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What is gene regulation?
Gene regulation refers to the mechanisms that control the transcription and expression of genes.
What are the main types of gene regulation?
The main types include transcriptional control, post-transcriptional control, translational control, and post-translational control.
How does transcriptional control work?
Transcriptional control involves the binding of transcription factors to DNA sequences, influencing the rate of gene transcription.
What role do transcription factors play?
Transcription factors are proteins that help regulate the transcription of specific genes by binding to nearby DNA.
What is an enhancer?
An enhancer is a short region of DNA that can increase the transcription of specific genes.
What is a silencer?
A silencer is a DNA sequence that can bind repressors to inhibit gene transcription.
What is epigenetic regulation?
Epigenetic regulation involves changes in gene expression without changes to the underlying DNA sequence, often through DNA methylation and histone modification.
What is DNA methylation?
DNA methylation is the addition of a methyl group to DNA, typically inhibiting gene expression.
How does histone modification affect gene regulation?
Histone modification can influence gene expression by altering the structure of chromatin and accessibility of DNA.
What is the role of RNA interference in gene regulation?
RNA interference regulates gene expression by targeting and degrading mRNA, preventing translation.
What is a promoter?
A promoter is a DNA sequence that initiates transcription of a particular gene.
How do operons function in prokaryotes?
Operons are clusters of genes under the control of a single promoter, allowing coordinated regulation of gene expression.
What is the lac operon?
The lac operon is a set of genes involved in lactose metabolism in E. coli that is regulated by the presence or absence of lactose.
What is the role of the repressor in the lac operon?
The repressor binds to the operator region, preventing transcription in the absence of lactose.
What is alternative splicing?
Alternative splicing is the process by which different combinations of exons are joined together, resulting in multiple protein isoforms from one gene.
How do microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression?
miRNAs bind to complementary mRNA sequences, leading to mRNA degradation or inhibiting translation.
What is the significance of transcriptional activation?
Transcriptional activation boosts the expression of a gene, often in response to specific signals or conditions.
What are enhancers and silencers?
Enhancers increase gene expression, while silencers decrease it by regulating the interaction of transcription factors.
What role does chromatin remodeling play in gene expression?
Chromatin remodeling alters the structure of chromatin to either expose or hide DNA sequences, affecting accessibility for transcription.
What is gene amplification?
Gene amplification increases the number of copies of a specific gene, leading to overexpression.
How does feedback inhibition function in gene regulation?
Feedback inhibition is a regulatory mechanism where the end product of a pathway inhibits an upstream process, controlling overall activity.
What is the function of the 5' cap in mRNA?
The 5' cap protects mRNA from degradation and assists in ribosome binding during translation.
What is polyadenylation?
Polyadenylation is the addition of a poly-A tail to the 3' end of mRNA, enhancing stability and export from the nucleus.
What is gene expression profiling?
Gene expression profiling is a technique used to measure the expression levels of many genes simultaneously.
How do small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) differ from miRNAs?
siRNAs are typically longer and more specific than miRNAs and are primarily involved in the degradation of target mRNA.
What role does the TATA box play in transcription?
The TATA box is a core promoter element that helps position RNA polymerase II for transcription initiation.
How does the environment affect gene regulation?
Environmental factors can influence gene regulation by activating signaling pathways that affect transcription factors and other regulatory proteins.
