Topic 3: Genetic Regulation Flashcards

1
Q

What is a gene

A

Sequence of DNA that encodes a specific trait or product

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2
Q

Turning genes on/off in bacteria vs eukaryotes

A

Bact = turn genes on/off in response to environment
Euk = turn genes on and off in response to environment, for cell differentiation, tissue coordination, based on developmental stage

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3
Q

Where can gene expression be controlled

A

Before transcription (important, first step before DNA->RNA->protein)
Post transcription
Translation
Post translation

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4
Q

Which part of gene expression control do prokaryotes not have

A

mRNA processing

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5
Q

What are structural genes? what are they controlled by?

A

Genes that encode proteins (e.g. enzymes), controlled by DNA binding proteins

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6
Q

What do DNA binding proteins control, what are they produced by

A

Control structural genes
Produced by regulatory genes

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7
Q

What are regulatory genes?

A

Encoding products that interact with other sequences and affect the transcription and translation of these sequences
Make DNA binding proteins

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8
Q

What are regulatory elements

A

DNA sequences that are not transcribed but play a role in regulating other nucleotide sequences

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9
Q

What kind of proteins are transcription factors

A

DNA binding

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10
Q

What can DNA binding proteins recognize? What do they form bonds with? What type?

A

Information in the major and minor grooves of DNA
Form H-bonds with groups on the bases

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11
Q

What is a protein domain

A

~60-90 amino acids, responsible for doing a specific job or forming a specific structure

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12
Q

What is a motif

A

Within the binding domain, a simple structure that provides specificity (recognizes DNA seq)

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13
Q

Domains and motifs are found in…

A

DNA binding proteins

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14
Q

Examples of protein domains

A

Helix-turn-helix
Zinc fingers
Leucine zipper

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15
Q

What are operons

A

In bacteria, a set of related genes are regulated together
Transcribed as a single mRNA with multiple coding regions
Controlled by the same promoter and regulatory proteins
Multiple proteins transcribed off single mRNA with diff start and stop codons

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16
Q

Operons are regulated at the…

A

Operator

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17
Q

Slide 10

A

Operon

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18
Q

What is constitutive expression

A

Continuously expressed under normal cellular conditions

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19
Q

What is positive control? Negative control?

A

+ = control at the operator is positive ie TF that binds operator stimulates transcription
- = control at the operator is negative ie TF that binds operator inhibits transcription (repressor)

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20
Q

What is an inducible operon? Repressible?

A

Inducible = transcription is usually off, needs to be turned on
Repressible = transcription is normally on, needs to be turned off

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21
Q

What is the regulatory gene doing in negative inducible control? Negative repressible control?

A

Neg inducible = regulatory gene that controls operon produces a repressor, normally active
Neg repressible = regulatory gene makes a repressor, normally it is inactive

22
Q

Slides 14, 15, 16, 17***

A

Neg repressible and inducible

23
Q

What is positive control

A

Regulatory protein involved is an activator
Operator can be inducible or repressible

24
Q

What is controlled by positive and negative control

A

Transcription

25
Q

Structural genes of the lac operon and their functions

A

lacZ: encodes B-galactosidases (metabolism of lactose)
lacY: encodes permease (transport lactose into cell)
lacA: encodes transacetylase

26
Q

What kind of system is the lac operon

A

negative inducible

27
Q

What are the regulatory genes/elements of the lac operon

A

lacI: repressor encoding gene (produces repressor protein LacI)
lacP: operon promotor (RNA polymerase assembles)
lacO: operon operator (LacI binds)

28
Q

Under normal conditions, the lac operon is…

A

off

29
Q

What is the inducer of the lac operon? What does it do?

A

allolactose (binds LacI and changes its conformation to deactivate it/close active site)

30
Q

Does repression completely shut down transcription

A

No, tiny amount ongoing

31
Q

What is permease

A

membrane protein that transports lactose into the cell

32
Q

What does B-galactosidase do to lactose

A

Converts it to allolactose or galactose+glucose

33
Q

In the presence of lactose, does transcription continue?

A

Yes, allolactose binds the repressor protein and prevents it from binding the operator

34
Q

What is the partial diploid lac mutation

A

Full bacterial chromosome + an extra piece of DNA on F plasmid (genomic copy+plasmid copy)

35
Q

What is the plasmid in partial diploids

A

Extra piece of DNA that can carry a fully functional complement of the lac operon

36
Q

What does the partial diploid mutation allow us to do

A

Mutate different components on the genomic or plasmid copies

37
Q

What is the structural gene mutation of the lac operon

A

Affects the structure of the enzyme but not the regulations of their synthesis

38
Q

What is wrong with lacY-? lacZ-?

A

y- = no functional permease
z- = no functional B-gal
No metabolism of lactose

39
Q

How do pseudodiploids help with structural gene mutations of the lac operon

A

The genomic copy may have a non-functioning gene, but if the plasmid has the wildtype gene then there is functioning lactose metabolism (or vice versa)

40
Q

What are regulator gene mutations in the lac operon

A

Affect the actions of the regulator protein (producing LacI)

41
Q

What are operator mutations in the lac operon

A

Affects the function of the operator
lacO^c = no operator
Dominant over lacO+ because the operators are cis acting

42
Q

Which is dominant, lacI- or lacI+

A

lacI+, genes are trans acting, normal regulation of operon

43
Q

What are cis vs trans genes

A

cis = acting on the same piece of DNA its located on
trans = act on different pieces of DNA

44
Q

Slides 24 -> 32**

A

Lac operon mutations

45
Q

What is the promotor mutation

A

lacP-
cis acting
non-functional P = RNA polymerase cannot assemble

46
Q

What is positive control through catabolite repression

A

Using glucose when available and repressing the metabolism of other sugars
High levels of glucose repress the lac operon, low levels of glucose STIMULATE the lac operon

47
Q

Positive control can occur through..

A

catabolite repression

48
Q

How does the cell know when glucose is present

A

cAMP, its concentration is inversely proportional to the level of available glucose

49
Q

What complex is the positive regulator of the lac operon

A

cAMP/CAP complex (binds and stimulates transcription of operon; activator)

50
Q

Slides 36/37

A

Positive control of lac operon

51
Q

What happens to the structure of DNA when cAMP-CAP binds

A

Produces a sharp bend in DNA that activates transcription