D2.2

Gene Expression

Mechanism by which genetic information in a gene is expressed in a functional protein, influencing the phenotype.

Functional Proteins

Proteins with biological activity involved in the biological function of a living organism.

Transcription

Process of converting DNA to mRNA (DNA → mRNA).

Translation

Process of converting mRNA to an amino acid sequence/protein (mRNA → Amino acid sequence/protein).

Genotype

Combination of alleles inherited by an organism.

Phenotype

Physical representation of the genotype.

Promoter Region

Located near the beginning of a gene, serves as a binding site for RNA polymerase.

RNA Polymerase

Enzyme that transcribes a gene to mRNA.

Enhancers

Regulatory sequences of DNA located away from a gene.

Transcription Factors

Proteins which bind to enhancer and promoter regions and regulate transcription.

Nuclease Enzyme

Enzymes designed to break apart nucleotides in DNA and RNA.

Epigenesis

Process by which a multicellular organism develops from a zygote through cell differentiation and organ formation.

Epigenetics

Study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than changes in the genetic code.

Epigenetic Tags

Chemical markers that attach to DNA or histone proteins and influence the transcription of genes.

Genome

All of the genetic information of an organism.

Transcriptome

All of the RNA molecules transcribed at a specific time within a cell or organism.

Proteome

The complete set of proteins present in a cell or organism at a given time.

Methylation

Chemical reaction where a methyl molecule is added to DNA, proteins, or other molecules.

Epigenetic Inheritance

The passing of a parent’s experiences, via epigenetic tags, to future generations.

Reprogramming

Removal of most epigenetic tags during fertilization of egg and sperm.

Genomic Imprinting

Process by which only one of the two inherited genes for a trait is expressed;

What is the lac operon?

The lac operon is an operon required for the transport and metabolism of lactose in E. coli and some other bacteria.