Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México

Facultad de Química
Químico Farmacéutico Biólogo
Bioquímica Metabólica

Quiz: structure, function and metabolism DNA and RNA Choose the correct option (s) and
justify your answer

1. The transcribing enzyme is:

A. Ligase.
B. DNA polymerase.
C. RNA polymerase.
D. amino-acyl transferase.

2. Which of the following statements is true regarding introns?

A. Introns are the parts of mRNA that are translated.
B. Introns have no function.
C. In general, human genes have fewer introns than genes of other organisms.
D. Introns may be involved in exon shuffling.

3. Which of the following statements is true regarding transposons?

A. They are sequences of mRNA that can move around in the genome.
B. They exist in corn, but are not found in the human genome.
C. They are the most abundant type of repeat in the genome.
D. All of the above are true regarding transposons.

4. The nitrogen atoms of a purine molecule are derived from all of the following
amino acids EXCEPT:
A. Aspartic Acid
B. Asparagine
C. Glutamine
D. Glycine

5. In tissues that do not carry out active de novo synthesis, maintenance of an

adequate supply of adenine nucleotides:
A. occurs primarily by adenine salvage using A-PRT.
B. requires ATP uptake from the blood.
C. depends upon the action of nucleoside phosphorylase.
D. is accomplished entirely by the action of adenylate kinase.
E. involves hypoxanthine salvage using HG-PRT.

6. Which of the following is used during the conversion of uracil to thymine?

A. SAM
B. THF
C. THB
D. Biotin
E. CO2

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 Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México
Facultad de Química
Químico Farmacéutico Biólogo
Bioquímica Metabólica
7. The major control of de novo pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis in man is:
A. feedback inhibition of glutamine-PRPP amidotransferase.
B. feedback inhibition of aspartate transcarbamylase.
C. availability of N-acetyl glutamate.
D. substrate availability.
E. competitive inhibition of carbamoyl phosphate synthetase II.

8. Thioredoxin is involved in the:

A. conversion of AMP to ATP.
B. conversion of dUMP to dTMP.
C. conversion of a ribonucleotide to a deoxyribonucleotide.
D. inhibition of xanthine oxidase as a treatment for gout.
E. degradation of nucleoprotein.

9. Which of the following is NOT utilized in the conversion of ribose to deoxyribose?

A. NADPH
B. FADH2
C. UMP
D. Thioredoxin
E. Ribonucleotide reductase

10. In the catabolism of CTP: <

A. uric acid is an end product.
B. nitrogen will be released in the form of ammonia (ammonium ion).
C. the nitrogen-containing ring will be oxidized.
D. the final product will have the same type of nitrogen-containing ring as CTP.
E. hipoxanthine will be an intermediate.

11. The formation of dATP for DNA synthesis occurs primarily by:
A. de novo synthesis beginning with dPRPP.
B. salvaging adenine using A-PRT.
C. salvaging adenine using a nucleoside phosphorylase and dR 1-P.
D. converting ADP to dADP using thioredoxin.
E. converting dIMP to dAMP using 5,10-methylene THF.

12. Which of the following would NOT be expected to contribute to hyperuricemia

(gout)?
A. Unusually high levels of PRPP.
B. Inhibition of xanthine oxidase.
C. Unusually high turnover of nucleic acids.
D. High activity of adenosine deaminase.
E. Deficiency of HG-PRT.

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 Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México
Facultad de Química
Químico Farmacéutico Biólogo
Bioquímica Metabólica
13. Direct sources of purine ring atoms in the de novo synthesis of IMP include:
A. glutamine.
B. a component of the tetrahydrofolate one-carbon pool.
C. aspartate.
D. glycine.

14. A nucleoside phosphorylase:

A. cleaves a nucleoside with the production of ribose 1-phosphate.
B. is necessary for the major salvage pathway for pyrimidines.
C. is used in the degradation of purine nucleotides.
D. is responsible for the equilibration of nucleoside monophosphates and nucleoside
diphosphate.

