Think about the structure of DNA in its most common B-form double helical conformation and then list its most important structural features (deciding what is "important" from the biological role of DNA as the material of heredity . Arrange your answer with the most significant features first.

Short Answer

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The most significant structural features of DNA in its B-form conformation, listed in order of biological importance, are: (1) Its specific base pairing (A-T and G-C), which allows accurate replication for heredity; (2) Presence of major and minor grooves that allow DNA-protein interaction; (3) Right-handed double helical structure; (4) Approximately 10 base pairs per turn.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Structure of DNA

Start by understanding the basic structure of DNA. It is a double-stranded helix, where two strands of nucleotides are wound around each other. Each strand is composed of four types of nucleotides, which are made of a sugar (deoxyribose), a phosphate group, and one of four nitrogenous bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). The two strands are anti-parallel, meaning they run in opposite directions, and are held together by hydrogen bonds between complementary nitrogenous bases (A pairs with T and G pairs with C).
02

Identify Major Features

In its most common B-form, DNA has some distinct features: • Right-handed double helix: The DNA strands in the B-form twist around each other in a right-handed manner. • Base pairing: The bases A-T and G-C pair together through hydrogen bonds which contributes to the stability of the DNA double helix. A and T form two hydrogen bonds, while G and C form three. • Major and minor grooves: The twisting of the two DNA strands around each other results in the formation of major and minor grooves. These grooves serve as binding sites for DNA-binding proteins which play crucial roles in processes like DNA replication and transcription. • 10 base pairs per turn: In the B-form of DNA, there are about 10 base pairs in each full 360-degree turn of the helix.
03

Rank the Features According to Biological Importance

When comparing these features from a biological perspective, the most important is probably the base pairing. This is because the specific pairing of the bases (A-T and G-C) allows for the accurate replication of DNA, which is crucial for conveying genetic information from one generation to the next. Following this, the presence of major and minor grooves could be considered as the second most important feature due to the role they play in DNA-protein interaction. The other features like the right-handed twist and the 10 base pairs per turn, while important for the overall structure of DNA, play less direct roles in terms of biological function and are therefore less 'important', when the biological role of DNA as the material of heredity is considered.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Online resources provide ready access to detailed information about the human genome. Go the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) genome database at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ Genomes/index.html and click on Homo sapiens in the Map Viewer genome annotation updates list to access the chromosome map and organization of the human genome. Next, go to http://www.ncbi .nlm.nih.gov/genome/. In the "Search For" box, type in the following diseases to discover the chromosomal location of the affected gene and, by exploring links highlighted by the search results, discover the name of the protein affected by the disease: a. Sickle cell anemia b. Tay Sachs disease c. Leprechaunism d. Hartnup disorder

If \(80 \%\) of the base pairs in a duplex DNA molecule \((12.5 \mathrm{kbp})\) are in the B-conformation and \(20 \%\) are in the Z-conformation, what is the length of the molecule?

At \(0.2 M \mathrm{Na}^{+},\) the melting temperature of double-stranded DNA is given by the formula, \(T_{m}=69.3+0.41(\% \mathrm{G}+\mathrm{C}) .\) The DNAs from mice and rats have \((\mathrm{G}+\mathrm{C})\) contents of \(44 \%\) and \(40 \%,\) respectively. Calculate the \(T_{\mathrm{m}}\) s for these DNAs in \(0.2 \mathrm{M}\) NaCl. If samples of these DNAs were inadvertently mixed, how might they be separated from one another?

X-ray diffraction studies indicate the existence of a novel doublestranded DNA helical conformation in which \(\Delta Z\) (the rise per base pair \()=0.32 \mathrm{nm}\) and \(P(\text { the pitch })=3.36 \mathrm{nm} .\) What are the other parameters of this novel helix: (a) the number of base pairs per turn, (b) \(\Delta \phi(\text { the mean rotation per base pair }),\) and (c) \(c(\) the true repeat)?

A "relaxed," circular, double-stranded DNA molecule \((1600 \mathrm{bp})\) is in a solution where conditions favor 10 bp per turn. What is the value of \(L_{0}\) for this DNA molecule? Suppose DNA gyrase introduces 12 negative supercoils into this molecule. What are the values of \(L\) \(W,\) and \(T\) now? What is the superhelical density, \(\sigma\) ?

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