Tour of MCB Block 1 Flashcards
What is an enzyme?
Chemically active proteins (or RNAs)
What is the general name for the enzymes that copy a DNA strand during normal transcription?
RNA polymerase
How many chromosomes are carried by a normal diploid human cell?
46
What is the name for the barrier that separates the eukaryotic nucleus from the cytoplasm of the cell?
E. Nuclear envelope
Roughly how many protein-coding genes are found in humans?
20,000
Which of these processes is part of normal RNA maturation in eukaryotes, but not found in prokaryotes?
RNA splicing
HOw does a fully mature mRNA get into the cytoplasm of a cell?
It is exported through the nuclear pores.
The crossing-over observed betwwen chromosomes during human meiosis is better termed:
Homologous recombination
Approximately what percent of the human genome is repetitive DNA?
60%
Which of these processes is part of normal RNA maturation in eukaryotes, but not found in prokaryotes?
RNA capping
What is produced by meiosis I?
Two haploid cells containing bivalent chromosomes.
Are prokaryotic Genes “polycystronic”
NO
How much of the human genome is unique sequence?
40%
What is a SINE?
Short interspersed nuclear element
What percent of the human genome codes for functional RNAs?
1.6%
What of these is the best desription of the human mitochondrial genome?
Small 16,500 bp DNA circular chromosome
Why do we include coverage of bacterial plasmids in our course?
They are the main mechanism for antibiotic resistance in bacteria.
What is the correct name for a purine or pyrimidine base linked covalentlky to a pentose sugar?
Nucleoside
In adenosine monophosphate (AMP) where is the phosphate attached to the sugar?
at the 5’ position
What are the LINEs in the human genome?
Long interspersed nuclear elements.
What is a retrontransponson?
It is a genetic component that can copy and paste itself into different genomic sites-using RNA as an intermediate.
(using RNA as intermediate)
What is the size of the repeat unit in microsatellite DNA?
2-4 bp
What is the simplest name for this molecule?
Deoxyadenosine triphosphate
Which of these is a simpler way of writing pCpApTpGpGpC?
CATGGC
Specific hydrogen bonds normally only form between specific pairs of bases to drive the formation of a DNA double helix. What is the name given to this hydrogen bonding pattern in DNA?
Complementary Base-pairing.
Which of these processes is part of normal RNA maturation in eukaryotes, but not found in prokaryotes?
RNA Capping.
DNA is “incredibly thin.” Just how thin is that really?
2 nanometers wide.
You have notes showing you the shape of a DNA duplex, and you have figures showing you the DNA-binding proteins. Most DNA-binding proteins recognize specific DNA sequences. How do they read the base sequence?
By hydrogen bonding or sticking to the portions of the base-pairs exposed at the side of the double helix.
If the sequence of a DNA duplex contains 22% A, then it also contains —–% of G?
28%
22% A ——> 22% T ==> A/T
28% G —-> 28% ==> G/C
RNA is trnascribed from a DNA sequence that is an inverted repeat (a palindrome). What structure can this single strand of RNA assume?
A hairpin
An investigator is performing a “DNA hybridization assay” using a selected piece of DNA to probe for a target sequence among the millions found in his sample of chromosomal DNA fragments. He first heats the chromosomal DNA fragments in this sample to 96° C? What is he doing?
He is denaturing the sample DNA so that it melts into single-strands.
The term “stringency” is used to describe the rigor of the conditions under which annealing or hybridization of DNA strands occur. What does “high stringency” mean?
Only exact complementary base-pairing is allowed in the assay.
Do Chargoff’s rules apply to a single-stranded nucleic acid?
NO
If you deaminate the adenine component of adenosine, what nucleoside is formed?
Inosine
Chromonsomal DNA is ragmented into pieces by an enzyme. The investigator then loads small amounts of this material ont an agarose slab gel and performs electrophoresis. This procedure separates the pieces of DNA according to their ________.
A. Leght (# of bp)
HIstone proteins are designated with an H. How many basic classes of histone proteins are there?
5
Note: Even though two of the histone proteins are labeled H2A and H2B; they are 2 separate classes—-> H1, H2A, H2B, H3, H4
Techniques exist that allow investigators to track RNA polymerase II molecules. Where will this protein be found in an interphase nucleus?
Interspersed throughout the euchromatin.
