Final Exam Chapter 7 Flashcards
What is the main focus of gene regulation?
Selective gene expression
Which step is generally the most important in gene regulation?
Transcription
What is the role of transcription regulators?
Bind to cis-regulatory sequences
How do transcription regulators enhance binding specificity?
Form dimers
Which motif mediates both DNA binding and dimerization?
Zinc finger
What is the main function of insulator elements?
Regulate gene proximity
How do transcription activator proteins accelerate transcription initiation?
Induce local chromatin alterations
What is the purpose of nucleosome structure in transcription regulation?
Promote cooperative binding
Which mechanism creates cell memory in gene expression?
Epigenetic inheritance
How do cells maintain gene expression patterns across generations?
DNA methylation
What is the main function of TRs (transcription regulators) in gene regulation?
Bind to cis-regulatory sequences
How do TRs (transcription regulators) influence transcription initiation?
Induce chromatin alterations
Which motif is known for its role in DNA binding specificity?
Zinc finger
What is the role of insulator elements in gene regulation?
Regulate gene proximity
How do transcription activator proteins accelerate transcription?
Form dimers
What is the purpose of nucleosome structure in transcription regulation?
Promote cooperative binding
Which mechanism creates cell memory in gene expression?
Epigenetic inheritance
How do cells maintain gene expression patterns across generations?
DNA methylation
What is the main focus of gene regulation?
Selective gene expression
Which step is generally the most important in gene regulation?
Transcription
What is the main goal of gene regulation in a multicellular organism?
To enable or allow different cell types to synthesize unique sets of RNAs and proteins
How do nucleosomes affect the binding of transcription regulators, and what role do they play in altering chromatin structure?
Blocking transcription factor access to DNA
Describe the process by which transcription activator proteins accelerate the rate of transcription initiation and coordinate gene expression.
Interacting with general transcription factors
Discuss the role of epigenetic mechanisms in reinforcing cell memory and their impact on gene expression inheritance.
Influencing cell fate decisions
How do transcription regulators influence gene expression?
By binding to cis-regulatory sequences
How does DNA methylation impact gene expression patterns, and what are the implications of DNA methylation in epigenetic inheritance?
Alters chromatin structure
How do transcription regulators recognize specific sequences on the DNA major groove, and why is this interaction crucial in gene regulation?
Via zinc finger motifs
How does RNA interference regulate gene expression?
It downregulates the expression of specific genes
Explain the concept of combinatorial control in gene regulation and its significance in determining gene expression patterns.
Coordinating multiple transcription regulators
What are the mechanisms by which TRs switch genes on and off in gene regulation?
Recruiting co-activators or co-repressors
Discuss the role of insulator elements in gene regulation and how they contribute to the spatial organization of cis-regulatory sequences.
To form loops to bring cis-regulatory sequences close to the correct gene
Explain the importance of TR (transcription regulation) dimerization in enhancing the affinity and specificity of transcription regulator binding to DNA.
Enhances binding to cis-regulatory sequences
What is the role of DNA methylation in epigenetic inheritance?
It inhibits gene expression
What is the function of insulator elements in gene regulation?
To form loops to bring cis-regulatory sequences close to the correct gene
How can a single TR (transcription regulator) coordinate the expression of multiple genes, and what implications does this have on cell differentiation and specialization?
Binding to different enhancers
Explain the role of transcription factors in gene regulation.
Transcription factors regulate gene expression by binding to DNA and influencing transcription initiation.
Describe the process of RNA interference and its impact on gene expression.
small RNAs silencing gene expression post-transcription
Discuss the significance of epigenetic modifications in gene regulation.
Epigenetic modifications alter gene expression without changing DNA sequence.
Explain how alternative splicing contributes to proteome diversity
Alternative splicing generates multiple proteins from a single gene, increasing proteome diversity.
Describe the function of enhancers in gene expression regulation.
Enhancers are DNA sequences that enhance transcription of specific genes.
Discuss the role of chromatin remodeling in gene regulation
It changes the chromatin structure to regulate gene accessibility.
Explain how DNA methylation can influence gene expression patterns
DNA methylation can silence genes by inhibiting transcription.
Describe the role of post-transcriptional modifications in regulating mRNA stability
Post-transcriptional modifications like mRNA capping and polyadenylation affect mRNA stability.
Discuss the concept of combinatorial control in gene expression regulation.
Multiple transcription factors working together to regulate gene expression.
Explain how RNA splicing errors can lead to genetic disorders.
RNA splicing errors can lead to genetic disorders by producing abnormal proteins.
