BTN 315 exam prep (ch1-4)

1. Explain how Meselson and Stahl showed that DNA replication occurs via a semiconservative
mechanism. If the DNA is isolated and separated by density, how many bands would be
observed and how would their density compare with the starting DNA? (10)

In their experiment, they started with an organism grown in a heavy density label ( 15N). After two
generations of growth in light medium (the more common 14N isotope). In each generation, the
newly synthesized DNA is composed of one parental strand and one new daughter strand. After two
generations, the DNA would yield two different density bands. Two of the daughters would contain
one original heavy parental strand and one light daughter (hybrid density) strand, and two of the
daughters would contain two light strands (light density).

2. Explain the central dogma of molecular biology. Give an example of an exception to this
generally true statement. (10)

The central dogma of molecular biology is that genetic information flows from DNA to RNA by
transcription, and then to polypeptide by translation.

Retroviruses have genomes that are single-stranded RNA, and as part of their replication cycle they
convert the RNA into first a single-stranded DNA (using an enzyme called reverse transcriptase) and
then a double-stranded DNA, in a process called reverse transcription. The double-stranded DNA
copy of its genome integrates into the DNA of the host cell it infects and functions as any other gene,
directing the synthesis of both RNA and polypeptide. In this example, genetic information is flowing
from RNA to DNA.

3. There are two types of nucleic acids in cells, DNA and RNA. List two differences between
the structure of DNA and RNA. (3)

1) DNA has the pyrimidine base thymine, whereas RNA contains uracil.

2) DNA has 2′-deoxyribose, whereas RNA has ribose. The sugar in RNA has an -OH group at the 2 ′
position of the pentose ring.

4. If the mole % of A residues in double-stranded DNA is 29%, what would the mole % of G
residues be? (4)

The two strands of DNA are complementary with G residues on one strand paired with C residues on
the other strand, and with A residues paired with T residues. Therefore, if the mole % of A is 29%,

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 then the mole % of T is 29% and the mole % of G + C would be 42%. G must equal C, so as a result
the mole % of G and of C would be 21%.

5. Once a mutation has occurred in a particular gene, several types of events can occur to
reverse the effects of the original mutation. Explain three of these types. (7)

1) There may be a true reversion whereby the original base change is reversed, or the insertion of
genetic material, such as a transposon, is deleted.

2) There may be a second site reversion whereby a second mutation in the same gene changes the
amino acid sequence at a distinct site from the first mutation and allows the polypeptide to regain
function.

3) There may be a suppressor mutation in another gene, altering a different polypeptide. This change
bypasses the need for the original polypeptide or enables it to interact with the mutant form of the
original polypeptide.

6. Why are mutations that insert one or two nucleotides in a sequence generally more
damaging than mutations that substitute one nucleotide for another? (3)

This is because the genetic code is a triplet code and read in a specific reading frame. Thus insertion
of one or two nucleotides alters the reading frame and changes all the amino acids downstream of
the insertion. A substitution of a single nucleotide only affects the codon for one amino acid.

7. Why is the original genetic concept of one gene-one enzyme not entirely true? (4)

Although it is true that genes encode mRNAs, which in turn encode polypeptides, some enzymes are
composed of more than one polypeptide chain and are therefore encoded by more than one gene.
Secondly, some genes can produce alternative mRNA species (a process termed alternative splicing)
and therefore can generate multiple (related) polypeptides.

8. There are many types of changes in DNA that lead to mutations. Give a molecular
explanation for the following types of mutations: (6)
A. a null mutation
B. a loss-of-function mutation
C. a gain-of-function mutation

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 A) A null mutation is caused either by a complete or partial deletion of a gene or a change
that renders the polypeptide product completely non-functional, such as a premature stop
codon that truncates the polypeptide.

B) A loss-of-function mutation is a base change in DNA that alters an amino acid such that
the polypeptide has less activity than the wild-type polypeptide. DNA changes that affect
regulatory regions that decrease the level of the transcript, and therefore the protein, can
also be loss-of-function.

C) Gain-of-function mutations are DNA changes resulting in either an altered amino acid
sequence that results in the polypeptide having a novel activity, or changes in regulatory
regions that increase the level of the polypeptide or cause it to be expressed in tissues or
times in development that normally lack the polypeptide. Some polypeptides can be
produced at higher or lower levels than wild-type without causing a mutant phenotype.

9. A single DNA sequence can encode more than one polypeptide. Give three mechanisms to
produce more than one polypeptide from the same DNA sequence. (4)

1) The use of alternative start or termination codons for polypeptide translation may yield different
polypeptides that are related to each other.

2) Polypeptides may be translated using two different reading frames in the same DNA sequence.

3) The same primary transcript may be alternatively spliced to yield different mRNAs containing
different exons, and therefore produce alternative polypeptides.

10. What evidence is there that exons are the functional building blocks of genes?

Exons of a gene tend to correspond to the functional domains of the protein product of that gene. In
addition, different genes may have one exon that is related, while the others are unrelated,
suggesting that the related exon has been recombined in a new context because of the specific
function of its product.

(chapter 3)

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