Expression Terms

Question 1

motif

Answer 1

conserved sequence, biologically relevant

Question 2

In silico

Answer 2

computer generated only

Question 3

transcription factor (TF)

Answer 3

binds to DNA, either activates or represses transcription

Question 4

Phylogenetic Footprinting

Answer 4

method to detect regulatory elements by comparing to orthologs

Question 5

cDNA

Answer 5

“complementary” DNA, reverse-transcribed copies of mRNA

Question 6

ESTs

Answer 6

expressed sequence tags, single sequence that represents a partial sequence of a cDNA

Question 7

qRT-PCR

Answer 7

quantitative (real time) reverse transcription PCR, method to measure abundance of transcript for a particular tissue or condition of sample

Question 8

CRE cis-acting regulatory element

Answer 8

site for TF to bind to for transcription regulation

Question 9

COGs

Answer 9

cluster of orthologous genes

Question 10

mRNA

Answer 10

messenger RNA, will be translated into proteins

Question 11

ORFs

Answer 11

open reading frames, protein coding sequence of DNA strand, a strand has 6 optional ORFs and it is determined usually as the longest option (has the no stop codon)

Question 12

What is the epigenome?

Answer 12

chemical compounds that modify the genome without changing DNA sequence. compounds are on or attached to DNA (“epi”=above), can sometimes be passed on to progeny

Question 13

methylation

Answer 13

type of epigenomic modification, methyl groups are added to DNA segments which will turn off or silence a gene

Question 14

DNA

Answer 14

deoxyribonucleic acid, the hereditary material in an organism, mostly located in the cell nucleus (but also mitochondria)

Question 15

What is a gene?

Answer 15

the basic physical and functional unit of heredity, made up of DNA and packaged in chromosomes