Bio325 F20 GK-HW12

BIOLOGY 325, Fall 2020
HW 12: Gene Regulation Due 11/22 by 11:59pm on Canvas

Review the learning objectives and practice suggested problems to do well on the exams. Read the book only
if you have time after working on these problems. Go to office hours and PLUS if you are stuck, but try to
tackle them on your own first.
For HW 12, do the following five problems from Ch 17 of 6e: 3, 6, 21, 22, and 28 – see comments below for
some questions. Do NOT write the questions, but type your answer for each question in your OWN
WORDS. Remember to SHOW YOUR WORK for credit!
Type your FULL NAME and UT EID on all your HW assignments.
Resources:
Hartwell 6e Chapters 12.1-12.3 and 17
Epigenetic regulation of LCT gene in lactase persistence

Explore the University of Utah website on epigenetics: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/
RNA interference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK-OGB1_ELE (Nature Video)
Learning goals:
1. Packaging of DNA into chromosomes allows the genome to fit into a cell’s nucleus and is required for faithful
copying and segregation into daughter cells. Eukaryotic gene expression can be regulated by changes in the
chromatin structure. Chromatin can condense or relax as a cell transitions through different phases of the cell
cycle (global) or when different genes are transcriptionally active or inactive (local). Histone modification and
DNA methylation influence the state of chromatin structure: open vs. closed.
Learning objectives & practice problems:
A. Describe the composition and structure of a human chromosome and function of histone and non-
histone proteins. How does chromosome compaction affect cell division and gene expression? (You
don’t need to know the different histone types, but you do need to know what a nucleosome is and how
nucleosomes can coil into fiber to produce highly condensed chromosomes seen during metaphase.) 
Ch 12: 2, 3, 11: c, d
B. Compare the effect of histone acetylation and that of histone methylation on the chromatin structure
and gene expression.
Ch 12: 13 (Note: You might not know specific experiments, but just consider ways to change
acetylation pattern of a specific histone and predict its effect on chromatin structure, gene
expression, and phenotypes.)
C. Recall that X inactivation in mammals involves formation of heterochromatin, which results from histone
modification and DNA methylation through the action of noncoding RNAs such as Xist.
Ch 12: 16, 17: a, c
2. Multicellular eukaryotes turn on or off different genes to generate specialized cell types during development.
The mechanisms of gene regulation are similar between prokaryotes and eukaryotes because, in both cell
types, gene repression and activation are largely controlled by transcription factors that bind to target DNA
sequences. However, gene regulation is more complex in eukaryotes partly because there are additional steps
of regulation available to control the amount and activity of the final gene product.
Learning objectives & practice problems:

A. Summarize the different steps of eukaryotic gene regulation at transcriptional and post-transcriptional
level.
Ch 17: 3, 5
B. Describe the use of reporter transgenes in studies of gene regulation. Be able to analyze reporter
transgene expression to map cis-acting elements such as promoters, enhancers, and insulators.
Ch 17: 6, 7
C. Compare and contrast the structure and function of trans-acting activators, coactivators, repressors,
and corepressors.
Ch 17: 10: a (Also think about the consequence of LOF mutation vs. GOF mutation in an
activator or a repressor in terms of target gene expression.), 15 – Correction for a typo in the
original key: Mad is expressed in resting cells, while Myc is expressed in cells about to divide.
D. How does the methylation state of CpG islands control gene expression?
E. Associate DNA methylation with genomic imprinting. Infer the existence of genomic imprinting from
inheritance pattern observed in human pedigrees.
Ch 17: 21, 22, 23, 28 (Note: You do not need to know specific experiments for detecting CpG
methylation, but know the types of experiments, discussed in Lecture 10b slides 44-45, that
could be used to compare gene expression between different samples.)
F. What process is responsible for producing different yet related proteins from a single eukaryotic gene?
What can regulate the activity of proteins after translation?
Ch 17: 31 (Polycistronic mRNA contains more than one protein-coding region due to presence
of more than one ORF, and it is more commonly observed in bacterial transcripts), 33
G. How do miRNAs and siRNAs regulate gene expression – transcriptional or post-transcriptional? Using
RNA seq technology or microarray, you can compare the global transcriptional level between different
cell types. However, you can use other methods such as PCR amplification of cDNA to detect and
compare specific RNAs or Western blot to detect and compare specific proteins between samples.
Ch 17: 36: a, b

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BIOLOGY 325, Fall 2020

HW 12: Gene Regulation Due 11/22 by 11:59pm on Canvas

Epigenetic regulation of LCT gene in lactase persistence

Learning objectives & practice problems:

Ch 12: 16, 17: a, c

Learning objectives & practice problems:

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