Abstract
Although nucleic acids were isolated and described in the last century (MIESCHER), their key position among cell components has been recognized in only the past 30 years:
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AVERY and co-workers (1944) proved, by transformation experiments, that deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the carrier of genetic information. As life without enzymes and other proteins is impossible, Avery’s discovery implied that there must be a connection between DNA and the synthesis of protein. The question of how information for protein synthesis is coded in DNA and is then passed on could only be answered after the chemical structure of DNA was known.
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In 1953 WATSON and CRICK published a model for the macromolecular structure of DNA. According to this DNA is an un-branched, linear, double-stranded macromolecule, consisting of two helically-arranged polynucleotide chains with complementary base sequences (Expt. 6). This molecule is replicated semi-conservatively. So far, three different DNA polymerases have been described, of which DNA polymerase III is the most important. However, some other enzymes and proteins are also involved in DNA replication.
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Winkler, U., Rüger, W., Wackernagel, W. (1976). Nucleic Acids and Transcription. In: Bacterial, Phage and Molecular Genetics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-66314-7_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-66314-7_6
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