Control of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes Flashcards
(54 cards)
How many promoters are relevant to a single eukaryotic gene?
A single promoter corresponds to a single eukaryotic gene.
What regulates transcription in eukaryotes?
Chromatin structure
When do transcription and translation occur in prokaryotes and eukaryotes?
Prokaryotes: both transcription and trAnslation occur in a coupled way.
Eukaryotes: transcription occurs first and then translation occurs at a separate time in a separate place.
What is Chromatin?
DNA that is complexed with proteins called histones
What is the net charge of a histone?
Histones are net positively charged since DNA has an overall negative charge.
What are the 5 different types of canonical histones?
H1, H2A, H2B, H3, and H4
What is a histone core?
A histone core is an octamer of 8 histones, with two copies of each of H2A, H2B, H3 and H4
What are the intervals of DNA between nucleosomes that are not bound to histones called?
Linker DNA
What are the pairing of dimers that make up core histones?
H2A-H2B
H3-H4
What is a nucleosome?
DNA wound around a histone core at regular intervals
What are histone tails?
11-37 amino acids at the N-terminus of protein that are mostly positively charged.
What are the function of histone tails?
Interact with DNA of neighboring nucleosomes which compacts the nucleosomes.
What is the function of histone H1?
Binds where DNA enters and leaves the nucleosomes (clamps DNA)
What needs to occur in Chromatin structure in order for transcription to occur?
Chromatin organization of DNA needs to be decompacted or decondensed in order for transcriptional machinery to bind and activate transcription.
What is DNase I?
DNase I cuts phosphodiester bonds in DNA (DNA bound to histone proteins are less sensitive to DNase I).
What are DNase hypersensitive sites
They are typically present upstream of start site of transcription of genes and their increased sensitivity of being cut by DNase I
What are the three mechanisms used to alter Chromatin structure?
Chemical modification of Histones
Chromatin remodeling
DNA methylation
What are the two histone domains and what are their function?
C terminal domain: protein fold that interacts with phosphates of DNA as well as other histones in the same nucleosome.
N terminal domain: an overall positively charged tail that interacts with phosphates of DNA of the same nucleosome and with DNA of neighboring nucleosomes.
What are the histone modifying enzymes correlating to phosphorylation?
Phosphorylation (kinases)
Dephosphorylation (phosphatases)
What are the histone modifying enzymes that are associated with methylation?
Methylation (methylases)
Demethylation ( demethylases)
What are the histone modifying enzymes that are associated with acetylation?
Acetylation ( acetyl transferase)
Deacetylation ( deacetylases)
What does phosphorylating or acetylating a histone generally do?
Usually enhances transcription by weakening interaction of histone with DNA by introducing a negative charge on amino acids
What does methylation of histones do?
Can result in either activation or repressor of transcription depending on what particular amino acid in histone tail is modified and the number of methyl groups attached to amino acid.
What are Chromatin remodeling complexes and what are their modes of action?
Reposition of nucleosomes: slide nucleosomes along DNA or eject nucleosomes
Replace canonical histones in nucleosomes with histone variants that have slightly different amino acid composition in comparison to canonical histones