What is Uracil Nitrogenous Base & Its Role in DNA Transcription?

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In summary, DNA can read uracil bases, but using thymine instead helps differentiate between normal bases and those that have been damaged by deamination.
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charliemagne
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What is in DNA why can it not read the uracil nitrogenous base during transcription? May I have answer in the molecular level?
 
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Uracil can function perfectly fine in DNA. DNA containing uracil can be read by DNA and RNA polymerases. The problem is that a common type of DNA damage, deamination, converts cytosine to uracil. Therefore, if uracil were used as a base in DNA, one could not distinguish between uracil bases that are supposed to be present and cytosines that had been deaminated. By using thymine instead of uracil, the cell will recognize uracil bases in DNA as deaminated cytosines, remove them, and allow repair enzymes to restore a cytosine at that position in order to prevent a mutation from occurring.
 

FAQ: What is Uracil Nitrogenous Base & Its Role in DNA Transcription?

What is Uracil Nitrogenous Base?

Uracil is a nitrogenous base that is one of the four building blocks of DNA. It is a single-ring structure and is classified as a pyrimidine base.

How is Uracil different from other nitrogenous bases?

Uracil is different from other nitrogenous bases because it is only found in RNA, not DNA. In DNA, thymine replaces uracil. Additionally, uracil does not form hydrogen bonds with adenine like thymine does, but it still pairs with adenine in RNA through other types of bonds.

What is the role of Uracil in DNA transcription?

During DNA transcription, uracil replaces thymine in the newly formed RNA strand. This allows the genetic code to be accurately copied and transferred from DNA to RNA, which is essential for protein synthesis.

What happens if a Uracil is mistakenly inserted into DNA?

If a uracil is mistakenly inserted into DNA, it can cause a mutation. This is because uracil does not pair with guanine like thymine does, leading to an incorrect base pairing and potentially causing a change in the genetic code.

Can Uracil be converted into other nitrogenous bases?

Yes, uracil can be converted into other nitrogenous bases through a process called deamination. This happens when an enzyme removes an amino group from uracil, resulting in the formation of cytosine. This can lead to mutations if not corrected by DNA repair mechanisms.

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