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
- Genetic Cloning
  9m
- Methods for Analyzing DNA
  9m
19. Cancer Genetics29m
- Overview of Cancer
  21m
- Cancer Mutations
  7m
20. Quantitative Genetics1h 26m
21. Population Genetics50m
- Hardy Weinberg
  19m
- Allelic Frequency Changes
  31m
22. Evolutionary Genetics29m

13. Gene Regulation in Eukaryotes

Overview of Eukaryotic Gene Regulation

Genetics

13. Gene Regulation in Eukaryotes

Overview of Eukaryotic Gene Regulation

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2:48 minutes

Problem 11

Textbook Question

Distinguish between the cis-acting regulatory elements referred to as promoters and enhancers.

Verified step by step guidance

Step 1: Define cis-acting regulatory elements as DNA sequences located on the same molecule of DNA as the gene they regulate, influencing gene expression without encoding proteins themselves.

Step 2: Explain that promoters are specific DNA sequences located immediately upstream (5') of the transcription start site of a gene, serving as the binding site for RNA polymerase and general transcription factors to initiate transcription.

Step 3: Describe enhancers as DNA elements that can be located upstream, downstream, or even within introns of a gene, often at a considerable distance from the promoter, and function to increase the rate of transcription by binding specific transcription factors.

Step 4: Highlight the key difference that promoters are essential for the basal transcription machinery assembly and start of transcription, whereas enhancers modulate the efficiency and level of transcription, often in a tissue-specific or developmental stage-specific manner.

Step 5: Note that promoters typically have a fixed position relative to the gene they regulate, while enhancers can act in an orientation- and position-independent manner, looping the DNA to interact with the promoter region.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Cis-acting Regulatory Elements

Cis-acting regulatory elements are DNA sequences located near or within a gene that regulate the gene's expression. They act on the same DNA molecule and include promoters, enhancers, silencers, and insulators, controlling when, where, and how much a gene is transcribed.

Promoters

Promoters are DNA sequences located immediately upstream of the transcription start site. They serve as binding sites for RNA polymerase and general transcription factors, initiating transcription. Promoters are essential for the basal level of gene expression and are typically position-dependent.

Enhancers

Enhancers are DNA elements that can be located far from the gene they regulate, either upstream, downstream, or within introns. They increase the rate of transcription by binding specific transcription factors and looping the DNA to interact with the promoter, often functioning in a position- and orientation-independent manner.

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