Clover Powell's SRP

This week has been quite slow, and it isn't helped by the fact that there was one day with sun, and it lasted about 3 hours. Yeah, weather in France is like that.

Apart from that, it has been mostly drawing, and learning about very specific proteins and how prokaryotes perform DNA replication. It really is not very different from eukaryotic DNA replication, but I'll explain it anyways. As we all know, prokaryotic DNA is circular, and there is one point of origin, where DNA replication is started. At this point, there are four binding sites where a protein called DnaA binds. This protein, when it binds on the site, helps twist the DNA, forming a very tight loop. This in turn creates a force that slightly rips the bonds fromed in between the bases, and this is where DnaB, otherwise known as helicase (ha, scared you guys, didn't I? Its commonly called DnaB here in the lab.) can start to do what it was made to do. Unzip those genes! Also, a protein, called DnaC, escorts the enzyme DnaB to the spot of the rip. Once the helicase has begun to open the DNA, special proteins called SSBs, or Single Stranded Binding proteins, which protect the DNA from getting digested by enzymes called Dnase. These enzymes are put there to digest foreign single stranded DNA, but given the chance, they will apparentely digest their own DNA too, if the two single strands are left without protection.
After this, enzymes called DNA pimase synthesize and put in place a small piece of RNA, called a RNA primer, that allow DNA polymerase to come in and copy the DNA. After the DNA is copied, the RNA primer is switched out with DNA, and all the little pieces of DNA are bound together by DNA ligase. Of course, the explinqtion of this process can get much lore complicated than that, but I have all the info I need now!
Because I finally know all the major players in DNA replication of a prokaryote, it makes the development of the characters that conincide much easier to make. As soon as I've finished this step to my satisfaction, I can begin storyboarding and making the comic! Its something I can't wait to do, but that I have to take time to do. If I don't, I know that I will have a ahrder time making the comic and delivering a finished product that I am satisfied with!
Other than that, I have been living the city life well. Last night, I hung out with my aunt and uncle and we went out to eat and hit a few bars. It was very fun, but I can say that I'm reaping the 'benefits' of only sleeping seven hours.
Until the next post! Good day, Cleandro AKA Man of Honor.