Regulation of Gene Expression
Chapter
18 (8th Ed. Cambell and Reece)
1. How is the expression of genes regulated
in bacteria?
-
Describe the basic concept of how operons regulate the
transcription
of genes. How do components of the operon interact to control the
expression of genes?
- How do the two types of negative gene regulation (repressible
operons vs. inducible operons) differ?
- How does positive gene regulation differ from negative
gene regulation
in bacteria.
- Other than through the regulation of gene expression, how else
can bacteria
(and other organisms) regulate metabolic pathways in cells?
2. The Control of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes
-
What are the major steps that must take place in order for the
information
encoded within a gene to be used in the production of a functional
protein?
Which of these steps serves as a potential control point for the
regulation
of gene expression?
- Even though all of the cells within an organism have the same
DNA, different
cell types often synthesize different proteins. Why?
- What role does DNA methylation play in regulating the
transcriptional
activity of genes?
- What are transcription factors and how are they able to
bring about
changes in gene expression?
- How do the post-transcriptional mechanisms of alternative
splicing,
degradation of the mRNA, and protein processing and degradation help
determine
the levels of a particular protein within a cell?
Chromatin
Structure
-
How is the DNA packaged within chromatin and chromosomes?
What are nucleosomes, and how are histone proteins
involved
in the formation of these structures? What is the overall organization
of DNA within chromatin and chromosomes?
3.
The Molecular Biology of Cancer
-
What are proto-oncogenes, oncogenes, and tumor-suppressor
genes? What are some of the most common functions of
proto-oncogenes
in normal cells? What causes a proto-oncogene to become an
oncogene
and how might such a transition lead to the formation of cancer?
Why is the development of cancer believed ot be a multi-step process?