Done by: Ensy caroline Farhath Jabien Felly Khin Thiri Han (jewel) Melisa Miao Lin Miao Yan Nishachand vohreh
ERWIN CHARGAFF
Background
Born in Czernowitz (now known as Chernovtsy in Ukraine) on August 11, 1905 Gainned his PhD from the University of Vienna working first in Berlin and then at the Pasteur Institute, Paris. Initially, work in biochemical field, including lipid metabolism and the process of blood coagulation.
Chargaffs Experiment
Supported by two recently developed techniques : paper chromatography and ultraviolet spectrophotometer Steps: 1. Isolated DNA from the nuclei and broke it down into its constituent nuclei acids. 2. Separated the purines and the pyrimidines using paper chromatography.
Rosalind Franklin
Rosalind Elsie Franklin was born on 25 July 1920 she was a British biophysicist, physicist, chemist, biologist and X-ray crystallographer who made important contributions to the understanding of the fine molecular structures of DNA, RNA, viruses, coal and graphite. Came to Kings college to join J.T Randalls lab. Her work began on x-ray diffraction of proteins, while fellow scientists Maurice Wilkins and his assistant were working on Pure DNA. She worked independently on DNA samples, refusing to work along with Wilkins.
Maurice Wilkins
Maurice Hugh Frederick Wilkins was born on 15th December 1916. He was a New Zealand molecular biologist and Nobel Laureate who did research on phosphorescence, radar, isotope separation and X-ray diffraction. He used reflecting microscope to work on DNA sample. He discovered that DNA could be drawn into very thin fibres, thus used X-ray diffraction to take photos.
Dr. Francis Harry Dr. James Dewey Watson Compton Crick June 8, 1916 April 6, 1928 Northampton, England Chicago, Illinois, USA They met while working at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. Both wanted to uncover a genes true structure, and in 1953 the two figured out that DNA had to be composed of two double-helical configurations.
A-DNA:
shorter and wider form Right-handed
Z-DNA,
Left-handed confirmation. Narrow and deep. Z-DNA is a transient form of DNA, plays an important role in biological role.
Gene
A basic unit of hereditary in living organisms Composed of DNA that code for mRNA and protein Occupies a fix position on chromosome 30,000 base pairs long (out of 3.9 x 10 9 base pairs of DNA)
Image Source: http://www.oncolink.org/library/images/id818-1.gif
Discovery of Gene
In 1866, Gregor Mendel proposed that characteristics of organisms were determined by hereditary elements.
Images Source: http://en.wikimedia.org/
In 1909, Wilhelm Johannsen proposed the term gene to describe Mendel's factors of inheritance.
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1 933/morgan.jpg
Discovery of Gene
In 1915, Thomas Hunt Morgan found that genes were located on chromosome.
The template used is composed of repetive nucleotide The Nobel Prize uracil.
Nirenbergs experiment
The protein that emerged consisted only of phenylalanine, one of the 20 kinds of amino acids in proteins. The code is broken! Because the genetic code was known to consist of triplets
http://www.mun.ca/biochem/courses/3107/images/Lodish/Lod4-28.jpg
Nirenbergs experiment
Testing synthetic RNA in a cell-free system was a key technical innovation. Further experiments revealed codes for most of the known amino acids normally present in proteins.
Genetic code
The genetic code expressed as RNA codons (occur in mRNA ) or DNA codons genetic code is the specific relationship between nucleotide sequence and amino acid sequence consists of 64 triplets of nucleotides which is known as codons Four types of nucleotides in RNA cause 64 possible codons (4x4x4)
Genetic code
With three exceptions, each codon encodes for one of the 20 amino acids used in proteins synthesis Three of these possible codons specify the termination of the polypeptide chain are known as "stop codons" Most of the amino acids are represented by more than one codon The genetic code is degenerate
Genetic code
proteins synthesis is based on the sequence of mRNA DNA transfers information to mRNA in the form of a code defined by a sequence of nucleotides bases During protein synthesis (translation), ribosomes "read" the codon sequence from the 5' end to the 3' end Each amino acid is specified by the mRNA's codon, and then pairs with a sequence of three complementary nucleotides carried by a particular tRNA (anticodon)
Genetic code
Peptide synthesis starts from methionine (Met), coded by AUG The stop codon (UAA, UAG or UGA) signals the end of a peptide Open reading frame (ORF) is the sequence from an initiating codon (ATG) to a stop codon (TAA, TAG or TGA) in a DNA molecule, which is likely to encode a protein
Genetic sequences are from the two men who died from lung cancer and melanoma
For lung cancer, - It has more than 23,000 mutations -One mutation is caused by 15 cigarette smoked -Scientist found that cancer causing agents in tobacco repeatedly attack the DNA
For melanoma, There is a damage of DNA like lung cancer Melanoma contains 30,000 mutations in DNA( 75 % of skin cancer deaths) Caused by ultraviolet light rays
I think each step forward is a step toward our goal, our ultimate goal, which is to relieve the suffering from cancer," Dr. Jeanny Argon- Ching said.
References
http://www.answers.com/topic/gene http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/Discovery-of-DNAStructure-and-Function-Watson-397 Image source: http://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/dna_checklist