Name: _______________________________________________ Date:___________________________ TOC:_________
Gene Regulation & Biotechnology Test Study Guide
1. There are many ways in which gene expression is controlled in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. What is the most
common form of controlling gene expression? Transcriptional control is the most common form of gene expression
control.
2. What is DNA methylation and why is it important? DNA methylation is the addition of methyl groups to DNA
nucleotides. When this is added, the DNA is more tightly wound in this area, and therefore unable to go through
transcription. This is important because it ensures that once a gene is turned off, it will remain off until needed.
3. Where does RNA polymerase bind to DNA? The region called the promotor.
4. Would you expect to see the following in bacterial genes?
a. promoter regions: yes
b. introns: no
c. 5’ cap and poly-A tail: no
d. an operator: yes
e. a coding sequence: yes
5. In a new cancer treatment, a cold virus is genetically modified so that it binds to, enters, and is replicated in cells and
causes them to burst. This modified virus can only replicate in cancer cells, because it is not able to replicate if the p53
protein is present in the cell. Explain why the p53 protein being present would prevent this drug from damaging non-
cancerous cells. This protein acts as a tumor suppressor, which means that it regulates cell division by keeping cells
from growing and dividing (proliferating) too fast or in an uncontrolled way. If the cell has the p53 protein, then it
should be functioning as normal. Only the cancerous cells would be found without the p53 gene. Because of this,
modifying this virus to only replicate in cells missing the p53 gene ensures that it will only damage cancerous cells.
6. True or false? If false, correct the statement:
a. PCR is used to cut RNA molecules: false; it is used to amplify cut pieces of DNA
b. A DNA probe consists of a radioactive single strand of DNA: true
c. Restriction enzymes are used to piece together new DNA: false; they are used to cut pieces of DNA at specific
locations.
d. Biotechnology techniques are rarely used for genetic disorders: false; it is commonly used for genetic
disorders
7. What are epigenetic modifications and are they reversible? They are modifications to histone proteins and DNA, and
they are reversible.
8. What is gel electrophoresis and what is it used for? It is a method of separating DNA that has already been cut up by
restriction enzymes for analysis. This is a useful way to analyze paternity, forensics, evolutionary relationships, etc.
9. State the general steps of cloning. Somatic cell removed from organism being cloned. Egg cell removed from egg
donor. Nucleus removed from egg cell. Nucleus removed from somatic donor cell and placed into enucleated egg
cell. Cell is incubated until division starts to occur. Cell is placed into surrogate mother. Baby clone is born.
10. State the key differences between adult and embryonic stem cells. Adults are multipotent while embryonic are
pluripotent. Pluripotent stem cells can divide into most, or all, cell types in an organism, but cannot develop into an
entire organism on their own. Multipotent stem cells can differentiate into the various cell types in a family of related
cells, such as blood cells.
11. What is gene therapy and how is it used? Gene therapy is introducing a "good" gene into a person who has a
disease caused by a "bad" gene. The most active research being done in gene therapy for kids has been for genetic
disorders (like cystic fibrosis). Other gene therapy trials involve children with severe immunodeficiencies, such as
adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency (a rare genetic disease that makes kids prone to serious infection), sickle cell
anemia, thalassemia, hemophilia, and those with familial hypercholesterolemia (extremely high levels of serum
cholesterol).
12. What are homeotic genes? Homeotic genes are genes that encode transcription factors that control the expression
of genes responsible for specific anatomical structures.
13. What is each enzyme responsible for with regards to DNA replication:
a. DNA helicase: this unwinds the DNA so that it can be replicated
b. DNA polymerase: this synthesizes the new DNA molecule that is being made by using the original strand as
a template to construct a complementary strand from
c. topoisomerase: prevents over-coiling while the DNA is being unwound
d. DNA ligase: glues together the pieces of DNA that have been synthesized
e. DNA primase: creates a short RNA primer complementary to the DNA template. This is done so that DNA
polymerase has a starting point for synthesis.
14. Draw and label the parts of a nucleotide.
15. What direction is DNA always copied in? 5’3’
16. You analyze a piece of DNA and notice that is made of 20% cytosine. What percentages of the other nucleotides
would expect to find? 20% guanine, 30% adenine, 30% thymine.
17. Fill in the following table:
DNA RNA
Number of Strands 2 1
Type of 5-Carbon Sugar Deoxyribose Ribose
Bases ATCG AUCG
Location in Eukaryotic Cell Nucleus only Nucleus or cytoplasm
18. What is a codon? How is a codon a “universal” language among all organisms? A codon is a group of three
nucleotide bases on an mRNA molecule. Codons are a “universal” language in that they code for the same amino
acids regardless of which organism is translating them.
19. What are key differences in prokaryotic and eukaryotic mRNA? prokaryotic mRNA doesn’t require any changes.
Eukaryotic mRNA must have a 5’ cap and poly-A tail added, and introns must be cut out before it is ready.
20. Explain the steps of translation (be sure to mention what happens at sites A, P, and E in the ribosome). When the
mRNA molecule binds to the small subunit of the ribosome, the large subunit then binds to the top. Sites A, P, and E
are part of the large top subunit of the ribosome. The first tRNA anticodon will bind with the codon on the mRNA at
the P site. The next tRNA molecule will come into the A site. The amino acids from the two tRNA’s will be bound
together with a peptide bond. The original tRNA will shift to the E site where it will exit the ribosome, the tRNA in the
A site will shift to the P site, and a new tRNA will enter the A site and the process repeats. This continues until a stop
codon is reached on the mRNA.
21. Explain how a lac operon works. The lac operon is an inducible operon, and is naturally always “off” and therefore
transcription is not occurring. This is used for the catabolic process of breaking down lactose when present in the
prokaryote. When allolactose is present (allolactose is an inducer for this process and is made from the lactose) then
it binds with the repressor which in turn causes it to unbind with the operator, and therefore start the transcription
process. Also, if there is a lack of glucose but presence of lactose in the prokaryote, then cAMP will accumulate and
bind with CAP along with the allolactose binding with the repressor. Once this happens, the CAP then binds upstream
of the promotor and this also starts the transcription process.
22. Be able to describe how the following work and their contributions to the understanding of genetics:
a. The use of a bacterial plasmid to clone and sequence a human gene
b. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
c. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis
23. Draw and label an operon. Explain the function of the operator, regulatory gene, inducer, repressor, and
corepressor.
Operator: acts as an “on/off” switch and controls whether RNA Polymerase has ability to carry out transcription.
Regulatory gene: produces repressor proteins that bind to the operator to block RNA Polymerase.
Inducer: binds to and inactivates repressors.
Repressor: the protein that can bind with the operator to inactivate it.
Corepressor: a molecule that binds to the repressor to inactivate it.