BIOL 4426: Cellular Physiology ch5

A set of vocabulary flashcards summarizing key concepts from the lecture notes on cellular physiology, focusing on transcription and RNA processing.

Transcriptional Regulation

The process through which the expression of specific genes is controlled.

Eukaryotic Gene Expression

The ability of eukaryotic cells to specialize and differentiate through the regulation of gene transcription.

Core Promoter

The region of DNA that contains essential elements for the binding of RNA Polymerase and determines the transcriptional start site.

Enhancers

Regulatory DNA elements that can increase gene expression and are position and orientation independent.

RNA Polymerase II

The enzyme responsible for transcribing mRNA genes in eukaryotes, characterized by its complex structure.

Basal Transcription Factors

Proteins that help RNA polymerase bind to the core promoter, forming the Pre-Initiation Complex (PIC).

Nucleosome Assembly

The process of forming nucleosomes, which affects gene expression and is regulated by enzymes.

5' Capping

The modification of the 5' end of nascent RNA shortly after transcription begins, which involves adding a guanosine nucleotide.

3' Cleavage and Poly-Adenylation

The process of cleaving the RNA at the 3' end and adding a poly-A tail, essential for mRNA stability.

Alternative Splicing

A process that allows a single gene to produce multiple protein isoforms through different combinations of exons.

Ribonucleoproteins (RNPs)

Complexes of RNA and protein that are involved in RNA processing and transport.

Spliceosome

A complex of snRNPs and proteins that mediates the splicing of pre-mRNA by removing introns.