Quan Flashcards
• Prokaryotes (how unique from eukaryotes)
o Lack of defined nucleus
o Poorly developed organelles
o Transcription & translation may be concurrent
o Polycistronic: referring to mRNA carrying information for the synthesis of more than one protein
• Eukaryotes (how unique from prokaryotes)
o Highly defined nucleus
o Well developed organelles
o Separate mRNA processing
o Monocistronic: one gene controls one protein
In eukaryotes, one must consider….
- DNA is in chromatin
- There are three RNA polymerases versus one
- The initial transcript requires processing before it is functional mRNA
- mRNA synthesized in nucleus and translated in cytoplasm so transcription-translation coupling does not occur
Describe Chromatin structure
- Nucleosomes
* DNA wrapped around protein, termed chromatin
4 Characteristics of Heterochromatin
- The most tightly packaged form of DNA.
- Transcriptionally silent
- Different from cell to cell
- Modification of histone tails can tighten or loosen the nucleosome
Three major Modification of Histone Proteins
- Acetylation
- Phospharylation
- Methylation
Types of Polymerases (prok and euk)
• Prokaryotes
o One kind of RNA polymerase
• Eukaryotes
o Have Polymerase II
Describe how/why RNA polymerase binds to the promoter region of DNA
- Promoter: a DNA sequence that determines the site of transcription initiation for an RNA polymerase.
- It is non-coding region
Why can either DNA strand may serve as the template?
• The promoter is asymmetric. Therefore the polymerase will always bind in the proper orientation
• It can only synthesize in the 5’ to 3’ direction.
o The template will be 3’ to 5’ direction.
Phases of mRNA synthesis
- Initiation -> Elongation -> termination
* In prokaryotes, make a ring structure that would bump the RNA polymerase
Not all promoters are alike…how so/why?
• Align 13 different σ70 promoters
o Consensus sequence at -10
o Consensus sequence at -35
o 16-18 bp between them
Describe how Sigma factors act as initiation factors
• Different sigma factors recognize different consensus promoter sequences
• Different “strength” of promoter determined by Pol interaction with promoter.
o Strong = produce more RNA
o Weaker = less amount of RNA
What happens to cause Transcriptional Termination?
• Stem-loop formation
o Presents only in prokaryotes
o Rich G-C bonds
What is transcriptional translational coupling?
- Many polymerase simultaneously transcribing the gene
- Ribosomes simultaneously translating protein
- Does not occur in eukaryotes
Prokaryotes regulate genes by repression and induction…describe the classic example of the trp operation
• Situation
o If tryptophan is present its synthesis in unnecessary
o If tryptophan is absent its synthesis is necessary.
• Under negative control
o A trans-acting repressor binds to the cis-acting operator to turn off transcription
o Repressors bind to DNA sequences operators, which overlap the promoter region.
o A bound repressor interferes with binding of RNA polymerase and transcription initiation.
What is the trp operon?
• Operon: contiguous genes transcribed as a single mRNA
• Here, all code for enzymes necessary for tryptophan (trp)
• Polycistronic:
o DNA: one promoter and five genes
The lac operon is under both negative and positive transcriptional controls…describe the situation
• Situation
o Glucose + = glucose metabolism
o Glucose +, lactose + = glucose metabolism
o Glucose -, lactose + = lactose metabolism
Decribe B-galactosidase’s role with the the lac operon
• Β – galactosidase, is the enzyme that break down lactose into galactose and glucose.
• the lac operon transcription-control region
o positive control: CAP protein
o Negative control: repressor
• Positive control of the lac operon by glucose
o CAP needed for efficient binding of pol to promoter
Definition of genetics
The study of heredity; it involves the study of cell, individuals, their offspring, and the populations within which the organisms live
Monohybrid cross
constructed by mating individuals from 2 parent strains each of which exhibits one of the 2 contrasting forms of the character under study (Pi=original parents; F1=their offspring)
Dihybrid Cross
Constructed by mating individuals from 2 parent strains when genes under study are on different chromosomes. There are 2 pairs of contrasting forms of character under study; individuals resulting from self-fertilization of the F1 generation are called F2
Mendel’s 1st Postulates
- Unit factors in pairs- genetic characters are controlled by unit factors that exist in pains in indiv. organisms
Mendel’s 2nd postulate
dominance/recessiveness - when 2 unlike unit factors for a single character are present in a single individual, one unit factor is dominant to the other which is said to be recessive
Mendel’s 3rd postulate
Segregation - during the formation of gametes the paired unit factors separate or segregate randomly so that each gamete receives on or the other with equal liklihood
Mendel’s 4th Postulate
Independent Assortment - during gamete formation segregation of pairs of unit factoes assort independently of each other (Mendel say that yellow is not always assoc with round and green not always with wrinkled)
***Not true if genes are located closely on the same chromosome
Genotype
The specific allelic or genetic contribution of an organism
Phenotype
the observable properties of an organism that are genetically controlled; segments of a DNA molecule code for expression of proteins - the function of the proteins give rise to the observed phenotypes in the organism
Allele
alternative form of a gene (unlike a unit factor)
Genetic locus
