Marine stickleback fish have pelvic fins with long spines that provide protection from larger predatory fish. Some stickleback fish were trapped in lakes and have adapted to life in a different environment. Many lake populations of stickleback fish lack pelvic fins. Shapiro et al. (2004) (Nature 428:717.723) mapped the mutation associated with the loss of pelvic fins to the Pitx1 locus, a gene expressed in pelvic fins, the pituitary gland, and the jaw. However, the coding sequence of the Pitx1 gene is identical in marine and lake stickleback [Chan et al. (2010). Science 327:5963,302–305]. Moreover, when the Pitx1 coding region is deleted, the fish die with defects in the pituitary gland and the jaw, and they lack pelvic fins. Explain how a mutation near, but outside of, the coding region of Pitx1 may cause a loss of pelvic fins without pleiotropic effects on the pituitary gland and jaw.
Table of contents
- 1. Introduction to Genetics51m
- 2. Mendel's Laws of Inheritance3h 37m
- 3. Extensions to Mendelian Inheritance2h 41m
- 4. Genetic Mapping and Linkage2h 28m
- 5. Genetics of Bacteria and Viruses1h 21m
- 6. Chromosomal Variation1h 48m
- 7. DNA and Chromosome Structure56m
- 8. DNA Replication1h 10m
- 9. Mitosis and Meiosis1h 34m
- 10. Transcription1h 0m
- 11. Translation58m
- 12. Gene Regulation in Prokaryotes1h 19m
- 13. Gene Regulation in Eukaryotes44m
- 14. Genetic Control of Development44m
- 15. Genomes and Genomics1h 50m
- 16. Transposable Elements47m
- 17. Mutation, Repair, and Recombination1h 6m
- 18. Molecular Genetic Tools19m
- 19. Cancer Genetics29m
- 20. Quantitative Genetics1h 26m
- 21. Population Genetics50m
- 22. Evolutionary Genetics29m
13. Gene Regulation in Eukaryotes
Overview of Eukaryotic Gene Regulation
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Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first videoMultiple Choice
Which of the following are regulators of gene expression in eukaryotes?
A
Telomerase
B
Transcription factors
C
DNA polymerase
D
Ribosomal RNA

1
Understand that gene expression regulation in eukaryotes primarily occurs at the level of transcription, where certain proteins influence whether a gene is turned on or off.
Identify the role of transcription factors, which are proteins that bind to specific DNA sequences to control the rate of transcription of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA.
Recognize that telomerase is an enzyme involved in maintaining chromosome ends (telomeres) and is not directly involved in regulating gene expression.
Know that DNA polymerase is an enzyme responsible for DNA replication, not for regulating gene expression.
Understand that ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is a structural and functional component of ribosomes, involved in protein synthesis, but it does not regulate gene expression.
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Overview of Eukaryotic Gene Regulation practice set
