Bioinformatics Original definition (1979 by Paulien Hogeweg): “application of information technology and computer science to the field of molecular biology” Using information technology, designing novel algorithms and methods of analyses (computational biology) Establishing innovative software and databases of information, allowing open access to the records held within them (bioinformatics)
Bioinformatics is interdisciplinary Mathematics Statistics Computer Science Biophysics Evolution Ethical, legal and social implications Molecular Biology Structural Biology Biomedicine Bioinformatics Patrice Koehl
Genomics: genes give rise to proteins The ~25,000 genes of the human genome encode > 100,000 polypeptides Not all of the DNA in a genome encodes protein microbes: 90% coding gene human: 3% coding gene About ½ of the non-coding DNA in humans is conserved (functionally important)
Central Dogma of Molecular Biology DNA RNA Protein Replication Transcription Translation Genotype Phenotype Patrice Koehl
DNA structure
RNA structure
Protein structure
G RNA 5’ GGUCAUUC 3’ DNA coding strand DNA template strand DNA 5’ 3’ mRNA synthesis The mRNA is formed by adding nucleotide that are complementary to the template strand Patrice Koehl
Translation: mRNA -> protein
TRANSLATION The process of reading the mRNA sequence and creating the protein is called translation Protein are made of amino acids (20 different, 9 “essentials”) 3 bases or nucleotides make one codon Each codon specifies one amino acid : genetic code Patrice Koehl
3-letter Codon -> amino acid
Translation : initiation Patrice Koehl
Translation : initiation tRNA Patrice Koehl
Translation : elongation tRNA Patrice Koehl
Translation : elongation Patrice Koehl
Translation : elongation Patrice Koehl
Translation : elongation Patrice Koehl
Translation : termination Patrice Koehl
Translation : termination Protein Patrice Koehl
DNA -> RNA -> Proteins Proteins are central to life Cellular structure, communications, etc. Medical, drug development Failure -> disease (ex: missing, misfolding) The key to protein function is structure
Proteins collagen immunoglobulin
Huntington’s: amyloid structure
Animations Transcription and Translation Eukariotic Transcription