Lecture 1: Functions and Dysfunctions Flashcards
What are the roles of the nucleus?
- Cell regulation
- Cell proliferation
- DNA transcription
What percentage is then nucleus of the cell?
6%
Central Dogma
DNA–> RNA–> Proteins
DNA replication occurs in a process called
Mitosis
What is meiosis?
Meiosis is the transfer of genetic information from parent–> child
What is the exclusive carrier of information from DNA–> protein?
mRNA
DNA is _____ stranded
double
What does it mean that DNA is anti-parallel?
One strand is 5’–>3’, the other stand is 3’–>5’
Base pairs are connected using ______ bonds.
Hydrogen
Phosphate is connected to sugar using ______ bonds
phosphodiester
Purine bases
A & G
Pyrimidine bases
C & G
A _____ bonds to ___
A double bonds to T
C _____ bond to ____
C triple bonds to G
Backbone of DNA
negatively charged sugar-phosphate backbone
An incredible amount of condensation is needed throughout the cell cycle, especially during _____. Why?
Mitosis. Because you’re passing on genetic information to offspring.
Mitotic chromosomes are condensed ____ times when compared with ______ chromosomes. Why?
Mitotic chromosomes are condensed 500 times when compared with interphase chromosomes to prevent damage to DNA as the chromosomes are separated and passed on to daughter cells.
Characteristics of Histone proteins?
- 20% of histone proteins are either lysine or arginine (many +++ charges)
- Attracted to - - - charged DNA backbone
- Lysine in histone proteins are target of post-translation modifications (PMT)
_____ in histone proteins are targets of post translational modifications (PMT)
Lysine
________ are highly conserved across species
histone proteins
What are the basic unit of chromosome packing?
Nucleosomes
Nucleosomes
Nucleosomes are the basic unit of chromosome packing. They are a sequence of DNA wrapped around an octomer of histone proteins.
Chromatin
Protein and DNA.
Forms beads on a string.
What are the two types of proteins that bind to DNA?
histone proteins and non histone chromosomal proteins
What is euchromatin?
Euchromatin is a LIGHTLY packed form of chromatin (DNA, RNA and protein), thus it is often under active transcription.
It is highly enriched in genes .
What is the most active portion of the genome?
euchromatin
92% of the human genome is ________
euchromatic. the remainder is called heterochromatin.
Heterochromatin
Very condensed chromatin that is highly concentrated at the centromeres and telomeres of chromosome. Packed very tight so not active at all: it is thought to be late replicating and genetically inactive. 8% of human genome
How does heterochromatin stain throughout the cell cycle?
Heterochromatin stains darkly throughout the cell cycle, even when in interphase.
Can heterochromatin be affected by gene expression?
No. There are very few active genes and those that are present are resistant to gene expression.
What is the position effect?
The position effect says that the activity of a gene is determined by its position on the chromosome.
Based on the position effect, what happens if a active gene is moved near heterochromatin?
It is silenced
What is found on chromosomes?
Genes and interspersed DNA that does not contain genes. It is regulatory information that used to be called “junk DNA”, however now it has vital roles.
The word gene was first used by _________, based on a concept developed by ___________
Wilhelm Johannsen, based on a concept developed by Gregor Mendel
______ only account for 1.5 of the whole genome.
Exons. Thus, only 1.5% of the genome is responsible for coding.
Before we make mRNA, our pre-mRNA must be spliced!
People usually have ______ differences in their genome, called __________.
1000
copy number variations (CNVs).
They are the reason for our differences and disease states.
How can we detect differences and abnormalities in genomes ?
Comparative Genome Hybridization (CGHs)
How does comparative genome hybridization work (CGH)?
CGH’s detect copy number variations (CNVs)
We probe a human genome CHIP with DNA from one person with the DNA from a “normal person” as reference..
What is RNAi?
RNAi is a process where RNA molecules (miRNA) inhibits gene expression or translation, neutralizing targeted mRNA molecules
RNA (miRNA) are used to regulate the activity of mRNA molecules
What are long terminal repeats (LTRs)?
LRTs are identical sequences of DNA that are repeated hundreds or thousands of times. Viruses use them to insert their genetic material into a host genome.
Where are LTRs found?
LTRs are found at either end of retrotransposons (proviral DNA).
How are LTRs formed?
They are formed by the reverse transcription of retroviral RNA.
What is the RNAi process of how they’re formed ?
- miRNA precursor comes back and folds back on itsellf.
- An enzyme called Dicer will come and degrade the dsRNA, cutting it into shorter fragments.
- One strand of the dsRNA is degraded, the other strand (called miRNA) associates with proteins.
- The bound miRNA binds to a target with the complimentary sequence.
- miRNA complex will then prevent gene expression by or blocking its translation.
Alternative RNA splicing occurs when? ______ come together and ______ Are spliced out
Alternative RNA splicing occurs prior to mRNA is formed
Exons come together.
Introns are spliced out.
:)
:)
99% of introns begin with a ____ and end with a ____.
Introns begin with a […GT] and end with a [AG…]
What percent of mutations affect RNA splicing?
15%
Acetylation regulates the _____ residues of histones.
Lysine
What does histone deacetylase do (HDAT)?
They deacetylate lysine residues on histones, causing the chromatin to be compact and transcriptionally repressed (OFF)
What does histone acetyl transferase do (HAT)?
HATs acetylate lysine residues, opening up & unwinding chromatin and making it transcriptionally active ( ON)
Pick one: HDAT/HAT
The beads are wound loosely on the string?
HAT
Pick one: HDAT/HAT
The beads are wound tight on a string
HDAT