Several types of histones are used to compose the core nucleosome. What histone binds to the outside edge of the core nucleosome to serve as a type of “handle”?
H1
The core histone proteins all share an important structural feauture. What is this?
They possess very flexible tails that are enriched in basic, positively charged amino acids.
(like lysine and arginine)
What happens when an enzyme acetylates lysines or arginines within core histone proteins?
Some of the negative charges on the protein are neutralized.
What happens when an enzyme deacetylates lysines or arginines wihtin core histone proteins?
Promotes the formation of heterochromatin.
There are 5 major epigenetic mechanisms known to be important in humans. DNA methylation, histone modification, and expression of variant histone proteins are well known. Which of these is another important epigenetic mechanism operating on our chromosomes?
Movement of nucleosomes by chromatin remodeling complexes.
An important process drives the inactivation of 1 of the 2 X chromosomes within every female cell. What process is this?
Directed large-scale DNA Methylation
Neurons are clearly a different type of cell than a hepatocyte. One mechanism by which tissue differentiation is accomplished involves “permanently” swtching off selected genes. What is the major way in which this is done?
DNA methylation of specific genes.
What does a DNA polymerase need– that an RNA polymerase can do without?
An exposed 3’ OH on a primer to act as a starting place.
WHich of these is true for a DNA polymerase?
Has 5’ to 3 polymerase activity.
Most DNA polymerases have a proofreading activity. What is the term for this activity?
3’ to 5’ exonuclease activity
The bacterial origin of replication is marked with specific proteins, and when a swetch is flipped, enzymes are recruited to begin replication. What is the first enzyme to begin replication?
Helicase.
2nd. Primase
3rd: Polymerase III
4rth: Polymerase I
Seal the nick Ligase.
In the figure below, which direction is the replication for moving– AND– Which single-strand is the lagging strand?
Right-to-left, top
IF you were planning ot make cDNAs against all the mRNAs exposed in liver cells, how would you ensure that only mRNA was copied into DNA during the first step?
Prime the reaction with an oligo-dT primer.
IMPORTANT KNOW PLEASE
What is the common term used to describe an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase?
Reverse transcriptase.
What is the common term used to describe an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase?
Reverse Trascriptase.
What kind of an RNA virsus carries its own reverse transcriptase to convert its genome into double-stranded DNA that can insert itself into eukaryotic chromosomes?
Retroviruses
What Kind of an Enzyme is a telomerase?
It is aribonucleoprotein that functions as an RNA-dependent DNA Polymerase.
In prokaryotes, DNA polymerase I is able to replace the RNA primer at the beginning of every Okazaki Frangment. What happens in eukaryotic Systems?
A DNA polymerase pushes the RNA stretch out to the side as a “flap” and a ribonuclease cuts it off.
Why is it necessary for a telomerase to add on some DNA to the ends of all four chromosomes?
Becuse the RNA primer that used to exit at the 5’ end of one strand in each new DNA dubplex is removed before the end of replication.
(Most Probably will not Test on Telomerases)
You use an electrical field to move things thorugh some sort of a restrictive medium. What do you call this process?
Electrophoresis.
Gel Electrophoresis separates macromolecules according to what properties?
Their size, length, number of bp.
What are the 3 basic steps in a PCR cycle?
Melting, reannealing, and syntheis.
What is the most curcial specific reagent in ‘Alllele-specific PCR”?
One specific primer that corresponds to a known mutated sequence.
Specific primers have been developed to permit an assay for the evolution of a VNTR locus in the members of a family. How will you measure the results of this assay?
The leght of the PCR product observed on an electrophoresis gel.
How does dideoxyATP differ from deoxyATP?
An additional Hydroxyl is missing from the 3; position of the sugar.
Sanger Dideoxy DNA sequencing” is based on what biochemical process?
Primer Extension.
What happens in a Sanger reaction when a small amount of ddCTP is added to the four normal dNTPs?
Some DNA chains are terminated at C.
If you had to start at time=0 with only 1 DNA duplex, how many DNA duplexes would have by the end of the PCR reaction depected below?
64
WHat is one thing that both PCR and Sanger sequencing have in common?
They are both based on primer extension.
What is the sequence shown on this sequencing gel?
GATCTGCA
Need to read the gel from the bottom to top, not the other way around.
If RED=T, Yellow= G, Blue= C, and Green= A, what is the template strand sequence that generated this profile?
