Gene Regulation
The mechanism and systems that control the expression of genes
Why do we need gene regulation?
In bacteria, it maintains an internal flexibility, turning genes on and off in response to environmental changes; in multicellular eukaryotic organisms, gene regulation also brings about cell differentiation /specialization
Structural Genes
Proteins used in metabolism or biosynthesis which plays a role in the cell (housekeeping genes)
Regulatory Genes
Either RNA or proteins interact with other DNA sequences and affect the transcription or translation of those sequences
Constitutive Genes
They are genes that are not regulated
Positive Control
Mechanisms that stimulate gene expression – regulatory protein is an activator
Negative Control
Mechanisms that inhibit gene expression – regulatory protein is a repressor
Regulatory genes
Either RNA or proteins interact with other DNA sequences and affect the transcription or translation rate
Operon
A group of bacterial structural genes that are transcribed together
Promoter–Operator–geneA–geneB–geneC–
(gene A,B, C ==> structural genes)
Operator
affects whether transcription can take place
Explain the mechanism of an operon
Inducible Operons
Transcription is normally off – sometimes needs to be induced
Repressible Operons
Transcription is normally on – something needs to be represented
Negative Inducible Operon
Inducer
When bound to repressor protein, inactivate the repressor protein and allow for transcription to occur – the precursor molecule
allosteric proteins
which change shape upon binding to another molecule
Negative Repressible Operons
Co-repressor
A small molecule that binds to the repressor and makes it capable of binding to the operator – the metabolic product
Flip the card! Sums up everything :)
There are two basic types of transcriptional control: negative and positive
- In negative control, where a regulatory protein – acts as repressor – binds to DNA and transcription is inhibited
- In positive control, when a regulatory protein – activator – binds to DNA and transcription is stimulated
- Operons are Inducible: their transcription is normally off and must be turned on through a precursor/inducer
- Operons are repressible: their transcription is normally on and must be turned off through a product/co-repressor
Lac operon
negative inducible operon
B-galactosidase
Permease
Transacetylase
Coordinate Induction
The simultaneous synthesis of several proteins stimulated by a specific molecule, the inducer