EXAM 3 Flashcards
Learn and remember words, concepts, and build on ideas.
What stage is gene expression controlled?
Transcription initiation
What do regulatory proteins do?
Modify transcription through blocking (preventing) or facilitating (stimulating) the binding of RNA polymerase to the promoter
Where do regulatory proteins gain access to the bases of DNA?
At the major groove
Gene expression in prokaryotes is due to what?
Environmental adaptations; these changes are fully reversible
Gene expression in eukaryotes is due to what?
Maintaining homeostasis and self-development (i.e. a growing child)
How do proteins interact with base-pairs without unwinding the helix?
Utilizing the major and minor groove that the helical structure produces.
What is accessible in the reading of the major groove?
Nucleotides’ hydrogen bond donors and acceptors
What are DNA-binding motifs?
Regions of regulatory proteins which bind to DNA, necessary for binding in a sequence-specific manner
What is the helix-turn-helix motif?
Two α-helical segments are linked by a nonhelical segment (called a “turn”)
What is the homeodomain?
A class of helix-turn-helix, critical in eukaryotic development; first indication that developmental mechanisms are ancient
What is the zinc finger motif?
Having several forms and occurring in clusters, it uses zinc atoms to coordinate DNA binding
What is the leucine zipper motif?
Fitting into the major groove, its a region of a subunit interacts with a similar region of another subunit, forming a zipper-like connection
How does positive control affect initiation in prokaryotic regulation?
The frequency of initiation is increased by activators that stimulate the binding of RNA polymerase to the promoter
How does negative control affect initiation in prokaryotic regulation?
The frequency of initiation is decreased by repressors that bind to operators (regulatory sites on DNA), preventing/decreasing initiation frequency
What is an operon?
Multiple genes that are part of a transcription unit having a single promoter
What does the lac operon do?
Encodes the proteins for the utilization of lactose
What does the trp operon do?
Encodes the proteins for the synthesis of tryptophan
What is induction?
The production of enzymes in response to a substrate (i.e. a bacterium encountering lactose and producing enzymes to utilize that lactose)
What is repression?
The suppression of enzymes in response to a bacteria’s immediate environment (i.e. a bacterium stops synthesizing the enzymes that make tryptophan because it is available in the environment)
What does the lac operon consist of?
lacZ (β-galactosidase), lacY (permease), lacA (transacetylase), and the lac repressor, lacl
How is the lac operon regulated?
Negatively by a repressor protein
Fill in the blank: In the presence of lactose, an _ molecule binds to the repressor protein, blocking the repressor from _ to the operator, and transcription can now _.
inducer, binding, proceed
True or False: Even in the absence of lactose, the lac operon is expressed at a very low level.
True
What is glucose repression and what does it involve?
A mechanism for the preference of using glucose over other sugars first. Involves a Catabolite Activator Protein (CAP)
What is inducer exclusion in glucose repression?
Presence of glucose prevents entry of lactose, disallowing the lac operon to be induced.
What does the trp operon consist of?
Encodes genes to synthesize tryptophan, with the regulatory region located upstream
How is the trp operon regulated?
Negatively by the trp repressor protein, encoded outside of the operon: a helix-turn-helix protein that binds to the operator site adjacent to the trp promoter
Fill in the blank: Tryptophan binding increases the _ between the two recognition helices, which then allows the repressor to fit into two adjacent portions of the _ _ in DNA.
distance, major, groove
Why is control of transcription more complex in eukaryotes than prokaryotes?
Eukaryotes have DNA organized into chromatin, eukaryotic transcription occurs in the nucleus and translation occurs in the cytoplasm which allows for more regulation, and a large amount of DNA is involved since the genes are much larger.
What are general transcription factors?
A group of transcription factors necessary for the assembly of an initiation complex by recruiting a RNA polymerase II to a promoter
What are specific transcription factors?
These are called activators. Different genes are expressed in different tissues
What is the different between general and specific transcription factors?
General TF initiate synthesis at a basal level while specific TF increase the level of transcription higher than the basal level
What is a promoter?
Form the binding sites for the general transcription factors, mediating the binding of RNA pol II to the promoter
What is an enhancer?
The binding site of the specific transcription factors that acts over large distances by bending DNA to form a loop to position the enhancer closer to the promoter
What are coactivators and mediators?
Required structures that bind to TFs and other parts of the transcription apparatus. Mediators not essential to all TFs. The number of coactivators is much less than the number of TFs
What is a transcription complex?
A complex of RNA pol II, activators, coactivators, TFs, and other things that work to actively transcribe DNA
What are epigenetic alterations?
Alterations in chromatin structure that can permanently shut a gene off
Gene expression can be controlled after transcription with…?
Small RNAs (miRNA & siRNA), alternative splicing, RNA editing, and mRNA degradation
What does lin-4 encode and do?
Encodes two small RNA molecules, acts as a repressor
What is the path of miRNA?
RNA pol II produces pri-miRNA, which folds on itself and get cleaved by Drosha to form pre-miRNA, which exports from the nucleus to get cleaved by Dicer and produces miRNA
What is the RNA Induces Silencing Complex (RISC)?
A protein complex where miRNA is loaded into, which represses the expression of genes complementary to the miRNA
What is RNA interference?
Small RNA gene silencing, which involves the production of siRNAs
How do the production of siRNAs differ to miRNAs?
siRNAs arise from long double-stranded RNA while miRNAs are produced by short double-stranded RNA
What is the assumed reason for the evolutionary origin of small RNAs?
To protect the genome