Cell Differentiation Flashcards
Where can regulation of gene expression take place?
- Transcription
- Post-transcription
- Translation
- Post-translation
What leads to different patters of gene expression in the nucleus?
Intrinsic factors and extrinsic signals
Transcription factors can act as either _________ or ________
Repressors, activators
What is the name given to uncommitted cells in skeletal muscle development?
Mesodermal progenitors (in the somite)
What is a somite?
A block-like segment of mesoderm
What does it mean for a cell to be uncommitted?
If you moved this cell to a different region it would specialise into something else
Which transcription factor has a major role in muscle differentiation?
MyoD
Stages of skeletal muscle development
- Cells receive signals and up-regulate synthesis of MyoD
- Now become myoblasts but no muscle-specific proteins expressed
- Multinucleate myotube - differentiate as cells stop dividing, align, fuse and start to express muscle-specific proteins
- “maturation” - arrangement of proteins into muscle fibres
What do mesodermal progenitors up-regulate the synthesis of in skeletal muscle development?
MyoD
What do differentiated cells often express?
Cell type-specific protein
What do differentiated tissues often retain a number of?
Stem cells for repair and renewal
Can death be a fate for cells during development?
Yes