CATCAAACAGG
you Read it from 3’ to 5’ and write it from 5’ to 3’
If you are hoping to use PCR to amplyfy up this region of interest, which of these is your pair of primers?
5’ GATGTACC——————CGATATGC 3’
3’ CTACATGG——————GCTATACG 5’
GATCTACC & GCATATCG
WHat is a more complete name for RNA Polymerase?
DNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase
From this duplex DNA example, which sequence below represents a possible RNA transcript?
5’ - ACGGGCATTTTAAATGC- 3’
3’ -TGCCCCAAAATTTACG- 5’
GGGCAUUUUAA
What does the abbreviation Tss mean?
Transcription start site
What DNA binding protein recognizes both the -35 box and the -10 box in a bacterial promoter?
The family of Sigma Factors.
About how large is the region of RNA/DNA duplex formed within the active site of an RNA Polymerase during transcription?
5-7 bp
Apprximately how large is the area of a single-stranded DNA held open by the RNA polymerase (and termed the “transcription bubble”) ?
15-17 bp
What mediates the Rho-independent termination of transcription bacteria?
A Strong GC-rich RNA Hairpin
What mediates the Rho-dependent termination of trnscription on bacteria?
The-Rho Helicase.
What streptomyces-derived antibiotic directly binds to the bacterial RNA polymerases to inhibit thier activity and stop transcription?
RIfampin
What RNA is produced by eukaryotic RNA Polymerase I?
MOst of the ribosomal RNA.
One of the most important eukaryotic basal transcription factors is built aroun da protein that is often simple referred to as a “TBP”. WHat is TBP?
The TATA Box Binding Protein
Of al the basal transcription factos TFIID seems important? What does it do?
Position the RNA Polymerase and the other factors at the Tss.
If you are hoping to use PCR to amplify up this region of interest, which of these is your pair of primers?
5’ CGATATGC———-GATGTACC-3’
3’ GCTATACG———CTACATGG-5’
GGTACATC & CGATATGC
What is an important structural feauture of RNA Polymerase II that is not found in RNA Polymerse I or III?
IT has a Prominent CTD tail
RNA Elongation is tightly coupled to RNA processing. THe enzymes responsible for the processing steps ride on the phosphorylated CTD tail until an RNA sequence is revealed that they recognize. What is the FIRST RNA-processing step?
5’ Capping
Which one of these is an enzyme that is involved in capping a nascent RNA made by RNA polymerase II?
Guanylyltransferase.
Which on of these is an enzyme that is involved in capping a nascent RNA made by RNA polymerase II?
Guanine-7-methyltransferase
The ribonucleoprotein molecules that splice the eukaryotic preRNAs have an interesting abbreviation that reminds everyone of an old animated cartoon show? what are these?
snRNPs
What is the name of the GU site at the 5’ end of an intron that is recognized by the U1 snRNP at the beginning of the RNA-splicing Process?
Splice Donor site
What is the name for the AG site at the 3’ end of an intron that is cut by the snRNPs to release the intron as a lariat structure?
Splice Acceptor Site
Cleavage of the nascent RNA from RNA polymerase II is tightly coupled to recognition of an RNA sequence within the 3’ UTR of the sequence. THe protein recognizing this sequence also perfom the final processing step as soon as the RNA comes free. What enzyme do this?
Polyadenylate Polymerase
Multiple proteins cote the poly(A) tail and a protein complex covers the 5’ cap. What marks the sites where the introns were spliced out?
Exon Junction Complexes
What is used to mark the areas within a mature mRNA where introns have been spliced out?
Poly(A) binding proteins
An important structural protein is encoded by a single gene. Cellular analysis indicates that the protein is not modified in a major way following translation, yet different versions of this protein (long, short, and medium-sized) exist in diferent tissues such as neurons, kidney and stomach. How must these different-sized version of the protein be generated?
Alternative RNA Splicing
What lable indicates the 3’ end of the coding strand?
D
What is one important feauture of an eukaryotic mRNA that determines its half-life?
Lenght of the poly(A) tail
Where would one find most of the RNA processing enzymes wihtin an eukaryotic cell?
In the nucleus, largely concentrated on the CTD tail of the RNA polimerase II.
What is the last step in the process of a transfer RNA?
CCA is added to the 3’ edn
What is one very important DNA element athat helps to position RNA polymerase II and the basal transcription factors in the correct position near Tss?
