Lsn 13: Nucleic Acid Drug Targets

Nucleic acid structure

• Understand the structure of DNA and RNA to include the major components and specific features
• Understand the condensation mechanism of action to form phosphate diester polynucleotides
• Clearly explain the underlying physical basis for the attractions between the two strands of double helix DNA

Central dogma

• Understand and clearly describe how genetic information is encoded in DNA
• Explain what a gene is, what it does, and the two roles of the major regions (promoter and coding) of DNA gene templates
• Generate a possible DNA sequence for the coding of a given peptide
• Interpret a DNA or RNA sequence to generate an amino acid sequence that is coded for by this
• Complex ions
• Understand the structure of complex ions and be able to explain the basis for their interaction
• Relate Lewis acid/base chemistry to complex ion components
• Clearly explain why complexes are colored and demonstrate an understanding of relevant molecular orbital energies
• Show how transition metal ion valence electron energy levels shift as ions are introduced into octahedral and tetrahedral ligand environments; understand and be able to clearly explain the basis for these shifts
• Understand and diagram the structure of important biochemical complexes to include iron in hemoglobin, magnesium in chlorophyl and cobalt in B-12.
• Outline the mechanism of action for platinum compounds [e.g. cisplatin PtCl₂(NH₃)₂] as chemotherapeutic agents for cancer patients