Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

BIO 317 > 26 - Nature, Nurture, and Epigenetic Regulation > Flashcards

26 - Nature, Nurture, and Epigenetic Regulation Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What does “epigenetics” mean?

A

Above the genome

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are some processes involved in epigenetics?

A

Histone acetylation, histone methylation, and DNA methylation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

True or false: histone acetylation, histone methylation, and DNA methylation are all distinct events

A

False: they are all interconnected

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is epigenetics?

A

Modifications on the genome

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

How come epigenetics is interconnected?

A

The proteins and enzymes that carry out histone acetylation, histone methylation, and DNA methylation are all influenced by the state of histones/DNA

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What can you say about genes that are packed in heterochromatin?

A

They are not expressed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What can you say about genes that are packed in euchromatin?

A

They are expressed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What does the chemical modifications of histones/DNA influence?

A

Chromatin structure, and gene expression

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What happens during histone acetylation?

A

Acetyl groups are added to lysines on histone tails

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is the charge on lysine?

A

Positive

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is the effect of histone acetylation?

A

Loosens chromatin structure, thus allowing for transcription

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is the effect of histone methylation?

A

It condenses chromatin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is the effect of phosphorylation of histone methylation?

A

If it is next to a methyl group, it can promote transcription by loosening chromatin structure

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

When can phosphorylation lead to loosening chromatin structure?

A

When it is next to a methylated amino acid

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

True or false: epigenetic information can be inherited

A

True: these modifications can be inherited through DNA replication

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is epigenetic inheritance?

A

The transmission of information that is not in the DNA sequence

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Where do modified histones go during DNA replication?

A

To both duplicated chromosomes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

True or false: chromatin modifications alter the DNA sequence

A

False: they alter the epigenome, not the DNA sequence itself

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Where does DNA tend to be methylated?

A

At CpG sites

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is a CpG site?

A

A cysteine adjacent to a guanine

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the importance of a CpG site?

A

It is the site where DNA is most likely methylated

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What does DNMT stand for?

A

DNA methyltransferase

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What does DNMT do?

A

Adds a methyl group to DNA

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

True or false: location in the nucleus does not influence transcription

A

False: the location can also influence transcription

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What is the usual state of perinuclear heterochromatin?

A

Usually silenced

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

How can perinuclear heterochromatin be expressed?

A

By being close to nuclear pores

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

How come perinuclear heterochromatin close to pores can be expressed?

A

They are close to activator systems

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What do activator systems in the nucleus do?

A

Recruit transferases to open up heterochromatin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Where are activator systems found?

A

Close to nuclear pores

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What can you say about chromatin right around the nucleolus?

A

It tends to be silenced

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

True or false: the chromatin structure is the same throughout the nucleus

A

False: the structure can alter throughout the nucleus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What is a transcriptional factory?

A

A place where multiple genes from different chromosomes can be transcribed together

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

How are multiple genes on different chromosomes transcribed together?

A

Through transcriptional factories

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

True or false: identical twins can diverge

A

True: based on epigenetics, there can be changes in appearance and health

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

What do identical twins have in common?

A

They have the same exact DNA

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

How are identical twins made?

A

They come from the same egg (clones)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

True or false: if one identical twin gets cancer, the other twin must get cancer

A

False: there are differences in their epigenome

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

What did the mice in the NOVA video have in common?

A

The same DNA

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

What did the mice in the NOVA video have differently?

A

Different skin color and weight

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

What gene was affected in the mice in the NOVA video?

A

Agouti

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

What does the Agouti gene do?

A

Determines skin color and weight

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

What happens if the Agouti gene is constantly activated?

A

The mouse becomes yellow and fat

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

What happens if the Agouti gene is inactivated?

A

The mouse becomes dark and skinny

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

In the dark and skinny mouse, what is the state of the Agouti gene?

A

Silenced

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

In the yellow and fat mouse, what is the state of the Agouti gene?

A

Activated

46
Q

How is the Agouti gene silenced or activated?

A

It is silenced by methylation

47
Q

What is the genome compared to in a computer?

A

The hardware

48
Q

What is the epigenome compared to in a computer?

A

The software

49
Q

What controls the type of cells in a tissue?

A

The epigenome (silence the unneeded genes)

50
Q

True or false: the epigenome is permanent

A

False: it can be changed

51
Q

How can the epigenome of the mice in the NOVA video be changed?

A

By feeding them a methyl group rich diet

52
Q

What happens when the mice eat a methyl group rich diet?

A

They silence the Agouti gene and become darker and skinnier

53
Q

What is the significance of the methyl group rich diet in the mice?

A

What you can eat can affect future generations

54
Q

What was done after the study in mice?

A

Follow up with identical twins in humans

55
Q

What was the purpose of the human study in the NOVA video?

A

To see how close twins are epigenetically

56
Q

What was the sample of the human study in the NOVA video?

A

40 twins, age 3 to 74

57
Q

What was the human experiment in the NOVA video?

A

Cells were taken from identical twins, and their DNA was compared to analyze the epigenomes

58
Q

What did the dark pink bands in the NOVA video signify?

A

Places where genes in the epigenome were turned off

59
Q

What was found with the epigenomes of young twins?

