IChO 2006 · Theory problem 4

The Chemistry of DNA

4.1 In 1944 Oswald Avery isolated a genetic material and showed by elemental analysis that it was a sodium salt of deoxyribonucleic acid. A segment of DNA with formula mass of 1323.72 is shown.

Figure 1

Assuming that equimolar amounts of the four bases are present in DNA, write the number of \(\ce{H}\) atoms per \(\ce{P}\) atom. Calculate (to 3 significant figures) the theoretical weight percentage of \(\ce{H}\) expected upon elemental analysis of DNA.

4.2 Chargaff extracted the separated bases and determined their concentrations by measuring UV absorbance. The Beer-Lambert law was used to obtain the molar concentration. Chargaff discovered the following molar ratio for bases in DNA:

adenine to guanine = 1.43 thymine to cytosine = 1.43
adenine to thymine = 1.02 guanine to cytosine = 1.02

Chargaff’s discovery suggested that the bases might exist as pairs in DNA. Watson and Crick mentioned in their celebrated 1953 paper in Nature: "It has not escaped our notice that the specific pairing we have postulated immediately suggests a possible copying mechanism for the genetic material."

Draw structures of the specific pairing found in DNA. Indicate hydrogen bonds. Omit the sugar-phosphate backbone.

4.3 Mutation can occur through base pairings different from the above. Draw structures of any three alternative base pairs.

4.4 The plausibility of the formation of purine and pyrimidine bases in the prebiotic atmosphere of the Earth from \(\ce{HCN}\), \(\ce{NH3}\), and \(\ce{H2O}\) has been demonstrated in the laboratory. Write the minimum number of \(\ce{HCN}\) and \(\ce{H2O}\) molecules required for formation of the following compounds.

Figure 2

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 4.1: 11.25 hydrogen atoms per phosphorus atom; theoretical hydrogen content 3.43% by mass.
  • 4.2: Adenine–thymine, with two hydrogen bonds, and guanine–cytosine, with three hydrogen bonds. Structures and precise hydrogen-bond assignments are given below.
  • 4.3: Three examples are guanine–thymine wobble, imino-adenine–cytosine, and guanine–adenine pairs, each with the two hydrogen bonds specified below.
  • 4.4: Minimum numbers of molecules per molecule of base:
Base \(\ce{HCN}\) \(\ce{H2O}\)
Adenine 5 0
Guanine 5 1
Uracil 4 2
Cytosine 4 1

Solution

4.1 — Hydrogen content of sodium DNA

The pictured structure is an internal sodium DNA segment with sequence \(5'\)-AGCT-\(3'\). Its chain-fragment SMILES, including the sugar stereochemistry and sodium counterions, is:

*P(=O)([O-])OC[C@H]1O[C@@H](n2cnc3c(N)ncnc32)C[C@@H]1OP(=O)([O-])OC[C@H]1O[C@@H](n2cnc3c(=O)[nH]c(N)nc32)C[C@@H]1OP(=O)([O-])OC[C@H]1O[C@@H](n2ccc(N)nc2=O)C[C@@H]1OP(=O)([O-])OC[C@H]1O[C@@H](n2cc(C)c(=O)[nH]c2=O)C[C@@H]1O*.[Na+].[Na+].[Na+].[Na+]

The first * represents the preceding residue’s \(3'\) oxygen, and the last represents the following phosphate phosphorus. These placeholders lie outside the counted segment.

Each sugar residue has seven carbon-bound hydrogen atoms: one, two, one, one, and two on \(C1'\), \(C2'\), \(C3'\), \(C4'\), and \(C5'\), respectively. The internal sodium phosphodiester groups contribute no additional hydrogen atoms.

Each attached base has one fewer hydrogen than its corresponding free base because its glycosidic attachment replaces an N–H hydrogen.

Attached base Hydrogen atoms on base Hydrogen atoms on sugar Total
Adenine 4 7 11
Guanine 4 7 11
Cytosine 4 7 11
Thymine 5 7 12
Total 17 28 45

Thus the segment contains 45 hydrogen atoms and four phosphorus atoms:

\[ \boxed{\frac{N_{\ce{H}}}{N_{\ce{P}}}=\frac{45}{4}=11.25}. \]

The counted segment has composition \(\ce{C39H45N15Na4O24P4}\), consistent with the supplied formula mass.

Using \(M(\ce{H})=1.008\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\),

\[ \text{Hydrogen mass percentage} = \frac{45(1.008\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}})} {1323.72\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}}\times100\% = 3.4267\%. \]

To three significant figures,

\[ \boxed{3.43\%\text{ hydrogen by mass}}. \]

4.2 — Normal complementary base pairs

The ratios adenine/thymine and guanine/cytosine are both approximately unity. These suggest the complementary stoichiometries A:T \(=1:1\) and G:C \(=1:1\). The hydrogen-bond donors and acceptors of the depicted bases support these pairings.

