Unit 3 (Week 10 Gene Regulation) Flashcards
What is the gene function either at the level of traits or at the molecular level?
Gene expression
What is the ability of cells to control the expression of their genes?
Gene regulation
What are unregulated genes that has a relatively constant level of expression in all conditions over time?
Constitutive genes
What are the benefits of gene regulation? (2)
- Conserves energy. Proteins that are encoded by genes are produced only when needed.
- In multicellular organisms, gene regulation also ensures that genes are expressed in the appropriate cell types and at the correct stage of development.
What does E. coli do within gene regulation that pertains to its ability to uptake lactose?
When lactose is not present in the environment, an E. coli cell makes very little of these proteins, lactose permease (transporter) and B-galactosidase (breaks linkage in lactose and galactose). However, when lactose becomes available, the bacterium produces many more of these proteins, enabling it to readily use lactose from its environment.
What are one of the most amazing examples of gene regulation in humans?
Cell differentiation. The process by which cells become specialized into particular types. Cells may differentiate into muscle cells, neurons, skin cells, or other types.
They have the same genome but a different proteome. Or they may have the same genome and proteome but produce the same proteins at different rates.
How does gene regulation underlie the different morphologies of the various types of cells?
Gene regulation causes each type of cell to express its own unique set of proteins, which, in turn, are largely responsible for the morphology and function of that type of cell.
What is the protein responsible for delivering oxygen to the cell’s of a mammal’s body?
Hemoglobin
Genes that encode slightly different globin polypeptides are turned off and on throughout the embryonic stage of development and the fetal stage of development and to include at birth.
The differences between these proteins that are produced is their affinity to oxygen.
Where does gene regulation happen most commonly in bacteria?
In bacteria, gene regulation most commonly occurs at the level of transcription, which means that bacteria regulate how much mRNA is made from genes. When geneticists say a gene is “turned off,” they mean that very little or no mRNA is made from that gene, whereas a gene that is “turned on” is transcribed into mRNA.
Bacteria can also regulate genes is by controlling mRNA translation, and can be regulated post-translational level in which the protein’s function is controlled after it is synthesized.
What protein, in most cases, is needed for the regulation of transcription?
REGULATORY TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS which is a protein that binds to DNA, usually in the vicinity of a promoter, and affects the rate of transcription of one or nearby genes. (Repressors and Activators induce negative and positive controls on rate of transcription)
The REGULATORY SEQUENCE in a DNA sequence that functions as a binding site for REGULATORY TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR proteins, which influences the rate of transcription.
What is a transcription factor that binds to DNA and inhibits transcription?
Repressor
What type of control in transcriptional regulation happens by repressor proteins?
Negative control
What is a transcription factor that binds to DNA and increases the rate of transcription?
Activators
What type of control in transcriptional regulation happens by activator proteins?
Positive control
What is a molecule that affects gene transcription by binding to a regulatory transcription factor, causing a conformational change in that protein?
Small effector molecule.
These changes can determine whether or not a regulatory protein can bind to the regulatory sequence.
What are the two domains (sites) on activators and repressors?
One site where it allows them to bind to DNA and another site where small effecter molecules bind.
In bacteria, a set of two or more genes may be under the transcriptional control of a single promoter. What is this arrangement called?
An operon.
What is a group of genes are transcribed as a single unit, resulting in the production of _______ that is capable of encoding more than one protein?
Polycistronic mRNA
What is the advantage of a bacterium to have an operon?
To regulate a group of genes that encode proteins whose functions are used for a common pathway.
The genome of E. coli carries an operon, called the lac operon, that contains the genes to metabolize what?
Lactose
[Focus on lac operon]
What is transcripted from the lac operon?
What does the lac operon genes consist of? Be specific.
- A polycistronic mRNA that encodes multiple proteins for the utilization of lactose.
- The lac operon consists of a promoter (lacP), and three protein-encoding genes.
LacZ gene encodes B-galactosidase which is an enzyme that breaks down lactose into glucose and galactose. As a side reaction, it is also responsible for a side reaction of breaking down a small amount of lactose into allolactose. This is a lactose analogue meaning structually differernt but similar function.
LacY gene encodes lactose permease, which is the transmembrane protein needed to transport lactose into the cytoplasm of E. coli.
LacA gene encodes glactoside transacetylase, which covalently modifies lactose and lactose analogues (allolactose) by attaching an acetyl group (-COCH3). This attachment of aceytal groups to nonmetabolizable lactose analogues prevents their toxic buildup.
Which genes are under the control of the lac promoter?
The lacZ, lacY, and lacA genes are under the control of the lac promoter.
What “sandwhiches” the lac promotor or lacP in the lac operon and are condisered regulatory sequences?
Note: Regulatory sequences are the areas that repressors and activators attach to.
On the left, we have the CAP site, which is a site recognized by the catabolite activator protein (CAP).
On the right of the promotor, we have the operator or lacO, which is a sequence of bases which provides a binding site for a repressor protein.
What is adjacent to the lac operon?
The lac regulatory gene. This gene, known as lacI, encodes the lac repressor and has its own promoter called an I promoter.
This repressor protein is important for the regulation of the lac operon. The lacI gene, which is constitutively expressed at a fairly low level, has its own promoter called the i promoter. The lacI gene is not considered a part of the lac operon.