A-T (A-U) base pairing (why?)
3rd codon position has freedom to evolve (synonymous mutations)
Species can therefore optimise their G-C content (e.g. thermophiles are GC rich) (consequences for codon use?)
Thermocrinis ruber, heat-loving bacteria
DNA compositional biases
Base compositions of genomes: G+C (and therefore also A+T) content varies between different genomes
The GC-content is sometimes used to classify organism in taxonomy
High G+C content bacteria: Actinobacteriae.g. in Streptomyces coelicolor it is 72%
Low G+C content: Plasmodium falciparum (~20%)
Other examples:
Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) 38%
Arabidopsis thaliana (plant) 36%
Escherichia coli (bacteria) 50%
Genetic diseases: cystic fibrosis
Known since very early on (“Celtic gene”)
Autosomal, recessive, hereditary disease (Chr. 7)
Symptoms:
Exocrine glands (which produce
sweat and mucus) Abnormal secretions Respiratory problems Reduced fertility and (male)
anatomical anomalies
30,000
3,00020,000
cystic fibrosis (2)
Gene product: CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator)
CFTR is an ABC (ATP-binding cassette) transporter or traffic ATPase.
These proteins transport molecules such as sugars, peptides, inorganic phosphate, chloride, and metal cations across the cellular membrane.
CFTR transports chloride ions (Cl-) ions across the membranes of cells in the lungs, liver, pancreas, digestive tract, reproductive tract, and skin.
cystic fibrosis (3)
CF gene CFTR has 3-bp deletion leading to Del508 (Phe) in 1480 aa protein (epithelial Cl- channel)
Protein degraded in ER instead of inserted into cell membrane
The deltaF508 deletion is the most common cause of cystic fibrosis. The isoleucine (Ile) at amino acid position 507 remains unchanged because both ATC and ATT code for isoleucine
Diagram depicting the five domains of the CFTR membrane protein (Sheppard 1999).
Theoretical Model of NBD1. PDB identifier 1NBD as viewed in Protein Explorer http://proteinexplorer.org
Let’s return to DNA and RNA structure …
Unlike three dimensional structures of proteins, DNA molecules assume simple double helical structures independent on their sequences.
There are three kinds of double helices that have been observed in DNA: type A, type B, and type Z, which differ in their geometries.
RNA on the other hand, can have as diverse structures as proteins, as well as simple double helix of type A.
The ability of being both informational and diverse in structure suggests that RNA was the prebiotic molecule that could function in both replication and catalysis (The RNA World Hypothesis).
In fact, some viruses encode their genetic materials by RNA (retrovirus)
Three dimensional structures of double helices
Side view: A-DNA, B-DNA, Z-DNA
Top view: A-DNA, B-DNA, Z-DNA
Space-filling models of A, B and Z- DNA
Major and minor grooves
Forces that stabilize nucleic acid double helix
There are two major forces that contribute to stability of helix formation: Hydrogen bonding in base-pairing Hydrophobic interactions in base stacking
5’
5’
3’
3’
Same strand stacking
cross-strand stacking
Types of DNA double helix
Type A
major conformation RNAminor conformation DNA
Right-handed helixShort and broad
Type B
major conformation DNA
Right-handed helixLong and thin
Type Z
minor conformation DNA
Left-handed helixLonger and thinner
Secondary structures of Nucleic acids
DNA is primarily in duplex form
RNA is normally single stranded which can have a diverse form of secondary structures other than duplex.
Non B-DNA Secondary structures
Cruciform DNA
Triple helical DNA
Slipped DNA
Hoogsteen basepairs
Source: Van Dongen et al. (1999) , Nature Structural Biology 6, 854 - 859
More Secondary structures
RNA pseudoknots Cloverleaf rRNA structure
Source: Cornelis W. A. Pleij in Gesteland, R. F. and Atkins, J. F. (1993) THE RNA WORLD. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.
16S rRNA Secondary Structure Based onPhylogenetic Data
3D structures of RNA :transfer-RNA structures
Secondary structure of tRNA (cloverleaf)
Tertiary structure of tRNA
3D structures of RNA :ribosomal-RNA structures
Secondary structure of large rRNA (16S)
Tertiary structure of large rRNA subunit
Ban et al., Science 289 (905-920), 2000
3D structures of RNA :Catalytic RNA
Secondary structure of self-splicing RNA
Tertiary structure of self-splicing RNA
Some structural rules …
Base-pairing is stabilizing
Un-paired sections (loops) destabilize
3D conformation with interactions makes up for this
Final notes
Sense/anti-sense RNAantisense RNA blocks translation through hybridization with coding strand
Example. Tomatoes synthesize ethylene in order to ripe. Transgenictomatoes have been constructed that carry in their genome anartificial gene (DNA) that is transcribed into an antisense RNAcomplementary to the mRNA for an enzyme involved in ethyleneproduction tomatoes make only 10% of normal enzyme amount.
Sense/anti-sense peptidesHave been therapeutically usedEspecially in cancer and anti-viral therapy
Sense/anti-sense proteinsDoes it make (anti)sense?Codons for hydrophilic and hydrophobic amino acids on the sense strand may sometimes be complemented, in frame, by codons for hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acids on the antisense strand. Furthermore, antisense proteins may sometimes interact with high specificity with the corresponding sense proteins… BUT VERY RARE: HIGHLY CONSERVED CODON BIAS