Nucleic Acid Structure and Function

Abstract

This chapter deals with the in-depth knowledge about nucleic acid types, structure, function, and properties. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) consist of three major constituents, namely, nitrogen base, pentose sugar, and phosphate group. The major difference between DNA and RNA component is the presence of different sugars and also the difference in nitrogen base where uracil is present in RNA instead of thymine. Both DNA and RNA have different conformations in a living cell with varying structures. The groundbreaking work included the deduction of double-helical DNA structure proposed by Watson and Crick, and later tRNA structure was explained in detail by Robert W. Holley and then Alexander Rich. We have also focused on the significance of major and minor grooves of DNA in regulating various functions of DNA. These grooves are promiscuous binding sites for proteins required during replication and transcription. The chapter also includes various forces like bonds, geometrical conformations, base pairing, and base stacking, which regulate the nucleic acid geometries and contribute in the stability of DNA structure. Besides the regular Watson-Crick pairing, Wobble base pairing has been discussed which provides different contextual functions to several proteins. We also highlight the unique properties of nucleic acids and the various ways to fractionate them. This chapter also contains several other functions of nucleotides, other than the genetic storehouse of the cell, where nucleotides function as energy carrier, chemical messengers, and cofactors of enzymes.