15. Methotrexate is an inhibitor of dihydrofolate reductase. Administration of

methotrexate would inhibit:
A. de novo synthesis of UMP.
B. conversion of dUMP to dTMP.
C. conversion of IMP to GMP.
D. de novo synthesis of IMP.

16. Phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate is:

A. Formed during a regulated step in purine synthesis
B. Formed by the action of phosphoribosyl synthetase
C. A substrate for both purine and pyrimidine biosynthesis
D. Hydrolyzed by the action of inorganic pyrophosphate phosphatase

17. Major controls of de novo AMP synthesis include:

A. allosteric inhibition by GMP.
B. allosteric inhibition by AMP.
C. availability of PRPP.
D. stimulation by GTP.

18. Aspartate plays a role in all of the following EXCEPT:

A. conversion of UTP to CTP.
B. de novo synthesis of AMP.
C. de novo synthesis of orotic acid.
D. maintenances of the adenine nucleotide pool by a salvage mechanism.
E. the synthesis of most proteins.

19. Allopurinol is an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase. Administration of allopurinol to a

patient with gout and normal HG-PRT levels would be expected to lead to all of the
following EXCEPT:
A. decreased de novo synthesis of IMP.
B. decreased urate in the urine.
C. an increase in hypoxanthine in the blood.

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 Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México
Facultad de Química
Químico Farmacéutico Biólogo
Bioquímica Metabólica
D. increased levels of PRPP.
E. increased xanthine in the blood.

20. GTP inhibits which of the following reactions in purine biosynthesis?

A. PRPP > PRNH2
B. IMP > GMP
C. IMP > AMP

21. Carbamoyl phosphate synthetase II (CPS II) is:

A. Activated by PRPP
B. Inhibited by UMP
C. Activated by ATP
D. The key committed step in the formation of carbamoyl~phosphate
E. All of the above are correct

22. Nucleic Acid Structure Explain why the absorption of UV light by double-
stranded DNA increases (the hyperchromic effect) when the DNA is denatured.

23. Messenger RNA (mRNA) can be best described as:

A. A really cool way of rewriting RNA
B. The atom that carries information to an RNA template
C. A short lived RNA molecule that carries encoded information, transcribed from DNA.
D. A chromosome that is only present in prokaryotes and is involved in DNA synthesis
E. A molecule that has no life and is basically the news reporter of the cellular
environment.

24. How does transcription begin?

A. It doesn't, transcription doesn't exist
B. When RNA polymerase binds to a sigma to create a holoenzyme and the sigma guides
the RNA polymerase to certain locations where transcription should begin
C. Some dude brings a flag.
D. The non-template strand signals to the binding receptor that a phospodiester bond is
present and ready for action
E. The RNA polymerase binds to a coding strand located downstream

25. Nucleotide Structure Which positions in the purine ring of a purine nucleotide in
DNA have the potential to form hydrogen bonds but are not involved in Watson-Crick
base pairing?

26. Involve(s) reduction and cleavage of the nitrogen-containing ring

A. Catabolism of guanine
B. Catabolism of uracil

1. A only
2. B only

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 Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México
Facultad de Química
Químico Farmacéutico Biólogo
Bioquímica Metabólica
3. Both A and B
4. Neither A or B

27. Orotic acid would be an intermediate.

A. Catabolism of guanine
B. Catabolism of uracil

1. A only
2. B only
3. Both A and B
4. Neither A or B

28. What is the enzyme required to convert IMP to AMP from de novo purine
sythnesis pathway
A. Adenylosuccinate synthetase
B. GMP synthetase
C. Nucleoside monophosphate kinases
D. Uracil synthetase

29. Which of the following are inhibitors of enzyme that reduces Ribonucleotides to
Deoxyribonucleotides
A. ATP & hydroxyurea
B. dATP & hydroxyurea
C. dATP & methotrexate
D. Methotrexate & hydroxyurea
E. PABA & Methotrexate

