Biological psych 5: Gene-environment interactions (Lec 29) Flashcards
Name the 2 main functions of a gene, which is part of your DNA sequence
- Duplication (a gene can make other genes)!
- Transcription: Making mRNA
Name 3 functions of RNA
– Can be used to regulate genes
– Can have enzymatic activity (bringing about a biochemical reaction)
– Translation: Making protein (this is what we usually look at at the level of behaviour)
Name 4 functions of proteins
– Regulate genes
– Has enzymatic activity (bringing about a biochemical reaction)
– Has structural role (forming a cytoskeleton within the cell)
– Is used in signaling: eg neurotransmitters/ hormones
What is the difference between translation and transcription?
Translation is the process of RNA translating into protein
Transcription is the process of genes making mRNA
Which 4 levels can the environment regulate genetic activity?
- Transcriptional control (determining whether the DNA is read off and transcribed into mRNA),
- Translational control (is the mRNA tranlated into protein?
- Post-translational control (proteins can change their structure dynamically and also change the level /efficiency at which proteins act as enzymes within the cell).
- Environment can alter genetic structure itself
How might scientists measure gene expression?
By measuring mRNA
How might scientists measure protein translation?
By measuring proteins
How might scientists measure post-translational modification?
By measuring protein variants and isoforms
give an example for the model of gene-environment interaction: Genetic and environmental effects might
be independent but additive eg P= A+C+E
Twin studies: shared genetics and similar environment create additive effects
Phenotypic variance= (A) addition variation in genetic background + (C) common environment +E (unique environment of individual)
Define phenotype
observable characteristics which result from genetic/env interaction
How did bright and dull rats benefit from enriched environments?
How about restricted environments?
Dull rats showed brightness improvement in enriched environment but it made no difference for bright rats.
Opposite affect for restricted env: Didn’t affect dull rats but bright rats suffered
What is the effect of HRT (estrogen) on women with and without the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε4 allele who have been diagnosed with Alzheimers?
It slows down the effects for women without the ε4 allele, but has no effect for women with the ε4 allele
Chemical modification within cells which can cause permanent change is called:
Epigenetics
Genes for serotinergic activity are modified by the environment. How does this affect grasshoppers?
some of them turn into locusts!
Describe the seminal Michael Meaney study on rat mums’n’pups, and what were the outcomes? (Name 2)
Adoption study pairing high-maternal (H) care mums w non-biological pups from both H and L mums, and low-maternal (L) care mums w non-biological pups from both H and L mums.
Rat-pups echoed adoptive mum behaviour rather than bio mum behaviour when they had their own pups. They also exhibited highly anxious behaviour in general for the rest of their lives.
