Textbook Question
Provide a brief description of two different types of histone modification and how they impact transcription.
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Ch. 16 - Regulation of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes
Klug10th EditionEssentials of GeneticsISBN: 9780135588789
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 - Introduction to Genetics16
- Ch. 2 - Mitosis and Meiosis28
- Ch. 3 - Mendelian Genetics37
- Ch. 4 - Modification of Mendelian Ratios53
- Ch. 5 - Sex Determination and Sex Chromosomes32
- Ch. 6 - Chromosome Mutations: Variation in Number and Arrangement37
- Ch. 7 - Linkage and Chromosome Mapping in Eukaryotes36
- Ch. 8 - Genetic Analysis and Mapping in Bacteria and Bacteriophages24
- Ch. 9 - DNA Structure and Analysis38
- Ch. 10 - DNA Replication29
- Ch. 11 - Chromosome Structure and DNA Sequence Organization22
- Ch. 12 - The Genetic Code and Transcription36
- Ch. 13 - Translation and Proteins27
- Ch. 14 - Gene Mutation, DNA Repair, and Transposition34
- Ch. 15 - Regulation of Gene Expression in Bacteria22
- Ch. 16 - Regulation of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes37
- Ch. 17 - Recombinant DNA Technology27
- Ch. 18 - Genomics, Bioinformatics, and Proteomics30
- Ch. 19 - The Genetics of Cancer21
- Ch. 20 - Quantitative Genetics and Multifactorial Traits37
- Ch. 21 - Population and Evolutionary Genetics45
Chapter 16, Problem 7
Distinguish between the cis-acting regulatory elements referred to as promoters and enhancers.
Verified step by step guidance1
Begin by defining 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.
Explain that promoters are cis-acting elements typically found immediately upstream (5') of the transcription start site; they serve as the binding site for RNA polymerase and general transcription factors to initiate transcription.
Describe enhancers as cis-acting elements that can be located upstream, downstream, or even within introns of a gene; they increase the rate of transcription by binding specific transcription factors and can function over long distances.
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.
Summarize by noting that both promoters and enhancers regulate gene expression, but promoters are necessary for transcription initiation at a fixed position, while enhancers enhance transcription from a distance and can act in an orientation-independent manner.
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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 on the same molecule as the gene they regulate. They influence gene expression by serving as binding sites for transcription factors and other proteins, controlling when and how much a gene is transcribed.
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Promoters
Promoters are cis-acting elements located immediately upstream of a gene's transcription start site. They serve as the primary binding site for RNA polymerase and general transcription factors, initiating the process of transcription.
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Enhancers
Enhancers are cis-acting elements that can be located far from the gene they regulate, either upstream, downstream, or within introns. They increase transcription levels by binding specific transcription factors and looping the DNA to interact with the promoter region.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
Describe the manner in which activators and repressors influence the rate of transcription initiation. How might chromatin structure be involved in such regulation?
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Textbook Question
Many promoter regions contain CAAT boxes containing consensus sequences CAAT or CCAAT approximately 70 to 80 bases upstream from the transcription start site. How might one determine the influence of CAAT boxes on the transcription rate of a given gene?
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Textbook Question
Research indicates that promoters may fall into one of two classes: focused or dispersed. How do these classes differ, and which genes tend to be associated with each?
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