The TATA bos
What is the most crucial modificaiton of the nascent preRNA coding region that results in a mature mRNA?
Splicing
If the microRNA that brings the RISC complex to an mRNA sequence has 100% homology with that sequence, what will happen?
RISC will bind tightly to that sequence and the Argonaute endonuclease will splice up the mRNA to destroy it.
There is a 5’ UTR and a 3’ UTR in an normal mature human RNA. What does UTR stand for?
Unstranslated Region
A large primary miRNA molecule is processed to procduce a pre-miRNA molecule that is then diced to produced an immature miRNA duplex. What kind of an RNA is a mature single-stranded microRNA?
A guide RNA
WHat is the average half-life of most bacterial mRNAs?
Only a few minutes.
What does RISC stand for?
RNA-induced silencing complex
WHat RNA is produced by eukaryotic RNA polymerase II?
All of the tRNAs + 5s rRNA
If you are hoping to use a PCR to amplyfy up to this region of interest, which of these is your pair of primers?
GCATATCG————GGTACATC
CTACATGG———-CCATGTAG
GCATATCG & GATGTACC
Which kind of an RNA is CRISPR RNA?
A Guide RNA
What is the 3-letter abbreviation for the aminoacid Isoleucine?
Ile
WHich of these is NOT a grouping of amino acids with similar properties?
Alkaloid
What is linked together to form a polypeptide bond?
Amino Acids
Which of these is a peptide bond?
A
Protein structure seems constructed from “secondary structures”. One of the most important is the alpha-helix. This stiff coil is usually at least 10 residues long and is stabilized by hydrogen bonds between the oxygen of the carbonyl group and the hydrogen of the amide group______/
On either side of the two peptide bonds spaced 4 aminoacids apart.
You are deducing the sequence of a protein from reading the series of coding elements (codons) on an mRNA that you have sequenced. You notice that sequence leu-ile-trp-leu. Where would you predict this sequence will be found in a final folded protein?
Tucked down inside a hydrophobic pocket.
Whic of these is an amino acid that has a side chain that will function as an aice in a chemical reaction and bear a negative charg at pH 7.2?
Glutamate
What are the circled reactions in this depiction of a protein complex?
Contact between subunits
Which one of these is amino acids has a side chain that is polar but will not bear a formal charge at pH 7.2
Leucine
Tryptophan
Isoleucine
Asparigine
Proline
ALanine
Asparigine
What is the main force holding together secondary structues as protein folds?
Hydrogen bonds betwwen portions of the polypeptide backbone.
WHa tis the term used to describe a 180 degrees reversal in a protein strand and Which amino acid is usually involved in this structue?
Beta sheets; Proline
What is the single-lettter abbreviation for Lysine?
K
Especially important in extracellular and secreted proteins such as insulin, what is the most common type of covalent bond used to stabilize a protein’s tertiary structure?
Cys-Cys disulfide bond.
What is the most prevalent and important type of interaction that holds togeter the primary sequence of proteins into the known secondary structures?
Hydrogen Bonds
What type of an amino acid is valin considered to be?
Nonpolar, aliphatic
After denaturation an reduction, proteins are separated according to their size (chain leght) in a way very similar to the way in which DNA is sized an agarose gels. What is the common name for this method of sizing proteins?
SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE)
Which of these proteins would elute first from a size-exclusion chromatography column?
Myosin, 200,000 daltons.
What is the specific term used to describe proteins from diferent species that have extemely similar structures and idential functions?
Orthologs.
What is the name for the type of electreophoresis that causes proteins to concentrate in a pH where they carry no net charge?
Isoelectrofocusing
Many proteins seem to be constructed from semi-independent modules that fold and function largely independent of the rest of the protein. These 3D modules are termed:
Domains
In this depiction of hemoglobin, what is indicated by the arrow?
Beta reverse turn
Which of these proteins would elute first from a cation-exchange column?
7-methylguanyltransferase, 1 positive and 7 negative surface charges.
The following sequence is predicted from the series of coding elements (codons) on an mRNA: asn-Gly-Thy-Ser-Thr. Where would you predict this sequence will be found in the final folded protein?
Exposed to water in a hydrophilic area.
Which of htese analytical methods would give the result shown below?
Mass Spectroscopy
What is the circled region in this ribbon depiction of a multifunctional vitamin D receptor protein?
An important domain.
