Cell Bio Exam 2 Flashcards
What is the function of mRNA?
encoded by genes in DNA and carry information for many proteins
What is the function of rRNA?
structural and catalytic core or ribosomes that translate mRNA into proteins
What is the function of tRNA?
attach encoded/selected amino acids to make a growing amino acid chain
What is the function of microRNA?
regulator for eukaryotic gene expression
What is the function of small iRNAs?
provide protection against viruses and proliferating transposable elements
Where does RNA transcription begin?
Upstream from point of RNA synthesis at PROMOTER
Where does RNA transcription end?
At stop site called TERMINATOR where RNA strand will be released
What makes the terminator more special than the promoter?
The terminator is transcribed so that the RNA polymerase will know to let go of the strand. Promoter is NOT transcribed
What recognizes the promoter? (in bacteria)
The sigma factor recognizes the promoter (each DNA base has unique features the present to the outside which allows sigma factors to identify the promoter without separating DNA)
How many RNA polymerases are there?
3 (RNA polymerase I, II, III)
What are the functions of RNA polymerase I and III?
The transcribe genes that encode tRNA, rRNA, and other RNA with important structural and catalytic roles in cells
What is the function of RNA polymerase II?
Transcribe the rest of the genes, including the ones that encode proteins
What is the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic RNA polymerases?
Prokaryotic RNA polymerase has one accessory factor (sigma factor), has short regulatory sequences, does not need to unpack DNA template
Eukaryotic RNA polymerase has many accessory factors (gen. transcription factors), long regulatory sequences, and has to unpack nucleosomes
What is the function of the TATA box?
RNA polymerase II uses it to determine the orientation of transcription
TFIID binds to it (TBP, its subunit binds and bends DNA) then other factors assemble on the polymerase and create the transcription initiation complex
What is the function of TFIIH?
RNA polymerase needs to be released from the transcription initiation complex so TFIIH adds a phosphate group to its C terminal tail
Also functions to separate DNA strand
Explain the importance of elongation factors
They load onto actively transcribing RNA polymerase and help it move along DNA packaged in nucleosomes
What happens when RNA transcription is complete?
RNA polymerase is released and the protein phosphatase takes the phosphate at the C terminal tail then RNA polymerase is ready to find a new promoter
What are the 3 RNA processing steps?
RNA capping, RNA splicing, and polyadenylation
What is RNA capping?
The 5’ end of the RNA transcript is modified by adding a cap after about 25 nucleotide sequences have been produced
What is RNA splicing?
carried out by snRNPS which also form spliceosome in the nucleus
removes introns and stitching exons back together to create functional mRNA, before splicing it is known as pre-mRNA
What is polyadenylation?
Poly A tail
enzyme at 3’ end cut RNA chain at specific sequence of the nucleotide then another enzyme adds repeated adenine to the end
What is the importance of RNA capping and polyadenylation?
Increases stability of eukaryotic mRNA and allows it to be transported into cytosol
What is the importance of alternative splicing?
Allows different proteins to be produce from the same gene
What is the function of aminoacyl tRNA synthases?
There are 20 aminoacyl tRNA synthases that couple each amino acid to an appropriate set of RNA
Also creates a charge tRNA
What is the function of small ribosomal subunits?
Matches tRNAs to codons on mRNA
What is the function of large ribosome subunits?
Catalyzes formations of peptide bonds that link amino acids
How are ribosomes decoded?
From 5’ to 3’, one codon at a time
What are the steps for RNA translation?
Step 1: charged tRNA (aminoacyl tRNA) binds to the A site in the ribosomal subunit
Step 2: peptidyl transferase forms a peptide bond with the amino acid on the tRNA to the growing chain at the P site
Step 3: the large ribosomal subunit shifts forward moving the tRNA into the E site
Step 4: The small ribosomal subunit moves forward to realign with the large ribosomal subunit and eject the tRNA
Cycle repeats until a stop codon is reached
How do proteasomes in eukaryotes know which proteins to degrade?
Proteins are marked with ubiquitin for degradation
What are the two main biochemical reactions that can be catalyzed by ribozymes?
Peptide bond formation = rRNA
Splicing = snRNAs, self-splicing RNA
What are housekeeping proteins?
Proteins that are expressed in all cell types
What is the first step in gene expression?
Transcriptional control
What are transcription regulators?
Transcription regulators bind to regulator DNA sequences that are intact double helix, form noncovalent interactions with the nucleotides, and often bind to the major groove
Why are dimers important for transcription regulators?
Dimers increase contact are which also increases strength and specificity of binding
What is the Trp operator?
A regulatory DNA sequence
What is the Trp repressor?
A transcriptional regulator that is always present while Trp is not
Is controlled by Trp (feedback inhibition)
How does a transcriptional activator protein work?
Promoters would not be very active without transcriptional activator protein.
