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Chapter 9: Problem 11

Discuss the differences in the structural features of B DNA and Z DNA.

Short Answer

Expert verified
B-DNA is a right-handed helix with about 10 base pairs per turn, its sugar-phosphate backbone is on the outside and the major and minor grooves are well defined. Z-DNA is a left-handed helix with about 12 base pairs per turn, its sugar-phosphate backbone has a zig-zag shape, and the major groove is not well defined while the minor groove is narrow and deep.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding DNA

DNA or Deoxyribonucleic Acid is the blueprint of life. It is made up of repeating units called nucleotides. Each nucleotide contains a sugar molecule, a phosphate group, and a nitrogen base. DNA exists in different forms, two of the most common are B-DNA and Z-DNA.
02

B-DNA

B-DNA is the most common form of DNA in organisms. It takes up a right-handed helical conformation, with approximately 10 base pairs per turn. The sugar-phosphate backbone is on the outside, the bases are found on the inside of the helix. The major and minor grooves are well defined.
03

Z-DNA

Z-DNA is a high energy form of DNA, it takes up a left-handed configuration. It is found in actively transcribed DNA. The helix winds to the left in a zig-zag pattern and there are 12 base pairs per turn. In Z-DNA, the sugar-phosphate backbone has a zig-zag shape and the major groove is not well defined, while the minor groove is narrow and deep.
04

Comparison

Comparing both, B-DNA has a right-handed helix while Z-DNA has a left-handed helix. B-DNA has about 10 base pairs per turn, whereas Z-DNA has approximately 12 base pairs per turn. The sugar-phosphate backbone is on the outside of the helix in B-DNA, and it has a zig-zag shape in Z-DNA. Additionally, the major and minor grooves are more well defined in B-DNA as compared to Z-DNA.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

What part(s) of a nucleotide (namely, phosphate, sugar, and/or base) is(are) found in the major and minor grooves of doublestranded DNA, and what part(s) is(are) found in the DNA backbone? If a DNA-binding protein does not recognize a specific nucleotide sequence, do you expect that it binds to the major groove, the minor groove, or the DNA backbone? Explain.

Discuss the structural significance of complementarity in DNA and in RNA.

What structural feature allows DNA to store information?

Describe how bases interact with each other in the double helix. This description should include the concepts of complementarity, hydrogen bonding, and base stacking.

What are the building blocks of a nucleotide? With regard to the \(5^{r}\) and 3' positions on a sugar molecule, how are nucleotides linked together to form a strand of DNA?
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