Chemistry of nucleic acids

Course unit

title

Scientific direction

Scientific code

Faculty

Department (s)

Chemistry of nucleic acids

Biochemistry N 004

Life Sciences Center

Institute of Biotechnology

Mode of studies

Number of credits

Mode of studies

Number of credits

Lectures

0

Consultations

0,1

Self-studies

5,9

Seminars

0

Aims of course

Advanced understanding of underlying concepts of in Nucleic Acids structure, synthesis, interactions and chemical modifications, especially in relation to biological function and comprehensive techniques.

Main topics

Chemical structure and nomenclature of NA components; major and minor nucleosides in DNA and RNA. Behaviour of NA in water: base stacking, tautomerism, ionization, base pairing; physical and spectroscopic properties of NA, hyperchromicity. Conformational (torsional) dynamics in (poly)nucleotides: Helical structure of NA, higher-order DNA structure in nucleosomes and chromatin, DNA supercoiling. Helix-coil transition of duplexes, modified bases and polynucleotides (PNA, LNA etc), DNA microarrays and DNA based nanoscale materials. RNR structure, modified nucleosides; tRNA, secondary and tertiary structure, the genetic code, catalytic RNA, ribosome, SELEX. Covalent interactions with small molecules; cleavage of N-glycosyl and phosphodiester bonds, Reduction and oxidation; reactions with nucleophiles and electrophiles; chemicals methods to study NA structure and interactions. Chemical synthesis of oligodeoxyribonucleotides, Non-covalent interactions with small molecules; Covalent labelling of NA; DNA sequencing; analysis of epigenetic modifications.

Main literature

• Nukleorūgščių chemija. S. Klimašauskas, V.: Technologjja, 2008 (pdf formate). ISBN 978-9955-25-478-2
• Nucleic acids in chemistry and biology (3rd edition). Blackburn G.M., Gait M.J., Lokes D., Williams D.M. RCS Publishing; Cambridge, 2007. ISBN: 978-0-85404-654-6. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/ebook/978-0-85404-654-6
• Understanding DNA. The Molecule and how it works. (3rd edition). C.R Calladine, H.R. Drew, B.F. Luisi, A.A. Travers. Elsevier Academic Press. 2004. ISBN 0-12-155089-3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780121550899/understanding-dna
• Oxford Handbook of Nucleic Acid Structure. S.Neidle (ed.) Oxford University Press, New York. 1999. ISBN 0-19-850036-6.
• Principles of Nucleic Acids Structure. Saenger, W. Springer-Verlag, 1984. https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9781461251903

Assessment strategy

Assessment criteria

Seminar presentation

Duration of the presentation 45-60 min., number of publications discussed during the seminar >30

Saulius Klimašauskas

Virginijus Šikšnys

Approved by the Council of Doctoral School of Life Sciences Center No (4.10)600000-KT-… on the 14th of October 2021

Chairman dr. Daiva Baltriukienė