The course covers the biological role of nucleic acids, molecular structure of nucleic acids, structural aspects of DNA, RNA structure and function, DNA damage, protein-nucleic acid interactions, DNA packaging and chromatin, and chromosomal organization in the eukaryotic nucleus.
Students will learn about base pairing, base stacking, DNA twisting, torsional effects, RNA structures, protein-DNA interactions, and chromosome scaffolds.
The teaching method includes lectures, readings, and end-of-unit questions.
This course is intended for individuals interested in deepening their understanding of nucleic acids, chromatin, and their biological functions.
Overview
Syllabus
- Introduction
- Learning outcomes
- 1 The biological role of nucleic acids
- 1 The biological role of nucleic acids
- 1.1 Early observations
- 1.2 Nucleic acids: genetic, functional and structural roles in the cell
- 1.3 Nucleic acids and the flow of genetic information
- 2 The molecular structure of nucleic acids
- 2 The molecular structure of nucleic acids
- 2.1 The primary structure of nucleic acids
- 2.2 General features of higher-order nucleic acid structure
- Base pairing
- Base stacking
- 2.3 Analysing nucleic acid structures
- 2.4 Analysis of nucleic acids by electrophoresis and hybridisation
- Summary of Section 2
- 3 Structural aspects of DNA
- 3 Structural aspects of DNA
- 3.1 The helical structure of DNA
- 3.2 Higher-order DNA structures: DNA twisting and torsional effects
- 3.2 Higher-order DNA structures: DNA twisting and torsional effects (continued)
- Torsional energy can be taken up by alternative DNA conformations
- The fluidity of torsional stress along the DNA chain
- DNA topoisomerases
- 3.3 Other structures in DNA
- Triplex structures
- Quadruplex structures
- Summary of Section 3
- 4 RNA structure and function
- 4 RNA structure and function
- 4.1 The varied structures of RNA
- 4.2 The structure of tRNA
- 4.3 Hairpin formation and micro-RNAs
- 4.4 Ribozymes
- 4.5 The use of nucleic acids as targeting agents
- Antisense regulation of gene expression
- Aptamers
- 4.6 Summary
- 5 DNA damage
- 5 DNA damage
- 5.1 Introduction
- 5.2 The chemical stability of DNA
- The loss of a DNA base causes an abasic site
- The deamination of DNA
- Ultraviolet irradiation
- Reactive oxygen species
- Alkylating agents
- ‘Bulky’ agents
- Summary of Section 5
- 6 Protein–nucleic acid interactions
- 6 Protein–nucleic acid interactions
- 6.1 Introduction
- 6.2 Non-covalent bonding in site-specific binding
- 6.3 The recognition of specific DNA sequences by proteins
- 6.4 Non-specific DNA-protein interactions
- 6.5 Conformational changes upon protein–DNA interactions
- Summary of Section 6
- 7 DNA packaging and chromatin
- 7 DNA packaging and chromatin
- 7.1 Introduction
- 7.2 The eubacterial chromosome
- DNA supercoiling and protein binding in the E. coli chromosome
- The DPS protein compacts the eubacterial chromosome during stress
- 7.3 The eukaryotic chromosome
- The histone proteins
- The histone fold and formation of the nucleosome
- 7.3 The eukaryotic chromosome (continued)
- Nucleosomal DNA packaging into a 30Â nm fibre: the role of histone H1
- Core histone tail modification regulates DNA compaction
- Summary of Section 7
- 8 Chromosomal organisation in the eukaryotic nucleus
- 8 Chromosomal organisation in the eukaryotic nucleus
- 8.1 Introduction
- 8.2 Chromosome scaffolds
- 8.3 Chromosome distribution within the nucleus
- 8.4 The organisation of the mitotic chromosome
- Summary of Section 8
- End of of unit questions
- Next steps
- References
- Acknowledgements
