lecture 2 - gene expression

Question 1

What is gene expression?

Answer 1

The process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product

Question 2

What are the 2 types of functional gene product?

Answer 2

Protein, ncRNA (non-coding RNA)

Question 3

What is the process of transcription initiation?

Answer 3

Transcription factors bind to the TATA box and other regions of the promotor, RNA pol II. binds, DNA strands seperate and RNA pol II starts mRNA synthesis

Question 4

What is process of converting DNA into mRNA?

Answer 4

transscription

Question 5

What is the process of converting mRNA into a functional gene product (protein)?

Answer 5

translation

Question 6

What is the role of ncRNA products?

Answer 6

regulatory functions in gene expression

Question 7

What are the characteristics of normal gene expression?

Answer 7

Functional gene product is produced in the right amount, at the right time and in the right cell type

Question 8

What is the net charge on DNA?

Answer 8

negative 0 due to negatively charge phosphate groups

Question 9

What parts of a gene are removed to leave the coding sequence?

Answer 9

promotor region, introns, 5’ UTR, 3’ UTR, 5’G cap, poly-A tail

Question 10

What are the 3 types of additional regulatory sequences in DNA?

Answer 10

enhancers/silencers, insulators, locus control regions (LCRs)

Question 11

What are transposable elements/transposons of DNA?

Answer 11

Genes that can ‘jump’ into other parts of the DNA via ‘cut-and-paste’ or ‘copy-and-paste’ into other regions