Theme 2B Flashcards
Transcriptional and Post-Transcriptional Gene Regulation
Transcriptional regulation of gene expression
- Initiation
- Elongation
- Termination
Differential expression of genome
- when not all genes are being turned on
- gives rise to different cell types and tissues
Organism’s phenotype is dependant on
cell number, type, and function
Every cell in an organism has an ____________
identical genome (DNA sequence)
Turning on a gene means going from ______ to __________________________
DNA; transcription
Structure and function of a gene
gene includes a promoter and transcriptional unit
Promoter
DNA sequence (includes TATA box) that specifies where transcription begins on chromosome
- signal or landing spot for enzymes so location of specific gene can be identified
- located immediately upstream or 5’ of the transcriptional starting point of the non-template or coding DNA strand
- bound and recognized by transcriptional machinery
Transcriptional machinery
initiate transcription
- RNA polymerase and transcription factors
Transcriptional unit
part of the gene that is copied into RNA
RNA polymerase: enzymes of transcription
synthesize RNA transcript in a 5’-3’ direction while reading DNA template in the 3’-5’ direction
- does not need primer for initiation of RNA synthesis
- unwinds and rewinds DNA helix during RNA synthesis
3 types of RNA polymerase
RNA polymerase I
RNA polymerase II
RNA polymerase III
RNA pol I
transcribes rRNA
RNA pol II
transcribes mRNA
RNA poly III
transcribes tRNA
Step 1: Transcriptional Initiation
transcriptional initiation is mediated by direct interaction of DNA-binding proteins to specific regulatory sequences of the gene (rate determining step)
2 types of processes:
- general transcriptional factors bind to promoter and recruite RNA poly II resulting in LOW BASAL LEVEL of transcription (gene expression = low)
- transcriptional activator proteins bind to enhancer regions distant from promoter to cause DNA looping bringing mediator and RNA polymerase to promoter resulting in HIGH LEVEL of transcription
Step 2: Transcriptional Elongation
RNA pol moves along template DNA (3’ to 5’)
DNA is unwound in front of moving RNA poly and reannealed behind in the transcription bubble
Ribonucleotides are added to the 3’ end of the RNA transcription (synthesis continues 5’-3’)
growing RNA transcript is displaced from DNA template strand to allow reannealing back into double stranded DNA
Step 3: Transcriptional Termination
5- sequence in DNA template causes termination after transcribed into RNA
- Rho-independant termination
- Rho-dependant termination
- Cleavage & polyadenylation specifc factor
- Rho-independant termination
prokaryotes
terminator sequence in mRNA base pairs with itself to form G-C hairpin and causes RNA polymerase to stall and dissociate
- Rho-dependant termination
prokaryotes
terminator sequence in mRNA is recognized and bound by the Rho helicase which unwinds the RNA from template DNA and RNA polymerase
- Cleavage & polyadenylation specific factor
eukaryotes
poly-A sequence in mRNA signals the CPSF to cleave the completed mRNA transcript thereby separating it from RNA polymerase
When is the RNA molecule the longest during transcription
end of transcription as it reads more
When is the RNA molecule the shortest during transcription
start of transcription as it reads more as you go
In transcription, RNA molecules are _____________
single/double strands?
single strands
transcription occurs at _______ in the genome
selected locations
In transcription, synthesis of RNA occurs in __________ and copies vary throughout genome
multiple copies
In transcription, RNA poly does not need a _________ for initiation
primer
In transcription, RNA product does not remain ________ to the template DNA
base-paired