30. Which of the following are inhibitors of enzyme that reduces Ribonucleotides to
Deoxyribonucleotides
A. ATP & hydroxyurea
B. dATP & hydroxyurea
C. dATP & methotrexate
D. Methotrexate & hydroxyurea
E. PABA & Methotrexate

31. Which of the following molecules below IS NOT a part of the synthesis of a purine
ring
A. Aspartate
B. CO2
C. Glutamine
D. Glycine
E. Lycine

32. The parent purine nucleodtide made from de novo purine synthesis is:
A. Adeosine 5' - monophosphate (AMP)

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 Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México
Facultad de Química
Químico Farmacéutico Biólogo
Bioquímica Metabólica
B. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)
C. Ionsine 5'-monophosphate (IMP)
D. Uridine monophosphate (UMP)

33. Rate limiting step of de novo purine synthesis is

A. 5'-Phosphoribosyl-1-pyropsphate (PRPP) to 5' Phosphoribosylamine by
glutamine:phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate amidotransferase.
B. 5'-Phosphoribosyl-1-pyropsphate (PRPP) to 5' Phosphoribosylamine by Ribose
phosphate pyrophospohokinase
C. Ribose 5-phosphate to 5'-Phosphoribosyl-1-pyropsphate (PRPP) by Ribose phosphate
pyrophospohokinase
D. There is no rate limiting step for de novo purine synthesis

34. The end product of pyrimidine synthesis is:

A. Adeosine 5' - monophosphate (AMP)
B. Inosine 5'- monophosphate (IMP)
C. Uridine 5'- monophosphate (UMP)

35. To make GMP as the END PRODUCT from de novo synthesis, you would require
all of following except:
A. ATP
B. GMP
C. GMP synthetase
D. IMP

36. Ribose-5-phosphaste comes from which pathway for de novo purine synthesis
A. de novo purine synthesis
B. Glycolysis
C. HMP
D. TCA/Kreb's Cycle
E. Urea Cycle

37. How many molecules are ATP are required for de novo purine synthesis
A. 0 ATP, energy comes from b-oxidation
B. 1 ATP
C. 2 ATP
D. 3 ATP
E. 4 ATP

38. CTP synthase catalyse which reaction

A. UDP to CTP with glutamine as the NH3 Donor
B. UMP to CTP with glutamine as the NH3 Donor
C. UTP to CTP with glutamine as the NH3 donor
D. UTP to CTP with glutamate as the NH3 acceptor

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 Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México
Facultad de Química
Químico Farmacéutico Biólogo
Bioquímica Metabólica
39. Which drugs would you give a bacteria to slow down de novo purine synthesis and
why?
A. PABA analogs (sulfonamides) because it would competitively inhibit bacterial synthesis
of folic acid.
B. Terazosin(vasodilator), which would competitvely inhibit bacterial synthesis of folic
acid.
C. THF, which would indirectly decrease folic acid production

40. Which of the following isn't required for pyrimidine synthesis

A. Aspartate
B. CO2
C. Folic acid
D. Glutamine

41. Which of the following statements about the nomenclature of nucleosides is not
true?

A. Cytosine is a nucleoside made up of the base cytidine attached to ribose.

B. Adenosine is a nucleoside made up of the base adenine attached to ribose.
C. Thymine is a nucleoside made up of the base thymidine attached to ribose.
C. Inosine is a nucleoside made up of the base hypoxanthine attached to L-ribose.

42. Which of the following statements about one-carbon transfers reactions in purine
and pyrimidine nucleotide synthesis are correct? Please select all that apply.

a) FH4 (tetrahydrofolate) is used for the one-carbon transfer in purine nucleotide synthesis.
b) N10-formyltetrahydrofolate is used as the one-carbon donor in purine nucleotide
synthesis.
c) Thymidylate synthase uses FH4 (tetrahydrofolate) for the synthesis of dTMP.
d) N5-methyl FH4 is used for the one-carbon transfer in purine nucleotide synthesis.
e) N5,N10-methylene FH4 is used in the synthesis of dTMP from dUMP.