specific position or location of a gene on a chromosome
Homologous Chromosomes
the first division in meiosis separates homologous chromosomes which are not identical
Sister Chromatids
the second division in meiosis separates sister chromatids which are identical
Pleiotropy
one gene can affect more than one trait
Incomplete or partial dominance
combining gene products from the two alternative alleles produces an intermediate phenotype (ie Rr=pink in F2 generation); one factor does not dominate the other
Co-dominance
if two alleles are responsible for the production of two distinct and detectable products, the distinct detectable expression of both alleles in a heterozygote is called c-dominance (ie A, B, or AB blood types)
Polymorphism
the existance of two or more discontinuous, segregating phenotypes in a population (ie blood types)
Lethal Allels
expression or the lack of expression of certain genes can affect the survival of an organism
Gene interaction
individual characteristics are often under the control of more than one gene
- eg, epistasis = the phenomenon of masking/modifying the effects of one gene pair by the expression of another
- Novel phenotypes can be created by gene interaction
Sex-linkage
the gene that deternines a specific character is located on a sex chromosome
Cross-over
during meiosis, a limited number of crossover events occurs randomly between hologous chromosomes, the closer the two loci reside on the axis of the chromosome the less likely it is that any crossover even will occur between them - the LONGER the genetic distance, the HIGHER the chance of crossing over
DNA template strand
the strand of DNA that is copied during the synthesis of mRNA
DNA coding strand
the strand of DNA with a base sequence corresponding to the mRNA sequence and complementary to the template strand
RNA nucleotide substitution
uracil instead of thiamine
RNA sequence
- single-stranded; contains ribose and uracil (rather than deoxyribose and thymine)
- RNA is transcribed from DNA by RNA polymerase. RNA is central to protein synthesis. mRNA carries information from DNA to ribosomes. These ribosomes can read messenger RNAs and translate the information they carry into proteins.
Promoter
- a DNA sequence that determines the site of transcription initiation for an RNA polymerase
- it is non-coding
- it is asymmetric (the polymerase will always bind in the proper orientation)
- it can only synthesize in the 5’ to 3’ direction
Direction of Transcription
5’–> 3’
RNA Polymerase structure
- core enzyme consisting of five subunits: 2 α subunits, 1 β subunit, 1 β’ subunit, and 1 ω subunit
- ribonucleotide triphoshate tunnel, active site, RNA exit tunnel with flap, jaws that clamp around DNA
- function: to copy one strand of DNA into RNA
Phases of RNA synthesis
initiation- RNA polymerase bind to the promoter; sigma factor (initation factor) binds to RNA pol.
- elongation- release of sigma factor; elongation of RNA chain
- termination- formation of stem loop; dissociation of RNA from DNA template; UUUU at 3’ end
Transcription initiation site
- transcription begins with the binding of RNA polymerase to the promoter in DNA
- at the start of initiation, the RNA polymerase is associated with a sigma factor
Sigma Factor in transcription
- prokaryotic transcription initiation factor that enables specific binding of RNA pol to gene promoters
- aids in finding the appropriate -35 and -10 base pairs downstream of promoter sequences
- act as initiation factors
- different sigma factors recognize different consensus promoter sequences
- different “strength” of promoter is determined by RNA polymerase interaction with the promoter
Steps in transcription
-initiation, elongation, termination
Stem-loop structure for transcription termination
-sequence of G and C base pairings within an RNA strand followed by a series of U’s that signals the end of transcription
Trp operon regulation
ex. of gene repression; a trans-acting repressor bind to the cis-acting operator to turn off transcription
- if tryptophan is present, its synthesis is unnecessary, so the gene is repressed (off)
- if trypotophan is absent, its synthesis is necessary, so the gene is expressed (on)
Positive control in lac operon
- catabolite activator protein (CAP) protein needed for efficient binding of polymerase to promoter
- low glucose = high cAMP, lactose present = strong transcription
Negative control in lac operon
- repressor
- high glucose = low cAMP, no lactose = no transcription
Transcription and translation are coupled in prokaryotes!
- many RNA polymerases simultaneously transcribe the gene
- ribosomes simultaneously translate the protein
Operon
contiguous gene sequences transcribed as a single mRNA
Lac Operon
-The second control mechanism is a response to glucose, which uses the Catabolite activator protein (CAP) to greatly increase production of β-galactosidase in the absence of glucose. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is a signal molecule whose prevalence is inversely proportional to that of glucose. It binds to the CAP, which in turn allows the CAP to bind to the CAP binding site (a 16 bp DNA sequence upstream of the promoter on the left in the diagram below), which assists the RNAP in binding to the DNA. In the absence of glucose, the cAMP concentration is high and binding of CAP-cAMP to the DNA significantly increases the production of β-galactosidase, enabling the cell to hydrolyse (digest) lactose and release galactose and glucose.
Chromatin
nucleosomes and histone proteins
Components of chromatin
DNA- exons, introns, regulatory sequences, junk
-Protein- histone, non-histone