Control of Gene Expression II Flashcards
how do you get different forms of proteins from the same gene?
alternative splicing
75% of genes in humans undergo alternative RNA processing
how can you regulate RNA splicing?
via two things:
- RNA splicing can be regulated negatively by repressor molecule that prevents splicing machinery access to splice site
- RNA can be regulated positively by activating molecule that recruits and helps direct splicing machinery
speak on regulation by RNA stability
- mRNAs have a poly-A tail - confers stability
- gradual shortening of poly-A tail by exonuclease
- shortening of poly-A tail acts as a timer
- once reduced to 25 nucleotides, two pathways converge to degrade mRNA
what are the two pathways that converge to degrade mRNA?
1 - decapping: exposed mRNA degraded from 5’ end (5’ cap serves to protect RNA from RNA degrading enzymes)
2 - mRNA degraded from 3’ end through poly-A tail and into coding region
what does ferritin mRNA code for?
ferritin; used for storage of iron
what does Tfr mRNA code for?
transferrin receptor - iron absorbance (this is how cell transport iron into cells)
mRNA regulation: what happens during iron starvation?
cells do not need to store iron
so they decrease ferritin mRNA (which encodes storage proteins)
- cells must transport iron into cells; so they make more transferrin receptor (TfR) mRNA
What happens during period of iron excess?
- needs to store excess iron so the cell makes more ferritin mRNA (which makes storage proteins)
- and needs to transport LESS iron into cell; thus, less TfR mRNA is made
what governs the mRNA regulation?
IRE’s: iron responsive elements - recognition sites on mRNA for binding
and
IRPs: iron responsive regulatory protein - aconitase
what happens when the IRP binds to the IRE at 5’ ferritin mRNA?
No ferritin is translated; translation is blocked
occurs during iron starvation (when you don’t need to STORE iron, but you do need to TRANSFER it);
what happens when the IRP binds to IRE at 3’ transferrin receptor mRNA?
transferrin receptor is made - mRNA stable
occurs during iron starvation because you need iron to be TRANSFERRED in.
what happens if IRP (aconitase) does NOT bind to IRE at 5’ ferritin mRNA?
mRNA is made - you get ferritin production
essentially, aconitase binds to 5’ end in times of iron deficiency because in binding there, it stops the production of ferritin. ferritin stores the iron, and we need to USE it. not Store it. so ferritin production needs to stop, which occurs with that binding, and production of TRANSFERRITIN needs to occur - that happens when aconitase is bound to the 3’ end.
Iron causes dissociation of aconitase. so that explains why these things happen when iron is not around, and aconitase is allowed to stay bound to genes
what happens if IRP does not bind to IRE at 3’ transferrin receptor mRNA?
RNA degrades and no transferrin receptor is made; again, this happens because iron dissociates the binding of aconitase to the site - which means there’s excess iron around. we only need transferrin during times of shortage.
basically, when you have iron starvation what do you need? what about iron excess?
need more iron, need transferrin receptor, DO NOT need ferritin (storage protein).
don’t need iron, so you need to store it
which means you need ferritin
but not TfR (transferrin receptor)
whats regulation by small non-coding RNAs?
via microRNAs
they’re regulatory RNAs that regulate messenger RNA
they’re noncoding RNA; 22 nucleotides long
they silence expression of specific mRNA targets
they being to the complementary sequence in the 3’ UT end of mRNA
**degrade RNA or BLOCK TRANSLATION
overall, what does microRNA do?
stop expression of RNA
whats a key characteristic of miRNA?
one miRNA can repress hundreds of mRNAs
how can we use miRNAs to identify disease?
miRNAs change their expression profile in disease states
- eg: certain miRNAs can be elevated in stroke or cardiovascular disease
- circulating levels of miRNAs can be used to identify cancers
**miRNAs can serve as biomarkers
