Structure of DNA

(Dr.) Mirza Salman Baig

Assistant Professor (Pharmaceutics)
AIKTC, School of Pharmacy,New Panvel
Affiliated to University of Mumbai (INDIA)

Nucleotide

Watson and
Crick(1953)Double helix
model of DNA
vid

Melting and annealing

(denaturation) of DNA

Denaturation (Anneling)
Two strands of DNA helix are held
togther by hydrogen bonds.
Disruption of bonds (by change in pH
or increase in temperature) results in
sepration of strand
Phenomenon of loss of helical
structure of DNA is known as
denaturation (anneling)

Melting Temperature (Tm)

Temperature at which half of helical
structure of DNA is lost.
Melting point of DNA is higher if it
contain more no. of G-C base
(because it have tripple bond)
Formamide reduce destabilize Hbond and reduce melting point.

Packaging of DNA

CHROMATIN
The complexes between Eukaryotic
DNA and Proteins
In Prokaryotes Proteins bound in DNA
is not found, so no Chromatin
Occur in nucleus, DNA does not
exists in free space, but occur as
complex with a Protein.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
v Chromatin contains DNA, RNA,
Histones and non/ histones proteins
v In addition calcium is also present
v Histones are the major proteins of
Chromatin
v RNA and Histones proteins are
variable between different
preparation
v Histones and DNA are always
present in a fixed ratio

NON HISTONE PROTEINS

They are acidic proteins which are
highly variable and heterogeneous
Chromatin contains in approximately
equal mass of a wide variety of non/
histone Chromosomal proteins
There are more than a thousand
different types of this proteins which
involved in DNA replication and gene
expression

HISTONE PROTEINS
v They are the major proteins of
Chromatin (containing high
percentage of basic amino acid)
v Five major types of Histone/ H1,
H2A, H2B,H3 and H4
v Extremely abundant proteins in
Eukaryotic cells and play
structural roll in formation of
Chromatin

ORGANISATION OF CHROMATIN
o Chromatin
Nucleosome Solenoid
Chromosome
o Roger Kornberg proposed the
nucleosome model in 1974
o Chromatin consists of repeating sub
unit composed of DNA and Histone
proteins
o Sub unit was termed as Nucleosome

 Each nucleosome code contains

approx 140bp of DNA together
with 8{Eight} molecule of
Histone
2{Two} each of H2A, H2B, H3B
and H4
1{One} molecule of Histone H1 is
located just outside the
Nucleosome core
DNA is wrapped around the
Histone octomer and are
connected to each other by linker
DNA

q The packaging of DNA with Histone

yields a Chromatin fibre approx
10nm diameter seperated by linker
DNA
q In electron microscope, this 10nm
fibre has the beaded appearance that
suggested the Nucleosome model
q This Chromatin fibre can than be
further condensed by coiling into
30nm fibre to form a super Helical
complex called Solenoid
q This result in a total condensation of
about fiftyfold.

CONDENSATION OF CHROMATIN
INTO METAPHASE CHROMASOME
Metaphase Chromosome is 5000 to 10000
times shorter than equivalent amount of
DNA
The metaphase Chromosome contains
Nucleosome chains coil into 300 A solenoid
structure
The packaging ratio is about 40:1
DNA in metaphase Chromosomes is
organised into large loops attached to a
protein scaffold
This scaffold is made up of Non Histone
proteins

Chromosome
v Each metaphase Chromosome has
two scaffold one for each Chromatin
joined together at the centromere
region
v When the Histone are removed, the
Chromatin fibre become extended
and produce loop of about 25mm.

 These two part structure of

chromosomes are called chromatids
with each chromatid of the pair
containing one of the two identical DNA
molecules
The structure of a chromosome just
before nuclear division made up of two
chromatids.
The chromatids are held together at a
point called the centromere
In humans there are 23 pairs of
chromosomes