Gene Regulation In Prokaryotes Flashcards
constitutive genes
“on” all the time aka housekeeping genes; their proteins perform functions that are necessary for basic function, vitality, and maintenance of the cell
regulated genes
aka inducible/repressible genes; increased/decreased as cell’s needs change (ex: lac operon and trp operon)
Pribnow box
specific regulatory sequence in a promoter region; #s indicate position relative to transcription start sites
sigma factor
allows RNA polymerase to bind to DNA; several different types; each one interacts w different promoters & turns of different genes
cis-operating factors
affect activity on same DNA molecule in which they reside (ex: promoter sequences bind sigma factor more efficiently than others aka strong promoters which produces higher rate of transcription)
every copy of a gene has…
…its own promoter region as well as coding sequence
trans-operating factors
molecules that bind to regulatory sequences; made by genes on main chromosome and diffuse over
activator proteins
trans-operating; bind to sigma factor & inc. transcription
repressor proteins
trans-operating; decrease binding of sigma factor and decrease transcription
operon
enable organism to activate or inhibit expression of several proteins in response to one regulatory molecule
inducible operons
usually off; get turned on when cell needs their proteins (ex: operons that encode enzymes that catabolize nutrient molecules)
repressible operons
usually on; get turned off when their proteins are no longer needed (ex: operons that encode enzymes that synthesize amino acids or other important molecules)
operon contains:
structural genes; promoter; operator; regulator gene
structural gene in operon
encodes the proteins
promoter in operon
site where molecules that control activity in operon bind; must be bound by RNA polymerase for transcription to occur
operator in operon
site to which molecules that control activity in operon bind; where the repressor can bind to prevent transcription or activator can bind to promote transcription
regulator gene in operon
not contiguous w operon - it lies at a variable distance from operon; makes a protein that regulates whether operon is on or off
negative control
regulator protein is a repressor; when repressor bind to operator of operon, it prevents RNA polymerase from binding to operon’s promoter
positive control
regulator protein is activator; RNA polymerase bind promoter weakly; binding of the activator protein to activator binding site enables RNA polymerase to bind to the promoter
negative inducible operon
regulatory gene makes repressor protein which is made in active form; inducer induces transcription by inactivating repressor and preventing it from binding to operator
positive inducible operon
regulatory gene makes activator protein which is made in inactive form; inducer induces transcription by activating activator
negative repressible operon
regulatory gene makes repressor protein which is made in inactive form; corepressor represses transcription by activating repressor and enabling it to bind to operator
positive repressible operon
regulatory gene makes activator protein which is made in active form; repressor represses transcription by inactivating activator
lac operon
negative and positive control; contains structural genes lacZ, lacY, and lacA; inducible: not needed unless lactose is present
lacZ
encodes beta-galactosidase which breaks lactose into glucose and galactose
lacY
encodes permease which transport lactose into the cell
lacA
encodes transacetylase (function unknown)
lacI
controller of inducibility encodes lac repressor which bind the operator and prevents transcription; lies at a distance from operon so repressor is trans-acting factor
allolactose
lactose is converted to allolactose which bind to repressor and prevent it from binding to operator; transcription occurs proteins are made lactose gets catabolized; when level of lactose drops repressor represses transcription again
Jacob and Monod
discovered mechanism for gene regulation in lac operon using E. coli strains that had mutations in different portions of lac operon