THIONUCLEOTIDES Meaning and
Definition
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Thionucleotides refer to a class of modified nucleotides that contain a sulfur atom in place of the oxygen atom found in normal nucleotides. Nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA and RNA molecules. They consist of a nitrogenous base, a sugar molecule (ribose or deoxyribose), and a phosphate group. Thionucleotides, however, feature a sulfur atom within the sugar moiety instead of an oxygen atom.
The modification of nucleotides to incorporate a sulfur atom can have various applications in molecular biology research. For instance, thionucleotides are widely used in techniques such as site-directed mutagenesis, where specific nucleotides are intentionally modified within a DNA sequence to alter the resulting protein product. These modified nucleotides enable researchers to introduce desired mutations in a targeted and controlled manner.
Thionucleotides also find importance in studies related to protein synthesis and translation, as they have been shown to affect translational fidelity and ribosome function. Additionally, thionucleotides have been explored in the development of potential therapeutic agents, such as antisense oligonucleotides, due to their ability to enhance stability and resistance to degradation.
In summary, thionucleotides are modified nucleotides featuring a sulfur atom instead of an oxygen atom. Their incorporation into nucleic acid sequences provides researchers with valuable tools for site-directed mutagenesis, protein synthesis studies, and potential therapeutic applications.
Common Misspellings for THIONUCLEOTIDES
- rhionucleotides
- fhionucleotides
- ghionucleotides
- yhionucleotides
- 6hionucleotides
- 5hionucleotides
- tgionucleotides
- tbionucleotides
- tnionucleotides
- tjionucleotides
- tuionucleotides
- tyionucleotides
- thuonucleotides
- thjonucleotides
- thkonucleotides
- thoonucleotides
- th9onucleotides
- th8onucleotides
- thiinucleotides
- thiknucleotides
Etymology of THIONUCLEOTIDES
The word "thionucleotides" is derived from the combination of two terms: "thio-" and "nucleotides".
1. "Thio-" comes from the Greek word "theio", meaning "sulfur". It is commonly used as a prefix to indicate the presence of a sulfur atom in a compound.
2. "Nucleotides" are the building blocks of DNA and RNA. They consist of a sugar molecule (ribose or deoxyribose), a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base (adenine, guanine, cytosine, or thymine/uracil).
Thus, "thionucleotides" refers to modified nucleotides where one or more of the oxygen atoms in the sugar backbone of the nucleotide is replaced by a sulfur atom.
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