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

11. Translation

Translation

Genetics

11. Translation

Translation

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Problem 2

Textbook Question

You conduct a study in which the transcriptional fusion of regulatory sequences of a particular gene with a reporter gene results in relatively uniform expression of the reporter gene in all cells of an organism. A translational fusion with the same gene shows reporter gene expression only in the nucleus of a specific cell type. Discuss some biological causes for the difference in expression patterns of the two transgenes.

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Understand the difference between transcriptional and translational fusions: A transcriptional fusion involves linking the regulatory sequences of a gene (e.g., promoter and enhancer regions) to a reporter gene, which reflects where the gene is transcribed. A translational fusion, on the other hand, links the coding sequence of the gene to the reporter gene, allowing the reporter to mimic the protein's localization and expression pattern.

Analyze the uniform expression in the transcriptional fusion: The uniform expression of the reporter gene in all cells suggests that the regulatory sequences of the gene are active in all cells, driving transcription of the reporter gene. This indicates that the gene's transcriptional control elements are not restricted to specific cell types.

Consider the restricted expression in the translational fusion: The translational fusion shows reporter gene expression only in the nucleus of a specific cell type. This suggests that the protein encoded by the gene is localized to the nucleus and is expressed only in certain cell types, likely due to post-transcriptional regulation or cell-specific translation.

Discuss potential biological causes for the difference: The difference in expression patterns could be due to post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms, such as mRNA stability, translation efficiency, or protein localization signals. For example, the gene may have a nuclear localization signal (NLS) that directs the protein to the nucleus, and this signal is only functional in specific cell types.

Conclude with the importance of regulatory levels: This difference highlights the complexity of gene regulation, where transcriptional control determines where a gene is transcribed, while post-transcriptional and translational mechanisms, including protein localization, determine where and how the protein functions within the organism.

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Key Concepts

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

Transcriptional Fusion

Transcriptional fusion involves linking the regulatory sequences of a gene to a reporter gene, allowing researchers to study the gene's expression patterns. This method reveals how the gene is activated and regulated across different cell types, as the reporter gene's expression reflects the activity of the promoter and enhancer elements controlling it.

Translational Fusion

Translational fusion combines the coding sequence of a gene with a reporter gene, which can affect the localization and stability of the resulting protein. This approach provides insights into the protein's expression and function within specific cellular compartments, such as the nucleus, highlighting how post-transcriptional modifications and localization signals influence protein behavior.

Cell Type-Specific Regulation

Cell type-specific regulation refers to the mechanisms that control gene expression differently in various cell types. Factors such as transcription factors, chromatin structure, and signaling pathways can lead to distinct expression patterns, explaining why a reporter gene may be uniformly expressed in all cells when linked transcriptionally, but only in specific cells when linked translationally.

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Textbook Question

Some proteins are composed of two or more polypeptides. Suppose the DNA template strand sequence 3′-TACGTAGGCTAACGGAGTAAGCTAACT-5′ produces a polypeptide that joins in pairs to form a functional protein. What is the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide produced from this sequence?

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Textbook Question

On what basis have we concluded that proteins are the end products of genetic expression?

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Textbook Question

In this chapter, we focused on the translation of mRNA into proteins as well as on protein structure and function. Along the way, we found many opportunities to consider the methods and reasoning by which much of this information was acquired. From the explanations in the chapter, what answers would you propose to the following fundamental questions:What experimental information verifies that certain codons in mRNA specify chain termination during translation?

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Textbook Question

How do we know, based on studies of Neurospora nutritional mutations, that one gene specifies one enzyme?

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Textbook Question

The human mitochondrial genome encodes only 22 tRNAs, but at least 32 tRNAs are needed for cytoplasmic translation. How are all codons in mitochondrial transcripts accommodated by only 22 tRNAs? The Plasmodium mitochondrial genome does not encode any tRNAs; how are genes of the Plasmodium mitochondrial genome translated?

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Textbook Question

Contrast the roles of tRNA and mRNA during translation, and list all enzymes that participate in the transcription and translation process.

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Textbook Question

Outline the events that occur during initiation of translation in E. coli.

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Textbook Question

A portion of a DNA template strand has the base sequence

5′-...ACGCGATGCGTGATGTATAGAGCT...-3′

Assume the mRNA is written in the correct reading frame. Determine the amino acid sequence encoded by this fragment. Identify the N- and C-terminal directions of the polypeptide.

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