Eukaryotic Gene Control Flashcards
The difference between prokaryotes and eukaryots and their default settings.
- Prokaryotic genes are generally ‘ON’ by default, and have to be repressed to switch them off.
- Eukaryotic genes are ‘off’ by default and need activating factors to active transcription.
Short -term regulation in Eukaryotes (reversible)
- Regulatory events to quickly turn gene sets on or off in response to environmental changes.
- Proteins interact transiently with DNA control elements.
- Transient changes in chromatin structure.
Long-term regulation (semi-irreversible)
- Associated with cell determination, differentiation, and more generally, embryonic development.
- Permanent changes in chromatin conformation.
- DNA methylation
Activation of gene expression depends on:
- Chromatin conformation that is accessible.
- Control elements present on DNA
- Transcription factors
Control elements present on DNA
- Large variety: basal promoter, enhancers, silencers
2. Different control regions in combination with different TFs provide specificity.
Transcription factors (TFs)
- Are proteins that interact with DNA control elements.
- Interact with other TFs as well as cofactors
- Interacts with RNA polymerases
What is the role of the strong positive charge of histones.
It neutralizes negative charge on DNA, allows folding.
First order structure of chromatin structure in the presence of H1.
More tightly packaged
First order structure of chromatin structure in the absence of H1.
Less tightly packaged
How are nucleosomes structure and position can be altered by chromatin remodelling.
- Nucleosome is highly dynamic, DNA is constantly unwrapping and rewrapping itselt around the nucleosome..
- This is done by the protein complexes called chromatin remodelling complexes (CRCs)
- Local chromatin structure differes between regions of dna.
Chromatin remodelling complexes (CRCs)
- CRCs are complexes of proteins that bring about changes in chromatin compaction.
- CRCs can act as either activating or repressing complexes.
- CRCs disrupt DNA-histone interactions
Effects of chromatin remodelling on nucleosomes when nucleosomes completely disassembles.
Is lost from the DNA (nucleosome eviction)
What are the effects of chromatin remodelling on nucleosomes.
Causes chromatin to be more densely or more loosely packages.
Histone modifications (HMs)
- Histone proteins can be chemically modified after it has been translated.
- Modification occur mostly on N-terminal tails that potrude from the nucleosome .
- Modificataion occur mostly on the tails of histones H3 and H4
- Many different histones sites can be modified
Why does histone modification mostly occur at the N-terminal.
Tails are accessible to ezymes that lay down the marks, and removed these marks. Tails can also interact with regulatory proteins that recognise and bind to the tags.
The histone code
Modifications to N-terminal tails of histones can be written and read by the cell to influence gene expression.
How is Acetylation (Ac) of histons added to the histones
AC group is added to lysine (K) at histone tails. Can involve many Ks in each of the four core histones types.
How is methylation (me) of histons added to the histones
Targets lysine at N-terminal tail adding 1,2 or 3 methyl groups to lysine
What enzymes catalyse and remove acetylation from Histones.
Catalyse: histone acetyl-transferase (HAT)
Remove: histone deacetylase (HDAC)
Function of acetylation (Ac) of histones
Acetylation decrease nett positive charge, making the chromatin more open.
This indicates transcriptionally active DNA.
What enzymes catalyse methylation (me) of histones
Histone methylase (HMT)
Relationship between methylation and acetylation
methylation and acetylation are mutually exclusive (both cannot be present at same K residue)
Ubiquitination of histones
- ubiquitin is a small protein of 76aa
- Links only to histones H2A or H2B
- Only at a single K in each histone, some distance away from Me and Ac groups (decrease positive charge of the histone)
- May recruit HMT enzymes to promote H-me
Phosphorylation (P) of histones targets which amino acids
Serine
Threonine
Sumoylation of histones
- Small ubiquitin-related MOdifier (SUMO) protein may also be linked to lysine to modify the histone
- Sumoylation leads to recruitment of HDAC enzymes and hence deacetylation of histones
Core histones
- H2A
- H2B
- H3
- H4
(H1 not core)
What other amino acid does methylation affect other than lysine.
Arginine residues in the core histones. (This does not reduce positive charge of basic AA. )
Where does phosphorylation occur in the histones.
- Occurs on all core histones.
2. N-terminus, close to Ac and me-k residues.
What is the function of phosphorylation
P is negatively charged, it will neutralise the positive charge of histones.
10nm is what kind of packaging of chromatin
Transcriptionally active DNA is packaged into a first- order beads-on-a string structure involving nucleosomes.
What structure is most chromatin packed in ?
30nm
Example of histone modification that causes transition from 30nm to 10nm fibers.
- Positive region at N-tail of H4 interacts with negative region on H2A and H2B in adjacent nucleosomes, promotes closer packinging.
- Acetylation of H4 reduces positive charge of this region, promotes a more open chromatin structure.
What is the role of H1 in transformation in chromatin structure.
The central region of H1 interacts with linker DNA between nucleosomes and it seals two turns of DNA making it more compact chromatin.
What does it mean if a region of DNA is enriched with H1?
The region of DNA is not being transcribed.
How does H1 compact chromatin.
- H1 recruits Dnmt enzymes (methylates DNA) and inhibits recruitment of HTM enzymes (methylates histones) therefore DNA is methylated in these regions and chromatin is tightly packed.
What histone variant inhibits recruitment of H1 and opens chromatin structure.
H3.3
30nm fiber is further condensed by ?
Looping
Loops are attached to nuclear protein scaffold via?
Matrix-attachment regions (MARs) in DNA at base of each loop
What does the binding of Matrix-attachment regions (MARS) and transcription factor.
Maintain transcriptionally active loop structure
Does RNA move toward the loop of chromatin or does the chromatin move toward the RNA polymerase.
RNA polymerase does not migrate to the DNA in these accessible loops for transcription. Rather, the loop extend to transcription factories where there are many RNA pol 2 enzymes. Genes move, RNA polymerase remains clustered in distinct nuclear sites.
Locus-control regions(LCR)
Are DNA elements that regulate chromatin structure
LCRs function
- Controls chromatin structure of a large region of DNA.
- Responsible for tissue/ cell type specific activation of genes under its control.
- alteres chromatin structure to open conformation, genes are then poised for transcription.
LCR controls successive expression of Beta-goblin genes.
Beta - globin locus consists of several genes, each is expressed at a particular stage and in tissue-specific manner during embryonic development.
What does hemoglobin switching involve?
Interaction between chromatin, remodeling complexes, LCR, globin genes and different transcription factors.
Insulators flanking LCR
- Blocks the spread of chromatin-opening effects of LCR.
2. Prevents LCR from stimulating expression of adjacent genes
What do CTCF proteins bind to
Insulators