Gene Regulation Flashcards
How do cells determine where and when a protein is produced?
There are many steps lol
Are most genes ready and willing to be produced?
MOST genes aren’t functioning all the time
Nucleosomes
DNA wrapped around histone proteins
Histone
little molecule that wraps DNA around itself
Chromatin
tightly wrapped and packaged DNA. No access for transcription.
How does DNA get unwrapped?
Enzymes that change things from open to closed
Epigenetics
changes over time/space of what is transcribed where and when that can be inherited.
What sets up transcription?
Looping of DNA, transcriptional activator proteins, mediator complex, RNA Polymerase II, general transcriptional factors in close proximity.
Promoters/Enhancers
Sections of DNA that recruit the necessary components of transcription.
Are Promoters/Recruiters/Repressors/Enhancers the same all the time?
No, it is a committee upstream that has a certain balance that sometimes makes it happen.
what does RNA need to be translated
5’ Cap + Introns Spliced out via spliceosome + 3’ poly-A tail
Ways that mRNA can be transported:
Transport proteins that enable transport out of nuclear pore… “walking” along actin routes using kinesin
RNAi - what is it?
RNA interference. miRNA strands that get folded and then bind to RNA, rendering it unreadable.
RNAi - use
reduce the amount of mRNA that is available for translation
Signal Transduction
External signal -> trans-membrane protein -> phophorylation cascade -> change in function of a protein (perhaps enabling or repressing transcription)
