Contents
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII
Preface to the English Edition . . . . . . . . IX
1
The Subject Matter and Methods
of Comparative Biochemistry. . .. 1
1.1
Historical Development of the
Comparative Approach in Biology.. 1
1.2
Uniformity and Diversity
in Biochemistry . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2
1.3
The Subjects of Comparative
Biochemistry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3
1.3.1 Comparison of Low Molecular
Weight Substances . . . . . . . . . . .. 4
1.3.2 Comparison of InformationCarrying Macromolecules . . . . . .. 4
1.4
Chance and Necessity
in Molecular Evolution . . . . . . . .. 5
1.4.1 Non-Adaptive ("Neutral")
Differences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 5
1.4.2 Molecular Adaptation. . . . . . . . .. 6
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 7
2
Nucleic Acids
and Nuclear Proteins . . . . . . . .. 9
2.1
The Structure of Chromosomal
DNA ..................... 9
2.1.1 Conformation and Composition. .. 10
2.1.2 Base Sequence
and Gene Structure . . . . . . . . . .. 11
2.1.3 The Genetic Code. . . . . . . . . . .. 13
2.1.4 Introns.................... 14
2.2
Multiple Genes and Pseudo genes .. 16
2.3
Repetitive Sequences
and Mobile Elements. . . . . . . . .. 17
2.3.1 Satellite DNA. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 18
2.3.2 Middle Repetitive DNA
and Genome Organization. . . . . .. 19
2.3.3 Transposition of Middle Repetitive
Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 19
2.3.4 Mobile Sequences
ofInvertebrates. . . . . . . . . . . . .. 21
2.3.5
2.3.6
2.4
2.4.1
2.4.2
2.5
2.5.1
2.5.2
2.5.3
2.5.4
2.5.5
2.6
2.7
2.7.1
2.7.2
2.7.3
2.7.4
2.7.5
2.7.6
2.8
2.8.1
2.8.2
2.8.3
2.8.4
2.8.5
2.8.6
2.9
2.9.1
2.9.2
2.9.3
2.9.4
The Retroposons of Vertebrates . .. 23
Retropseudogenes . . . . . . . . . . .. 25
Size of the Genome . . . . . . . . . .. 25
The DNA Content of Haploid
Genomes (the C Value). . . . . . . .. 25
Increase and Decrease in the DNA
Content of Individual Cells . . . . .. 27
Chromatin Proteins . . . . . . . . . .. 28
Structure and Evolution
of the Histones . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 29
The Histone Genes . . . . . . . . . .. 30
Variability of the Histones . . . . . .. 32
Protamines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 33
Non-Histone Proteins. . . . . . . . .. 34
DNA Replication and Repair. . . .. 35
Transcription and RNA
Maturation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 37
RNA Polymerases . . . . . . . . . . .. 37
Transcription. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 37
Maturation of the Primary
Transcripts (RNA Processing). . . .. 38
Production of Multiple Transcripts
of a Gene .................. 40
Regulation of Transcription . . . . .. 41
Heat-Shock Genes and Heat-Shock
Proteins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 43
Ribonucleic Acids
and Ribonucleoproteins . . . . . . .. 44
The rRNA Genes
and Their Transcription . . . . . . . .. 45
Structure of rRNAs . . . . . . . . . .. 47
The 5S rRNAs and Their Genes. .. 49
Ribosomal Proteins . . . . . . . . . .. 49
The Transfer RNAs
and Their Genes . . . . . . . . . . . .. 51
The Small Nuclear RNAs
and Their Genes . . . . . . . . . . . .. 52
Mitochondrial DNA. . . . . . . . . .. 52
The mtDNA of Vertebrates . . . . .. 52
The mtDNA of Invertebrates. . . .. 54
The mtDNA of Ciliates. . . . . . . .. 55
Kinetoplast DNA. . . . . . . . . . . .. 55
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 56