ANtibody proteins have the strongest binding properties that we know about. Which of these values would describe the binding of a very high affinity antibody to its specific antigen?
KD = 10-12 M
A Binding prtein is depicted below that shows a KD of 10-9 for its ligand. If the ligand is presented at a 10-9 M concentration, then what percent of it is bound by the protein?
50%
WHich of these proteins would be the first to elute from an anion-exchange column?
Rennase, 6 positive and 2 negative surface charges.
How many tRNAs match up with athe codon UAA?
0
With what protein do the eukaryotic release factors interact to cause normal termination of trasnlation?
PABP
Which factor causes translocation of the ribosomes in eikaryotics?
eEF-2-GTP
In eukaryotes, where is the first initiator tRNA placed by the initiator factor?
P site.
Does f-Met ever show up during protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells?
Only within the mitochondria.
Both chloramphenicol and ricin do similar things to prokaryotic or eukaryotic ribosomes, respectively. WHat do they do?
Inactivate the peptidyl transferase activity .
Which factor causes translocation of the ribosome in prokaryotes?
eEF-2-GTP
What codon Serves as the Start codon?
AUG
If an mRNA codon reasd GAU, then what is the tRNA anticodon?
AUC
Approximately how many high-energy phosphates are spent for each aminoacid that is linked into a protein?
4
Some cells can use as many as 70 different tRNAs during their lifetime. How many aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases do they use?
70
WHat is the size of the larges rRNA found in the eukaryotic ribosomes?
28S
Which prokaryotic antibiotic r= produces an effect on translation very similar to that produced by the eukaryotic diphteria toxin?
Erythromycin
Which factor brings the sencond charged tRNA into the A site of a prokaryotic ribosome?
EF-Tu-GTP
In what way is an aminoacyl-tRNA “ Charged” ?
An amino acid is linked to the 3’ A thorugh an acyl link.
WHat is the name of hte “ ribosome recognition site’ found in many prokaryotic mRNAs?
Shine-Delgarno Site
How does puromycin work?
It tricks the ribosome into attaching the nascent polypeptide to it instead of a new aminoacyl-tRNA
What catalyzes the formation of the peptide bond in eukaryotes?
28S rRNA
What brings the new aminoacyl-tRNA into a site of the eukaryotic ribosome?
eEF-2-GTP
What factor causes translocation of hte ribosome in prokaryotes?
EF-G-GTP
During the general protein folding process, what forms first-right after the promary sequence is laid down?
Secondary structure.
What are the names of the proteins that guide a nascent protein along a maturation pathway and oftern help it forld correctly into an approximation of its final shape?
Protein chaperones
Wha tis one feauture in a partially folded protein that the chaperon proteins complex seem to recoginize?
Exposed hydrophobic patches.
Which of htese bacterial antibiotics binds specifically to the small subunit portiion of the site and blocks anything else from binding there?
Tetracycline.
What factor causes translocation of the ribosome in prokaryotes?
EF-G-GTP
Generally, when a large “ precursor protein” is trimmed down to size or cut up to generate multiple smaller proteins, this is referred to as:
Post-translational proteolytic processing
Fifty to sixty percent of human proteins are directed into the lumen of the rough endoplasmic reticulum while being translated. THese proteins are destined to be associated with membranes for much of their life, and many of these proteins are secreted. What directs these proteins into the rER?
A signal sequence.
Which of these is not a postranslational modification typycally foun din normal proteins?
GLycation
What is the name of an enzyme that attaches a phosphate group to the side chain of an amino acid wihtin Protein Chains?
Kinase
What is the name of an enzyme that removes a phosphate group from the side chain of an amino acid within a protein chain?
Phosphatase.
Which amino acid is know to be hydroxylated in certain proteins to modify how tertiary and quaternary structures can form?
Pro
A nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, the UPF proteins promote and mediate interaction betwwen the eRF’s and an importatn proteins . THis interaction triggers the recruitment of decapping enzymes, exonucleases and endonucleases that destroyu the mRNA. What is the protein complex that interacts with the other proteins?
EJC
Which aminoacid can by carboxylated to form a binding site for calcium ion?
Glu
What is the name given to infectious proteins that procduce mammalian spongiform— such as scrapoie or Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease?
Prions
Which aminoacid is known to be hydroxylated in certain proteins to modify how tertiary and quaternary structures can form?
Pro