Section 2 - Module 9 Flashcards
What is an operon?
a group of bacterial structural genes, under the control of a single promoter, they are transcribed together, produce a single mRNA molecules that encodes different proteins, and regulates the expression of genes by controlling transcription
PROG
Promoter regulator operator gene
T/F. Operons can be induced or repressed?
True
Is the regular gene considered apart of the operon?
No, but is does affect operon function
What binds to the operator site to regulate the transcription of mRNA?
Regulator protein
What is the effect on transcription of the operon when the regulator protein binds to the operon DNA?
Either positive of negative control
Negative control
regulatory protein is a repressor, binding to DNA and inhibiting transcription
Positive control
regulatory protein is an activator, biding to DNA and stimulating transcription
What is the regulatory molecule?
a metabolite (precursor or product of metabolic pathway)
What binds the regulatory protein to affect transcription of the operon?
Regulatory molecule
Inducible operon
transcription is normally OFF (not taking place). When the regulatory molecules binds to the regulatory protein transcription if turned ON.
Repressible operon
transcription is normally ON (taking place). When regulatory molecules binds to regulatory protein transcription is turned OFF.
What is an allosteric site?
effector binding sites within enzymes, distinct from the active site of the enzyme.
Negative inducible operons
regulate the synthesis of the enzyme economically: they are synthesized only when their substrate is available
Negative repressible operons
can use the product (U) to provide negative feedback…turning off the genes involved in synthesis
What is the lac operon of E.coli an example of?
Negative inducible feedback
What enzymes are involved in lactose metabolism?
permease and beta-galactosidase
Function of permease
actively transports lactose into the cell
Function of beta-galactosidase
break lactose into galactose and glucose. Also converts lactose into the related compound allolactose, and converts allolactose galactose and glucose. ( so both direct and indirection products)
How many carbons is lactose made up of?
six
What enzymes are encoded by adjacent structural genes in the lac operon and have a common promoter (lacP)?
beta-galactosidase, permease, and transacetylase
What gene is associated with beta-galactosidase?
lac Z
What gene is associated with permease?
lac Y
what gene is associated with transacetylase?
lac A
Lac operon positive/negative? inducible/repressible?
negative inducible
Cis acting
able to control the expression of genes on the same piece of DNA
trans acting
able to control the expression of genes on other DNA molecules
How can the plasmid replicate?
independently
What is a plasmid?
a small DNA molecule within a cell that is physically separated from a chromosomal DNA