Eukaryotic Gene Regulation Notes

A collection of flashcards for key vocabulary related to eukaryotic gene regulation.

Eukaryotic Cells

Organisms whose cells contain a nucleus and other organelles enclosed within membranes.

Transcription

Process where a segment of DNA is copied into RNA by the enzyme RNA polymerase.

Monocistronic

Type of mRNA that codes for a single protein.

Polycistronic

Type of mRNA that can encode multiple proteins.

Cis-regulatory elements (CREs)

Regions of non-coding DNA which regulate the transcription of neighboring genes.

Transcription Factors (TFs)

Proteins that help regulate the transcription of genes by binding to nearby DNA.

Chromatin

Complex of DNA and protein found in eukaryotic cells that packages DNA into a more compact form.

Histone proteins

Proteins that DNA wraps around to form nucleosomes, resulting in chromatin.

Nucleosome

A structural unit of chromatin consisting of a segment of DNA wound in sequence around a core of histone proteins.

DNase I hypersensitive sites

Regions of open chromatin that are sensitive to digestion by DNase I, often associated with active transcription.

Chromatin remodeling

The process by which the structure of chromatin is altered to allow access to DNA.

Histone acetylation

The addition of acetyl groups to histones, which generally opens up chromatin structure and promotes transcription.

DNA methylation

The addition of methyl groups to DNA, typically leading to repression of gene expression.

Enhancers

Cis-regulatory elements that can increase the likelihood of transcription of particular genes, functioning independently of their position and orientation.

Coregulators

Proteins that do not bind DNA but associate with transcription factors to regulate gene expression.

Topologically associated domains (TADs)

Regions of the genome that interact more frequently with each other than with regions outside of the domain.

Operons

A group of genes that are regulated together in prokaryotes.

Heterochromatin

Tightly packed form of DNA that is transcriptionally inactive.

Euchromatin

Loosely packed form of DNA that is transcriptionally active.

Bacterial operon

A cluster of functionally related genes sequentially arranged on the bacterial chromosome.

RNA polymerase II

The enzyme responsible for transcribing mRNA in eukaryotic cells.