Gene Regulation Lecture Notes

Practice flashcards covering key vocabulary terms related to gene regulation.

Gene Regulation

The process of controlling the expression of genes, involving mechanisms that can increase or decrease transcription.

Transcription

The process by which the information in a gene is used to synthesize RNA.

Alternative Splicing

A process in eukaryotes that allows a single gene to encode multiple gene products by rearranging exons.

Epigenetics

The study of changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the underlying DNA sequence.

Chromatin

The complex of DNA, RNA, and proteins that forms chromosomes and regulates access to DNA.

Histone Proteins

Positively charged proteins that bind DNA and help package it into nucleosomes, aiding chromatin structure.

Positive Regulation

The process by which a regulatory protein promotes transcription by binding to DNA.

Negative Regulation

The process by which a regulatory protein represses transcription by binding to DNA.

Lac Operon

A set of genes in E. coli that are regulated together, allowing the metabolism of lactose.

Repressor Protein

A protein that binds to the operator sequence to inhibit transcription of genes.

RNA Polymerase

An enzyme that synthesizes RNA from a DNA template.

cAMP

A cyclic nucleotide that acts as a secondary messenger in cellular signaling, affecting many processes including gene expression.

CpG Islands

Regions of DNA with a high frequency of CpG sites, often located near gene promoters, associated with gene regulation.

Methylation

The addition of a methyl group to DNA, usually leading to decreased gene expression.

Acetylation

The addition of an acetyl group to histone tails, generally associated with increased gene expression.

Constitutive Expression

A mutation causing a gene to be continuously expressed regardless of environmental conditions.

Nucleosome

The structural unit of chromatin, consisting of a segment of DNA wrapped around histone proteins.

Operator Sequence

A DNA segment where a repressor binds to prevent RNA polymerase from transcribing a gene.

Promoter

A DNA region where RNA polymerase binds to initiate transcription of a gene.