Introduction To Molecular Biology and History

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Molecular Biology- BCH 334

Molecular Biology
The study of living things at the level of the molecules which control
them and make them up
Traditional Biology Molecular Biology

Top-down approach Bottom-up approach


Whole living organisms and how To understand living things by examining
the interact with the population the components that make them up
Introduction to Molecular Biology
Molecular biology is a specialized branch of biochemistry,
§ The study of the chemistry of molecules which are specifically
connected to living processes.
Particularly, Central Dogma

Ø DNA

Ø RNA

Ø Protein

Gene:
A segment of a DNA molecule that contains the information required for the
synthesis of a functional biological product, whether protein or RNA
Introduction to Molecular Biology
Central Dogma
Ø The flow of genetic information within a biological system. It is often stated as
"DNA makes RNA, and RNA makes protein” proposed by James Watson (1965),
although this is not its original meaning (stated by Francis Crick)
Ø According to Francis Crick (1970, Nature), The central dogma of molecular
biology deals with the detailed residue-by-residue transfer of sequential
information. It states that such information cannot be transferred from protein to
either protein or nucleic acid.
A brief history/Background
Since 1950s-60s scientist have learned to characterize, isolate and
manipulate molecular components of cells/organism

Ø DNA

Ø RNA

Ø Protein
A brief history/Background
Early 1600-1800

§ Microscopic biology
Robert Hooke
§ Robert Hooke (1635-1703)
discovered organisms are made
up of cells

§ Matthias Schleiden (1804-


1881) and Theodor Schwann
(1810-1882) further expanded
the study of cells in 1830s Theodor Schwann
§ Cell Theory

Matthias Schleiden
A brief history/Background
1800 - 1870

Ø 1865 Gregor Mendel discover the basic rules


of heredity of garden pea.
Ø An individual organism has two alternative
heredity units for a given trait (dominant trait
vs. recessive trait)
Mendel: The Father
Ø 1869 Johann Friedrich Miescher discovered a of Genetics
molecule named it nuclein.

Johann Miescher
A brief history/Background
1880 - 1900
• 1881 Edward Zacharias showed chromosomes are composed
of nuclein

• 1889 Richard Altmann renamed nuclein to nucleic acid.

• By 1900, chemical structures of all 20 amino acids had been


identified

Richard Altmann
A brief history/Background
1900-1911

§ 1902 - Emil Hermann Fischer wins Nobel


prize: showed amino acids are linked and
form proteins Emil
Fischer
§ 1911 – Thomas Hunt Morgan discovers
genes on chromosomes are the discrete
units of heredity

Thomas
Morgan
A brief history/Background
1940 - 1950

§ 1941 – George Beadle and


Edward Tatum identify that
genes make proteins

§ 1950 – Edwin Chargaff find George Edward


Cytosine/Guanine and Beadle Tatum
Adenine/Thymine

Edwin Chargaff
A brief history/Background
1950 - 1952

§ 1950s – Mahlon Bush


Hoagland first to isolate
tRNA Mahlon Hoagland

§ 1952 – Alfred Hershey and


Martha Chase proved that
DNA is the hereditary
material.
A brief history/Background
1952 - 1960

§ 1952-1953 James D. Watson and


Francis H. C. Crick discovered
the double helical structure of
DNA

James Watson and


§ 1956 George Emil Palade showed
Francis Crick
the site of enzymes manufacturing
in the cytoplasm is made on RNA
organelles called ribosomes.

George Emil Palade


A brief history/Background
1970-

Ø 1970 Howard Temin and


David Baltimore independently
discovered reverse transcriptase
(RTase or RT) - the enzyme
that polymerizes DNA from an
RNA template.

Ø discovered a distinct class of


viruses, later name retroviruses,
that use an RNA template to
catalyze synthesis of viral DNA
A brief history/Background
1970-1977

§ 1977 Phillip Sharp and Richard


Roberts demonstrated that pre-
mRNA is processed by the
excision of introns and exons are
spliced together.
Phillip Sharp
**1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology
or Medicine
Richard Roberts
A brief history/Background
1986 - 1995

Ø 1986 Leroy Hood: Developed


automated sequencing mechanism

Ø 1986 Human Genome Initiative


announced
Leroy Hood
Ø 1995 Moderate-resolution maps of
chromosomes 3, 11, 12, and 22 were
published

Ø These maps provide the locations of


“markers” on each chromosome to
make locating genes easier
A brief history/Background
1995-1996

Ø 1995 John Craig Venter: First bacterial


genomes sequenced

Ø 1995 Automated fluorescent sequencing


instruments and robotic operations

Ø 1996 First eukaryotic genome-yeast-


sequenced
John Craig Venter
A brief history/Background
1997-2001

Ø 1999 First human chromosome (number 22) sequenced

Ø 2001 International Human


Genome Sequencing published
the first draft of the sequence
of the human genome
A brief history/Background
2003- Present

Ø April 2003 Human Genome Project


Completed

Ø Mouse genome is sequenced.

Ø April 2004 Rat genome sequenced.

Ø Next-generation sequencing –
genomes being sequenced by the
dozen

Ø RNA-seq (WTS)
Where are we now ?
Recommended books

1. Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry

2. Lodish Molecular Cell Biology 8th edition


Thank you
See you tomorrow !

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