Phosphodiester bond

Phosphodiester Bond

A Phosphodiester bond (/ˌfɒsfoʊ.daɪˈɛstər/; from Greek phospho-, meaning 'relating to phosphorus', and -diester, a compound formed from two ester groups) is a type of chemical bond that is commonly found in nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA.

Definition

A phosphodiester bond is a strong, covalent bond that is formed when a phosphate group is covalently attached to two 5-carbon ring carbohydrates (such as Ribose and Deoxyribose in the backbone of DNA and RNA respectively) over two ester bonds.

Formation

The formation of a phosphodiester bond involves the removal of two hydroxyl groups (one from each of the 5-carbon ring carbohydrates involved), a process known as dehydration synthesis. This reaction is catalyzed by the enzyme DNA polymerase during DNA replication and RNA polymerase during transcription.

Function

Phosphodiester bonds are crucial for the structure and function of nucleic acids. They form the backbone of DNA and RNA, linking the nucleotides together and allowing for the formation of the double helix structure in DNA and single-stranded structure in RNA. They also provide stability and resistance to enzymatic degradation.

Related Terms

• Nucleotide
• DNA replication
• Transcription
• Deoxyribose
• Ribose
• Phosphate group
• Hydroxyl group
• Dehydration synthesis
• DNA polymerase
• RNA polymerase

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Phosphodiester bond
• Wikipedia's article - Phosphodiester bond

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