INTRODUCTORY
BIOCHEMISTRY
(BCH201)
NUCLEIC ACIDS
LECTURER IN CHARGE: MR. A.A. ADELEGAN
COURSE OUTLINE
• PURINE AND PYRIMIDINE
• NUCLEIC ACID I: NUCLEOSIDE AND NUCLEOTIDES
• NUCLEIC ACID II: STRUCTURE OF DNA AND RNA
PURINE AND PYRIMIDINE
• Purine and pyrimidine are the two family of nitrogenous base found in nucleic acid.
• Purine nitrogenous base consists of Adenine, hypoxanthine, xanthine and Guanine
while,
• Pyrimidine nitrogenous base consists of Cytosine, orotic acid, uracil and thymine
• Most of the nitrogenous bases and not just ATP are the sources of energy that drive
most of our reactions.
• ATP is the most commonly used source but GTP is used in protein synthesis as well
as few other reactions
• UTP is the source of energy for activating glucose and galactose
• CTP is an energy source in lipid metabolism.
PURINE AND PYRIMIDINE
• AMP is part of the structure of some of the coenzymes like NAD and
Coenzyme A.
• Neither the bases nor the nucleotides are required dietary
components. They can both be synthesize de novo and salvage and
reuse.
PURINE NITROGENOUS BASE
• Purine consist of a six membered and a five membered nitrogenous
containing ring, fused together.
• There are 4 purines which are as follows
a. Adenine = 6-amino purine
b. Guanine = 2-amino-6-oxy purine
c. Hypoxanthine = 6-oxy purine
d. Xanthine = 2,6-dioxy purine
• The two major purine nucleotides found in Nucleic acids are Adenine and
Guanine. And these purine are found in DNA and RNA
• Numbering of purine ring is anticlockwise
PYRIMIDINES NITROGENOUS BASE
• Pyrimidines include cytosine, thymine, uracil and orotic acid
• They are five nitrogenous bases and are regarded as primary since they are the
fundamental units of the genetic code.
• Pyrimidine bases are as follows
• a. Uracil = 2,4-dioxy pyrimidine
• b. Thymine = 2,4-dioxy-5-methyl pyrimidine
• c. Cytosine = 2-oxy-4-amino pyrimidine
• d. Orotic acid = 2,4-dioxy-6-carboxy pyrimidine
• Pyrimidine bases found in DNA are cytosine, thymine
• While pyrimidine bases found in RNA are uracil, and cytosine
• While numbering of pyrimidine base is clockwise
STRUCTURE OF PURINE AND
PYRIMIDINE BASE
STRUCTURE OF PURINE AND
PYRIMIDINE BASE
PAIRING OF PURINE AND PYRIMIDINE
BASE IN DNA
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PURINE
AND PYRIMIDINE BASE
PURINE PYRIMIDINE
Purine is a heterocyclic aromatic organic Pyrimidine is a heterocyclic aromatic
compound composed of a pyrimidine ring organic compound that is composed of
fused with imidazole ring carbon and hydrogen
It comprises adenine and guanine It comprises of cytosine, thymine, uracil
nucleobases as nucleobases
It consists of two carbon-nitrogen rings It consists of one carbon-nitrogen ring
and four nitrogen atoms and two nitrogen atoms
The melting point of purine is 214 degree The melting point of pyrimidine is 20 to
Celsius 22 degree Celsius
Catabolism results in the production of Catabolism produces carbon-dioxide,
uric acid beta-amino acids and ammonia
NUCLEOSIDES
• Nucleosides are structural subunits of nucleic acids, the hereditary controlling components
of living cells.
• Nucleosides consist of a molecule of sugar linked to a nitrogen-containing organic ring
compound.
• The most important nucleosides has either the ribose or deoxyribose sugar and the
nitrogen-containing compound is either a pyrimidine (cytosine, thymine or uracil) or a
purine (adenine or guanine)
• Nucleosides are usually obtained by chemical or enzymatic decomposition of nucleic acids.
• Details of the structures of several natural nucleosides determined in the period 1891–1911
include the identities of the sugars and the nitrogenous compound, the size of the ring of
atoms in the sugar molecules, and the point of attachment between the two components
NUCLEOSIDES
• Structure of purine and
pyrimidine nucleoside
• The bond present in a
nucleoside is called N-glycosidic
bond. This bond is between the
nitrogenous base and the
pentose sugar.
Naming of Nucleosides
Nitrogenous base Nucleoside
Adenine Adenosine
Guanine Guanosine
Cytosine Cytidine
Uracil Uridine
Thymine Thymidine
Nucleotide
• Nucleotides are building blocks of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA).
• A nucleic acid contains a chain of nucleotides linked together
with covalent bonds to form a sugar-phosphate backbone with
protruding nitrogenous bases.
• For example, DNA contains two such chains spiraling round each
other in the famous double helix shape.
• The two chains in the double helix are held together along their
length by hydrogen bonds that form between the bases on one chain
and the bases on the other.
Nucleotide
The biological functions of nucleotides are:
• Data storage - as part of DNA/RNA
• Energy Currency - ATP
• Cellular communication (cAMP; ATP allosteric regulator)
• Co-enzyme catalysis
Composition of Nucleotide
Structure of Nucleic acid(DNA)
Structure of Nucleic acid(DNA)
There are three different DNA types:
• A-DNA: It is a right-handed double helix
similar to the B-DNA form.
• “DNA is a group of molecules • B-DNA: This is the most common DNA
that is responsible for carrying conformation and is a right-handed helix.
Majority of DNA has a B type
and transmitting the hereditary conformation under normal physiological
materials or the genetic conditions.
instructions from parents to • Z-DNA: Z-DNA is a left-handed DNA where
offsprings.” the double helix winds to the left in a zig-
zag pattern. It is found ahead of the start
site of a gene and hence, is believed to
play some role in gene regulation.
Structure of Nucleic acid(RNA)
• RNA is a ribonucleic acid that helps in the
synthesis of proteins in our body. This nucleic
acid is responsible for the production of new
cells in the human body. It is usually obtained
from the DNA molecule.
• RNA resembles the same as that of DNA, the
only difference being that it has a single strand
unlike the DNA which has two strands and it
consists of an only single ribose sugar molecule
in it. Hence is the name Ribonucleic acid.
• RNA is also referred to as an enzyme as it helps
in the process of chemical reactions in the
body.
Structure of Nucleic acid(RNA)
• There are various types of RNA, Functions of RNA
out which most well-known and • Facilitate the translation of DNA into
most commonly studied in the proteins
human body are : • Functions as an adapter molecule in
protein synthesis
tRNA – Transfer RNA • Serves as a messenger between the DNA
rRNA-Ribosomal RNA and the ribosomes.
• They are the carrier of genetic
mRNA – Messenger RNA. information in all living cells
• Promotes the ribosomes to choose the
right amino acid which is required in
building up of new proteins in the body.
