DNA Replication
Types of Mutations
Physical/Chemical Mutagens
Mutation Repair Mechanisms
All about that nitrogenous base, no treble
100

This enzyme adds newly synthesized DNA to the leading and lagging strand.

What is DNA polymerase III?


100
These mutations occur when a nucleotide is substituted with another nucleotide that is NOT in the same class as it. Their counterpart are transitions.

What are transversions?

100

These mutagens substitute for normal bases and cause tautomeric shifts. They result in transitions.

What are base analogs?


ex) 5-bromouracil

100

This is the first line of defense, in which DNA polymerase III removes a mismatched base with the correct base.

What is proofreading?

100
This is the biological principle that states: A binds to T and C binds to G

What are Chargraff's rules?

200

This enzyme links together DNA fragments synthesized via DNA polymerase I. It's primary area of activity is the lagging strand.

What is ligase?

200

These mutations result in frameshifts. They are usually caused by an abnormality associated with physical and chemical mutagens.

What are insertions or deletions? (indels)

200

This form of non-ionizing radiation can cause T-dimers to form on the DNA strand

What is UV light?

200

This is the 2nd level of defense, which acts by removing a strand of DNA and repairing it into a new strand. This repair mechanism uses a methylated template strand and follows DNA polymerase III closely.

What is mismatch DNA repair?

200

This class of nucleotides is primarily involved in dimers caused by UV radiation

What are pyrimidines? (especially T)
300

This enzyme helps to prevent supercoiling of DNA that is created by the origin of replication and helicase.

What are topoisomerases? (DNA gyrases also acceptable)
300

This mutation is caused by damage with UV light. A result of this is deletions.

What are T-dimers?

300

These mutagens alter the pairing properties of bases. Examples include EMS (an alkylating agent) and nitrous acid (a deaminating agent)

What are base modifiers?
300

This fixes uracil or modified bases in the DNA strand. It is primarily done by an endonuclease.

What is base excision repair?


Nucleotide excision fixes bulky lesions via DNA poly II

300

This purine is usually added at the end of an mRNA transcript as it leaves the nuclear envelope.

What is adenine? 

400

These are short strands of nucleotides placed on both the leading and lagging strand to help DNA polymerase III get started.

What are RNA primers?

400

This mutation is caused by base analogs, in which a base is paired with another base that does not follow Chargraffs rules. 

What are mismatches?


400

These chemical mutagens cause indels. They can wedge between bases in DNA and cause problems in DNA replication.

What are acridin dyes?

400

This repair mechanism occurs primarily in prokaryotes to fix T-dimers. Photoreactivation enzyme and blue light are activating it.

What is photoreactivation?

400

These occur 1 in every 100,000 base pairs. It results in adenine/cysteine going from amino to imino form and guanine/thymine going from keto to enol form.

What are tautomeric shifts?

500

These pieces of DNA are found on the lagging strand. A buildup of these is associated with malfunctions in DNA polymerase I.

What are Okazaki fragments?

500

This is the hardest mutation to repair. These are usually caused by botched repairs or extensive damage by mutagens. Cancer is primarily caused by these mutations.

What are double stranded breaks?

500

This physical mutagen can cause extensive damage to DNA, including substitutions, deletions, and double stranded breaks.

What are X-rays? (ionizing radiation)

500
This is the primary repair mechanism for double stranded breaks. It can fix lesions, T-dimers, and indels. It is often accompanied with Holliday junctions and gene conversion.

What is recombinational repair?

500

This nucleotide is formed via deamination by nitrous acid. It is commonly found in RNA.

What is uracil?