A

They had very similar epigenomes

60
Q

What was found with the epigenomes of old twins?

A

They had very different epigenomes

61
Q

What was the conclusion of the human study in the NOVA video?

A

As twins age, epigenetic differences accumulate (especially when lifestyles differ)

62
Q

What is the advantage of cancers caused by epigenetics?

A

They are easier to modify than broken genes

63
Q

What was the clinical trials in the NOVA video?

A

A drug that fixed the epigenetic tags in the genes

64
Q

What was the result of the clinical trials in the NOVA video?

A

Many patients were improving, with not many side effects

65
Q

What is the responsibility associated with epigenetics?

A

It is easy to mess up the epigenome, so it needs to be taken with care (not stuck with inherited genome)

66
Q

True or false: maternal behavior can affect offspring

A

True: this is seen in licking and grooming, which is generationally passed on

67
Q

What does LG stand for?

A

Licking and grooming

68
Q

What behavior does high LG lead to?

A

Relaxed adults

69
Q

What behavior do relaxed adults go through?

A

High LG

70
Q

What behavior does low LG lead to?

A

Fearful adults

71
Q

What behavior do fearful adults go through?

A

Low LG

72
Q

How can a low LG phenotype be induced?

A

Through stress

73
Q

What happens when an animal is stressed?

A

The adrenal glands release glucocorticoids

74
Q

What do glucocorticoids do (in the brain)?

A

Bind to the hippocampus, inhibit the hypothalamus, and inhibit the pituitary gland

75
Q

What does the hippocampus do under stress?

A

Inhibits the hypothalamus

76
Q

What does the hypothalamus do under stress?

A

Cannot activate the pituitary gland through CRF

77
Q

What does the pituitary gland do under stress?

A

Cannot activate the adrenal glands

78
Q

What happens after glucocorticoids are released by the adrenal glands?

A

The production is quickly shut off by the negative feedback to the adrenal gland

79
Q

Why do glucocorticoids induce a negative feedback response?

A

It reduces a long-term, chronic stress response

80
Q

How does high LG affect GR receptors?

A

There are increased GR receptors

81
Q

How does increased GR receptors impact the stress response?

A

There is less stress, because there is more inhibition to shut the system off quicker

82
Q

How does low LG affect GR receptors?

A

There are decreased GR receptors

83
Q

How does decreased GR receptors impact the stress response?

A

There is more stress, because there is less inhibition to prevent a quick shut off

84
Q

Where are GR receptors found (in terms of the LG stress response)?

A

On the hippocampus

85
Q

What does LG behavior control (molecularly)?

A

Serotonin release

86
Q

What does serotonin act on (in response to the LG pathway)?

A

The hippocampus

87
Q

What is the serotonin pathway to activate the primary response?

A

Serotonin –> 5-HT7 receptor –> aGs –> AC –> cAMP –> PKA –> CREB –> primary response

88
Q

What is the primary response of the serotonin pathway?

A

NGF1-A and AP-2

89
Q

What are NGF1-A and AP-2?

A

Transcription factors

90
Q

Which primary response element controls the GR gene?

A

NGF1-A

91
Q

What is the secondary response of the serotonin pathway?

A

The GR gene

92
Q

How does serotonin impact GR receptors?

A

Higher serotonin leads to higher levels of GR

93
Q

How does DNMT affect the GR gene?

A

It methylates the DNA where NGF1-A will bind

94
Q

How does DNA methylation impact the GR gene?

A

It silences it, since NGF1-A cannot bind to the gene

95
Q

How does low LG affect the GR promoter?

A

It leaves it highly methylated, thus silenced

96
Q

How does high LG affect the GR promoter?

A

It binds to NGF1-A, thus becoming activated

97
Q

What is the epigenetic modification of LG?

A

The methylation of the GR promoter

98
Q

What leads to the epigenetic modification of the GR gene?

A

The LG behavior itself

99
Q

What is meant by cross fostering?

A

Pups born to high LG moms, but reared by low LG moms, are similar in behavior to low LG pups (and vice versa)

100
Q

What is the significance of the cross fostering experiments?

A

They demonstrate that epigenetics can be modified and changed

101
Q

What does TSA stand for?

A

Trichostatin

102
Q

What does TSA do?

A

Blocks HDAC

103
Q

How does TSA affect GR expression?

A

It increases GR expression

104
Q

How does TSA affect the LG behavior?

A

It leads to high LG

105
Q

How does TSA lead to high LG behavior?

A

It blocks HDAC, so it keeps the GR gene acetylated and activated

106
Q

What does SAM stand for?

A

S-Adenosyl methionine

107
Q

What does SAM do?

A

Promotes histone methylation

108
Q

How does SAM affect GR expression?

A

It decreases GR expression

109
Q

How does SAM affect the LG behavior?

A

It leads to low LG

110
Q

How does SAM lead to low LG behavior?

A

It promotes histone methylation, so it keeps the GR gene methylated silenced

111
Q

What is the problem with generalized HDAC/HAT drugs?

A

They can affect a large range of genes

112
Q

How can the problem of HDAC/HAT drugs be circumvented?

A

By targeting specific HDACs/HATs found in specific locations (the synapse)

BIO 317 (27 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions