Review of Molecular Biology

The Central Dogma

Information flow in the living cell

    DNA -> RNA -> Protein

Transcription

    RNA polymerase

    The "universal" genetic code

    Exceptions to the universal code

    Mitochondria (Saccharomyces, certain protists, mammals) except plant mitochondria

    Mycoplasma

    Ciliates (Paramecium, Euplotes)

Post-transcriptional modifications

    RNA editing

    Guide RNAs

    Intron excision

    Poly-A tailing

Transcript degradation

Translation

    Occurs on ribosome

    Complex cellular machinery involved

    tRNAs, EF-1alpha

Post-translational events

    Peptide modification

    Peptide targeting

Protein degradation

Information-containing regions of the genome

Protein-coding genes

RNA-coding genes

Ribosomal RNAs

tRNAs

Ribozymes (e.g., RNAase P)

Regulatory elements

    Genes whose products affect regulation

    Promoters

    Operators (may enhance or repress gene expression)

    Repressors

    Activators

    Interactions among regulators and cofactors

    Stem-loops

Introns

    Splice sites

    Integrases

    Spliceosomes

    Alternate splicing

Telomeres

Repeats

Tandem Arrays

    Ribosomal RNA in Eukaryotes

Satellites (mini-, micro-, etc.)

Isochores

Revisiting the central dogma

Molecular Biological Technologies

Polymerase Chain Reaction

cDNA

Extract RNA

    Typically want to get rid of ribosomal sequences

    Use reverse transcriptase to generate DNA from the RNA transcripts

cDNA clone libraries

RT-PCR

 


Supplementary Reading

Schrödinger, E. 1944. What is Life? Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England. [Reprinted in 1992 as a combined volume with Mind and Matter, Autobiographical Sketches, and a forward by Roger Penrose].

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