Cell Structure and Function - Gene to Protein Flashcards

1
Q

What is a genotype?

A

An organisms hereditary information

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2
Q

What is a phenotype?

A

The observable or physiological traits of an organism

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3
Q

What is gene expression?

A

The process of going from DNA to a functional products (typically a protein)

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4
Q

What is DNA?

A

is the heritable material that is used to store and transmit information from generation to generation

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5
Q

What is RNA?

A

acts as a messenger to allow the information stored in the DNA to be used to make proteins

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6
Q

What is messenger RNA (mRNA)?

A

is a single-stranded RNA molecule that is complementary to one of the DNA strands of a gene

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7
Q

What is transfer RNA (tRNA)?

A

carry amino acids to the ribosome. They act as “bridges,” matching a codon in an mRNA with the amino acid it codes for. It’s the physical link between the mRNA and the amino acid sequence of proteins

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8
Q

What do proteins do?

A

Carry out cellular functions

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9
Q

What are the three stages of gene expression?

A

Transcription, processing and translation

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10
Q

Where does transcription occur?

A

In the nucleus

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11
Q

Where does processing occur?

A

In the nucleus

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12
Q

Where does translation occur?

A

In the cytoplasm

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13
Q

Why is gene expression regulated at transcription?

A

Transcription factors need to correctly assemble and DNA needs to be accessible

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14
Q

What is the gene expression regulation at RNA processing?

A

Capping, extending of polyadenylation (i.e tailing) alternate splicing, producing an mRNA able to be translated

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15
Q

What is the gene expression regulation at translation?

A

regulatory proteins can block translation, variable mRNA life-spans

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16
Q

Why is controlling gene expression important?

A

Because it needs to achieve the right thing at the right time (temporal and spatial control)

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17
Q

What are housekeeping proteins?

A

Proteins continuously produced by DNA

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18
Q

Main features of housekeeping proteins?

A

Are the more commonly used proteins
Protein and mRNA are present in large quantities (e.g. tubulin)
Typically have long half life in cells

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19
Q

What causes the production of other proteins?

A

Cell signalling

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20
Q

Features of proteins produced by cell signalling as a response to stimuli?

A

They are short lived and carry out their required function

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21
Q

What is the 5’ end of DNA?

A

This is the beginning of the chain and the phosphate group of the first nucleotide sticks out

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22
Q

What is the 3’ end of DNA?

A

This is the end of the chain where the 3’ hydroxyl of the last nucleotide is exposed

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23
Q

What way are DNA sequences read?

A

From the 5’ end to the 3’ end

24
Q

What is transcription?

A

Transcription is the first stage of gene expression. Genetic information encoded in the base-pair triplets of the DNA molecule is copied to RNA molecules

25
Q

What are the three steps of transcription?

A

Initiation, elongation, termination

26
Q

What is upstream?

A

The 5’ end of DNA (promotor)

27
Q

What is downstream

A

The 3’ end of DNA (terminator)

28
Q

What does RNA have instead of the T nucleotide?

A

U (Uracil)

29
Q

What is RNA polymerase II?

A

the main enzyme involved in transcription is RNA polymerase

30
Q

What is the function of RNA polymerase II?

A

It uses a single-stranded DNA template to synthesise a complementary strand of RNA. Specifically, RNA polymerase builds an RNA strand in the 5’ to 3’ direction, adding each new nucleotide to the 3’ end of the strand

31
Q

What is the first step of transcription?

A

Initiation

32
Q

What are transcription factors (TFs)?

A

are proteins that bind to DNA so that the RNA polymerase can bind

33
Q

What is a TATA box?

A

A promotor sequence of T and A

34
Q

Where is the TATA box located?

A

25-35 base pairs upstream of the transcription starting site

35
Q

What is the function of the TATA box?

A

It’s recognized by one of the general transcription factors, allowing other transcription factors and eventually RNA polymerase to bind

36
Q

What are promoters?

A

are specific nucleotide sequences at the start of a gene (upstream) which signal the initiation of RNA synthesis by assembling a complex that includes RNA polymerase II and one or more transcription factors

37
Q

What is the initiation process of transcription?

A

Assembly of several transcription factors is required including the TATA box binding protein (TBP).
Once these proteins have been assembled, RNA Polymerase II can bind to the sequence of DNA (as well as more transcription factors), known as the promoter, to form the transcription initiation complex.
This begins transcription

38
Q

What is a transcription initiation complex?

A

RNA polymerase and various general transcription factors bound to the promoter region

39
Q

What is the second step of transcription?

A

Elongation

40
Q

What is the process of elongation?

A

RNA polymerase II moves in a 3’ to 5’ directions along the DNA strand (template strand) BUT makes mRNA in the 5’ to 3’ direction

As it reads the template strand of DNA, the enzyme builds an RNA molecule out of complementary nucleotides which are added to the growing 3’ end of the transcript

The DNA double helix shape reforms as the transcript leaves the template strand. Transcription continues until terminated by a termination signal

41
Q

How many nucleotides are exposed at once in elongation in transcription?

A

10 to 20 nucleotides when DNA is unwound

42
Q

Is the RNA transcript the same as the non-template strand of DNA?

A

Yes?? ASK ERINA

43
Q

What is the third step of transcription?

A

Termination

44
Q

What is a terminator?

A

The ‘stop point’ for transcription

45
Q

What is processing?

A

Capping, tailing and splicing

46
Q

What is capping?

A

When a modified guanine nucleotide cap is added to the 5’ end of the pre-mRNA strand

The cap helps to protect the mRNA which has to be transported out of the nucleus via the nuclear pores

The guanine cap also provides stability, prevent degradation, assists with translation and aids in transport through the nuclear pores of the cytoplasm.

47
Q

What is tailing?

A

When 50 to 250 adenine nucleotides are added to the 3’ end

This provides stability: Increases the redundant code, the longer the tail the longer it takes to degrade the mRNA to reach the coding sequence

48
Q

Why is capping and tailing done?

A

They are processes that are thought to facilitate export, confer stability and facilitate ribosome binding in cytoplasm

49
Q

What is an intron?

A

Non-coding regions intervening exons

50
Q

What are exons?

A

Coding regions (including UTR’s)

51
Q

What is a UTR?

A

Untranslated regions at 5’ and 3’ ends

52
Q

What is the spliceosome and what is its function?

A

A large complex of proteins and small RNAs

Introns are removed from the transcript and exons are rejoined to form mature mRNA.

53
Q

Where does splicing occur?

A

In the spliceosome

54
Q

What is alternative splicing?

A

A process in which different combinations of exons are joined together.
Results in the production of multiple forms of mRNA to from a single pre-mRNA

55
Q

What is a triplet codon?

A

Three nucleotides on the base sequence coding for an amino acid