AP Bio CH 15

Regulation of Gene
Expression
Gene  Protein Control
• Feedback inhibition –
enough product is made
the system shuts down
– More product is made
when needed
– The product shuts down
the process
• Gene Expression –
genes are only expressed
when needed. Often
regulated at
transcription.
Gene Expression: Prokaryotes
• Operon – grouped genes that are transcribed together –
code for functionally similar proteins
• Key Players
– Promoter – section of DNA where RNA polymerase binds
– Operator – Controls activation of transcription
• on off switch
• between promoter and genes for proteins – structural genes
– Repressor protein – binds to operator to block RNA polymerase
and shut down transcription
• Turns off the operon
• Corepressor – keeps the repressor protein on the operator
– Trp operon
• Inducer – pulls repressor off the operator
– Turns on the operon – lactose on the lac operon
– Regulatory gene – produces the repressor protein
– Structural genes – code for proteins
Positive and Negative Gene Regulation
• Negative • Positive
– Repressible: usually on but – E. coli prefer to use glucose for
can be inhibited trp operon, energy, they will only use lactose
allosteric inhibition, when glucose is in short supply
tryptophan present prevents – glucose cAMP binds to
its own production. regulatory protein “CAP” & stimulates
(anabolic) gene transcription
– Inducible: usually off, but Positive gene regulation!
can be turned on, an inducer – The cAMP & CAP combination allow
(a specific small molecule, RNA polymerase to bind to the
allolactose in the lac operon) promoter sequence more efficiently.
inactivates the repressor and – Remember cAMP is regulating the
allows transcription gene expression in the bacteria
(catabolic)
Eukaryotic Chromosome
• Chromosomes – tightly coiled DNA
around proteins during cell division
• Chromatin – loosely packed DNA
around proteins
• Histones – protein which the DNA
wraps around
• Nucleosomes – grouped histones
together
– Heterochromatin – tighter packed
chromatin
• Not transcribing
– Euchromatin – looser packed chromatin
• Transcription occurring
Gene Expression: Eukaryotes
• Cell Differentiation –
cell specialization
• All cells contain the
same genes
• The genes that are
expressed determines
the type of cell
– Ex: Skin cell vs. a nerve
cell
Chromatin Regulation
• Histone acetylation –
allows transcription
factors to bind to DNA
allowing transcription to
occur
– Creates loosely packed DNA
- euchromatin
• DNA Methylation – occurs
after DNA synthesis has
occurred
– Lower transcription rates
– One X in females is highly
methylated
– Works w/ a deacetylation
enzyme in some spp.
Epigenetic inheritance
• Not controlled by base
sequences.
• DNA methylation
(deactivates one
homologous chromosome)
may explain abnormal or
unexpected DNA
expression as is often seen
in identical twins.
http://images.the-scientist.com/content/images/general/55342-1.jpg
Regulation of Transcription
• Transcription involves RNA Polymerase II and

transcription factors
• RNA polymerase II attaches to the promoter
(TATA box) sequence to begin transcription
• Control elements – non coding sequences of
DNA where the transcription factors attach
Regulation of Transcription
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• Enhancer – control element far from a gene

or intron
• Activator – bind to enhancers to turn on
transcription of a gene
• Transcription factors + enhancer + activator
+ RNA Polymerase II = transcription
initiation complex
– Needed for transcription to begin
• Repressors – inhibit gene expression
– Turn off transcription
– Block activators from binding to enhancers
RNA Processing Regulation
• Alternative RNA Splicing – different regions of the
pre-mRNA serve as introns or exons creating different
mRNA strands depending on what is removed &
spliced together.
mRNA Degredation
• Prokaryotes • Eukaryotes
– Short Life span – Survive from hours to
– Degraded in seconds weeks
– Allows rapid response to – Internal conditions
environmental changes constant, no need for
rapid response
Protein Degradation
18_12ProteinDegradation_A.swf
• Proteosomes – break apart proteins in to

smaller peptide units
Chromatin changes
Transcription
RNA processing
Ubiquitin Proteasome
mRNA Translation
degradation and ubiquitin
to be recycled
Protein processing Proteasome
and degradation
Protein to Ubiquinated Protein

be degraded protein fragments
(peptides)
Protein entering a
proteasome
Single Gene Expression
• Different cells express different genes,
therefore they make different mRNA’s
• We can detect mRNA in a cell using nucleic
acid hybridization, by pairing it to a nucleic
acid probe
• Each probe is labeled with a fluorescent tag to
allow visualization
• The technique allows us to see the mRNA in
place (in situ) in the intact organism and is
thus called in situ hybridization
Figure 15.16
Technique
1 cDNA synthesis mRNAs
cDNAs
Primers
2 PCR amplification
-globin
gene
3 Gel electrophoresis
Embryonic stages
Results 1 2 3 4 5 6
Figure 15.15-5
DNA in nucleus
1 Test tube containing
reverse transcriptase
and mRNA mRNAs in
cytoplasm
Reverse
transcriptase Poly-A tail
2 Reverse transcriptase mRNA
makes the first 5 A A A A A A 3
3 T T T T T 5
DNA strand.
DNA Primer
strand
3 mRMA is degraded.
5 A A A A A A 3
3 T T T T T 5
4 DNA polymerase
synthesizes the
5 3
second strand. 3 5
DNA
polymerase
5 cDNA carries complete
5 3
coding sequence 3 5
without introns. cDNA
Groups of Gene Expression
• Recall Microarray assays:
• Used to pinpoint differences in gene
expression between 2 different cell types
• How it’s done:
– Sequence a genome
– Use PCR to copy the genes (verification steps
here)
– Split the genes into single strands
– Place the single stranded DNA onto microscope
slides in spots (robots & computers do all this)

AP Bio CH 15

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Regulation of Gene

• Transcription involves RNA Polymerase II and

• Enhancer – control element far from a gene

• Proteosomes – break apart proteins in to

Protein to Ubiquinated Protein

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