Magnesium helps to create, repair and protect DNA and proteins<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFor those who need a brief refresher, DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is a long, twisting double-stranded molecule found in the nucleus of every cell. These nucleic acids contain the sum of genetic information that makes us unique organisms. They\u2019re also the blueprints for making all proteins in the body.<\/p>
DNA strands are made of sequences of nucleotide bases: adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine. Because of the way these nucleotides are attracted to one another, the opposite strand in a DNA molecule will have a mirror sequence of nucleotide bases. Adenine is always paired across thymine, and cytosine is always paired across guanine. These base pairs look something like this:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/magnesium.ca\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/04\/createrepair-dna.webp\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMagnesium is involved in the following DNA functions.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tMaking proteins<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhen a protein needs to be created, specific DNA nucleotide sequences are read and copied (transcribed) onto another molecule called RNA. The RNA strand is then moved out of the nucleus where enzyme-like organelles called ribosomes use it as a guide to synthesize chains of amino acids that form the desired protein.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/magnesium.ca\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/04\/dna-rna-protein.webp\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThis protein synthesis relies on all sorts of enzymes to work, from helicases that open up the DNA strand to be read, to RNA polymerases that create RNA-based on the original DNA sequence, to protein kinases. Magnesium is a cofactor for most of these critical enzymes. The ribosome, while not technically an enzyme, is the most important catalyst for stitching together amino acids into proteins. Lots of magnesium is needed to keep this complex ribo protein stable.<\/p>
Without enough magnesium, protein synthesis is impaired. And since protein is used for most of the structural components and nearly all metabolic functions in the body, a lack of proteins can have widespread consequences.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tCreating DNA<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWe mentioned earlier that magnesium is an essential cofactor for an enzyme called DNA polymerase which repairs and replicates strands of DNA using spare nucleotides floating around in the nucleus.<\/p>
After other enzymes \u201cunzip\u201d the double-strands of DNA, DNA polymerases attach to each strand and begin to travel down the sequence of nucleotides. As it travels, the magnesium ions bound to the enzyme help open up the nucleotide site, drawing the new, free nucleotide into position.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/magnesium.ca\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2024\/04\/dna-polymerase.webp\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
For those who need a brief refresher, DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is a long, twisting double-stranded molecule found in the nucleus of every cell. These nucleic acids contain the sum of genetic information that makes us unique organisms. They\u2019re also the blueprints for making all proteins in the body.<\/p>
DNA strands are made of sequences of nucleotide bases: adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine. Because of the way these nucleotides are attracted to one another, the opposite strand in a DNA molecule will have a mirror sequence of nucleotide bases. Adenine is always paired across thymine, and cytosine is always paired across guanine. These base pairs look something like this:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\tMagnesium is involved in the following DNA functions.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
Making proteins<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhen a protein needs to be created, specific DNA nucleotide sequences are read and copied (transcribed) onto another molecule called RNA. The RNA strand is then moved out of the nucleus where enzyme-like organelles called ribosomes use it as a guide to synthesize chains of amino acids that form the desired protein.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThis protein synthesis relies on all sorts of enzymes to work, from helicases that open up the DNA strand to be read, to RNA polymerases that create RNA-based on the original DNA sequence, to protein kinases. Magnesium is a cofactor for most of these critical enzymes. The ribosome, while not technically an enzyme, is the most important catalyst for stitching together amino acids into proteins. Lots of magnesium is needed to keep this complex ribo protein stable.<\/p>
Without enough magnesium, protein synthesis is impaired. And since protein is used for most of the structural components and nearly all metabolic functions in the body, a lack of proteins can have widespread consequences.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tCreating DNA<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWe mentioned earlier that magnesium is an essential cofactor for an enzyme called DNA polymerase which repairs and replicates strands of DNA using spare nucleotides floating around in the nucleus.<\/p>
After other enzymes \u201cunzip\u201d the double-strands of DNA, DNA polymerases attach to each strand and begin to travel down the sequence of nucleotides. As it travels, the magnesium ions bound to the enzyme help open up the nucleotide site, drawing the new, free nucleotide into position.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
When a protein needs to be created, specific DNA nucleotide sequences are read and copied (transcribed) onto another molecule called RNA. The RNA strand is then moved out of the nucleus where enzyme-like organelles called ribosomes use it as a guide to synthesize chains of amino acids that form the desired protein.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\tThis protein synthesis relies on all sorts of enzymes to work, from helicases that open up the DNA strand to be read, to RNA polymerases that create RNA-based on the original DNA sequence, to protein kinases. Magnesium is a cofactor for most of these critical enzymes. The ribosome, while not technically an enzyme, is the most important catalyst for stitching together amino acids into proteins. Lots of magnesium is needed to keep this complex ribo protein stable.<\/p>
Without enough magnesium, protein synthesis is impaired. And since protein is used for most of the structural components and nearly all metabolic functions in the body, a lack of proteins can have widespread consequences.<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
Creating DNA<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWe mentioned earlier that magnesium is an essential cofactor for an enzyme called DNA polymerase which repairs and replicates strands of DNA using spare nucleotides floating around in the nucleus.<\/p>
After other enzymes \u201cunzip\u201d the double-strands of DNA, DNA polymerases attach to each strand and begin to travel down the sequence of nucleotides. As it travels, the magnesium ions bound to the enzyme help open up the nucleotide site, drawing the new, free nucleotide into position.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
We mentioned earlier that magnesium is an essential cofactor for an enzyme called DNA polymerase which repairs and replicates strands of DNA using spare nucleotides floating around in the nucleus.<\/p>
After other enzymes \u201cunzip\u201d the double-strands of DNA, DNA polymerases attach to each strand and begin to travel down the sequence of nucleotides. As it travels, the magnesium ions bound to the enzyme help open up the nucleotide site, drawing the new, free nucleotide into position.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t