Increase the transcription of genes by binding to specific sites on DNA and interacting with other protein
Binding of activators to DNA are controlled by metabolites or other small molecules (like cAMP)
Explain the lac operon
Has a lac repressor and CAP activator
Lac repressor binds when lactose is absent and glucose is present (Lac operon not able to be transcribed) but when lactose is present and glucose is absent then the operon is transcribed
CAP activator has to be switched on by cAMP which increases when glucose decreases (this allows activation of genes that can metabolize sugars other than glucose)
What is the function of eukaryotic transcription regulator?
Control gene expression from a distance
What are eukaryotic activators called?
Enhancers because they can enhance transcription from 1000 nucleotides away
Enhancers are the binding site for eukaryotic activator proteins
What is a mediator?
A protein complex that binds activator and other general transcription factors to promote transcription
Eukaryotic repressor can also work with mediator to block transcription
What is the function of chromatin-remodeling complexes?
They modify the histones tightly packed to DNA
Reposition the nucleosome on DNA, can lead to activation or repression of transcription
Explain histone modifications that lead to activation or repression
Histone acetyltransferases attach an acetyl group to the histone and activate transcription
Histone deacetylases remove a group of acetyl from the histone and represses transcription
What is the importance of DNA loops?
It holds specific genes and regulator regions together
It prevents one gene regulator from acting on an inappropriate gene
Loops are called Topological Associated Domains
Changes in transcription are remembered (true/false)
False
What is combinatorial control?
A group of transcriptional regulators that work together to determine the expression of a gene (ex: lac operon)
What is signal integration?
Determines transcriptional status of a gene
What is a reporter gene?
A gene that tells when and where a particular gene is expressed
What are the transcriptional repressions and activators of stripe 2 of the eve?
Repressor = Giant and Krupel
Activator = Bicoid and Hunchback
The expression of different genes can be coordinated by a single protein (true/false)
True
What is pluripotency?
The ability to become any cell type
Formation of an entire organ can be triggered by a single transcriptional regulator (true/false)
True
What can generate cell memory?
Positive feedback loop
What nucleotide base does methylation occur on?
Cytosine bases
What are the 3 cell memory mechanisms?
Positive feedback loop, DNA methylation, and histone modification
Explain translation control
(bacterial) gene expression can be controlled by regulating translation of mRNA
ex: some RNA-binding proteins can repress translation of specific mRNAs
What is the significance of thermosensors?
They control the translation of the mRNAs for proteins needed during infections
What is the function of microRNAs?
Direct destruction of target mRNAs
Later become part of RNA-induced Silencing Complex (RISC)
Base pair with target mRNAs to destroy target and block translation of target so that no protein is produced from target mRNA
What is the function of small interfering RNAs?
Protect cell from infections
Used to eliminate foreign RNAs and target long ds RNAs (RNA produced dsRNA during infection)
Explain the regulatory RNA siRNAs
RNA interference cuts long dsRNA into small pieces by Dicer protein and produced small interfering RNAs which then join RISC proteins then degrade target RNAs
What is the function of long-noncoding RNAs?
The regulative mammalian gene activity
Xist - long-noncoding RNA involved in X-inactivation of one female X chromosome
Coats the chromosome and attaches proteins that form heterochromatin
Can also serve as scaffolds, bringing together proteins that function in the same cell process
What is the function of CRISPR Cas in viral infections?
They are small noncoding RNAs (crRNAs) that record past viral infections and collect them in the CRISPR locus
(Clustered Regularly Interspersed Palindromic Repeated sequences)
The Cas enzyme, guided by crRNAS, destroy the viral DNA when encountered
Why is the plasma membrane important?
It compartmentalizes the internal of the cell
Receives info for communication, allows for import and export of small molecules, and has capacity for for movement and expansion (important for cell growth and motility)
What are the most abundant membrane lipids?
Phospholipids
What is a key characteristic of the lipid bilayer?
It is a flexible 2D layer and allows for free movement of molecules within the PLANE of the bilayer
What is the significance of the hydrocarbon tail of lipids?
No double bonds = saturated
Double bonds have kinks (bends) = unsaturated and more fluid with looser packing
How does the length of the hydrocarbon tail affect fluidity?
Longer tails = less fluid
Shorter tails = more fluid
How do microbes adjust phospholipid composition?
Adaptations to temperature changes
low temp = shorter tails mean more double bonds, more fluidity
higher temp = longer tails mean fewer double bonds, less fluidity
How can animal cells modulate membrane fluidity?
By adjusting cholesterol levels
Why is membrane fluidity important?
For many cell processes like cell signal, membrane protein distribution, cell division, and membrane fusion (endocytosis and exocytosis)
What are the types of movement that phospholipids can make in a lipid bilayer? Which occurs the least?
Lateral diffusion, rotation, flip flop, and flexion
Flip flip occurs the least