NUCLEIC ACID METABOLISM

Nucleic acid metabolism is a crucial cellular process that involves the synthesis and degradation of
nucleic acids, which are the building blocks of genetic material in living organisms. There are two main
types of nucleic acids: deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). DNA carries genetic
information, while RNA plays a key role in protein synthesis.

(1)DNA Replication:

• DNA replication is the process by which a cell duplicates its

DNA before cell division.

• It occurs in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells and in the

cytoplasm of prokaryotic cells.

• Enzymes like DNA polymerase are involved in synthesizing

a complementary strand of DNA.

(2)Transcription:

• Transcription is the process by which DNA is used as a template to synthesize RNA.

• RNA polymerase is the enzyme responsible for catalyzing the formation of RNA strands from
DNA templates.

• The newly synthesized RNA molecule, called

messenger RNA (mRNA), carries the genetic
information from the DNA to the ribosomes for
protein synthesis.

(3)RNA Processing:

• In eukaryotic cells, newly synthesized RNA

molecules undergo processing steps before
becoming functional.

• This includes the addition of a 5' cap and a poly-A

tail, as well as the removal of introns (non-coding
regions) and splicing together of exons (coding
regions).

(4)Translation:

• Translation is the process by which the

information carried by mRNA is used to
synthesize a corresponding protein.
• It occurs on ribosomes, where transfer RNA (tRNA) molecules bring amino acids to the
ribosome based on the mRNA codons.
(5)DNA Repair:

• Cells have mechanisms to repair

damaged DNA to maintain genomic
integrity.

• DNA repair mechanisms include base

excision repair, nucleotide excision
repair, and mismatch repair.

(6)Nucleotide Metabolism:

Nucleotide metabolism involves the synthesis

and degradation of nucleotides, which are the building blocks of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). The
process is complex and includes several key steps:

1. De Novo Synthesis.
2. Salvage Pathway.
3. Conversion of Ribonucleotides to Deoxyribonucleotides.
4. Regulation of Nucleotide Pools.
5. DNA Replication and Repair.
6. RNA Synthesis.

(7)DNA & RNA Degradation :

• Nucleases are enzymes responsible for breaking down DNA and RNA.

• The breakdown products are recycled to be used in the synthesis of new nucleic acids or other
cellular processes.

➢ Causes of degradation:
1. Exonucleases and Endonucleases.
2. Environmental Factors.
3. Oxidative Damage.
4. Chemical Agents.
5. Biological Processes.
6. Microbial Activity.
7. Freeze-Thaw Cycles.
8. Inappropriate pH.
9. RNAse and DNAse Contamination.