The required covalent structures are:

Base SMILES
Adenine (A) Nc1ncnc2[nH]cnc12
Thymine (T) Cc1c[nH]c(=O)[nH]c1=O
Guanine (G) Nc1nc2[nH]cnc2c(=O)[nH]1
Cytosine (C) Nc1cc[nH]c(=O)n1

These are free-base SMILES. In DNA, the hydrogen at N9 of a purine or N1 of a pyrimidine is replaced by the sugar attachment. Those attachment sites do not participate in the hydrogen bonds listed here.

For the requested drawings, place the paired bases approximately coplanar, with their Watson–Crick edges facing each other. Draw a dashed line from each indicated donor hydrogen to its acceptor:

Pair Hydrogen-bond donor Acceptor
A–T Adenine N6–H Thymine O4
A–T Thymine N3–H Adenine N1
G–C Cytosine N4–H Guanine O6
G–C Guanine N1–H Cytosine N3
G–C Guanine N2–H Cytosine O2

Here N6 of adenine, N4 of cytosine, and N2 of guanine are the exocyclic amino nitrogens; the numbered oxygen atoms are carbonyl oxygens.

Therefore, A–T has two hydrogen bonds, while G–C has three. The SMILES specify covalent connectivity; the table specifies the intermolecular hydrogen bonds and the arrangement required for the drawings.

4.3 — Three alternative base pairs

The following are three possible mismatched pairs.

  1. Guanine–thymine wobble pair

Use the ordinary guanine and thymine structures given in 4.2. Shift the bases sideways relative to a Watson–Crick arrangement so that:

  • Guanine N1–H donates a hydrogen bond to thymine O2.
  • Thymine N3–H donates a hydrogen bond to guanine O6.

Draw these two dashed hydrogen bonds. Guanine O6 and thymine O2 are the acceptors.

  1. Imino-adenine–cytosine pair

Use the rare neutral imino tautomer of adenine, N=c1[nH]cnc2[nH]cnc12, together with ordinary cytosine.

Relative to ordinary adenine, this tautomer has a hydrogen transferred from the exocyclic N6 amino group to ring N1, with the accompanying double-bond rearrangement. Consequently, N1–H is a donor and the exocyclic imino N6 is an acceptor.

Place the bases with their corresponding pairing edges facing each other and draw:

  • Cytosine N4–H donating to imino-adenine N6.
  • Imino-adenine N1–H donating to cytosine N3.

This gives two hydrogen bonds.

  1. Guanine–adenine pair

Use the ordinary guanine and adenine structures from 4.2, with their Watson–Crick edges facing each other. Draw:

  • Adenine N6–H donating to guanine O6.
  • Guanine N1–H donating to adenine N1.

This gives two hydrogen bonds. Because both bases are purines, this arrangement is wider than a normal purine–pyrimidine pair and requires distortion of the local DNA geometry.

4.4 — Minimum precursor requirements

The starting substances are hydrogen cyanide, C#N; ammonia, N; and water, O.

Hydrogen cyanide is the only carbon source, so at least one \(\ce{HCN}\) molecule is required for every carbon atom in the product. Water is the only oxygen source, so at least one \(\ce{H2O}\) molecule is required for every oxygen atom. Ammonia contains neither carbon nor oxygen and cannot reduce these lower bounds.

Adenine, guanine, and cytosine have the structures listed in 4.2. Uracil has SMILES O=c1cc[nH]c(=O)[nH]1.

Product Molecular formula Minimum \(\ce{HCN}\) Minimum \(\ce{H2O}\)
Adenine \(\ce{C5H5N5}\) 5 0
Guanine \(\ce{C5H5N5O}\) 5 1
Uracil \(\ce{C4H4N2O2}\) 4 2
Cytosine \(\ce{C4H5N3O}\) 4 1

These minima are compatible with complete atom conservation. For example, the following formal overall balances achieve them:

\[ \ce{5HCN -> C5H5N5} \qquad\text{(adenine)} \]

\[ \ce{5HCN + H2O -> C5H5N5O + H2} \qquad\text{(guanine)} \]

\[ \ce{4HCN + 2H2O -> C4H4N2O2 + N2 + 2H2} \qquad\text{(uracil)} \]

\[ \ce{8HCN + 2H2O -> 2C4H5N3O + N2 + H2} \qquad\text{(cytosine)} \]

The additional products in these formal balances are dinitrogen, N#N, and dihydrogen, [H][H]. The cytosine equation produces two molecules, so its requirement per molecule is four \(\ce{HCN}\) and one \(\ce{H2O}\).

These equations establish stoichiometric consistency; they do not assert particular experimental pathways or byproducts, which the problem does not specify.

The solution was checked against the official solution.