7.4 questions from book

Why is gene regulation especially important during development?

Gene expression is regulated to ensure that the correct proteins are made when and where they are needed. Regulation may occur at any point in the expression of a gene, from the start of transcription to the processing of a protein after translation. The focus in this lesson is the regulation of transcription.

What is a homeobox gene?

It is an example of genes that regulate development. They code for regulatory proteins that switch on whole series of major developmental genes.

Identify the TATA box and its function in transcription.

This is a regulatory element that is part of the promoter of most eukaryotic genes. A number of regulatory proteins bind to the TATA box, forming a multi-protein complex. It is only when all of the appropriate proteins are bound to the TATA box that RNA polymerase recognizes the complex and binds to the promoter. Once RNA polymerase binds, transcription begins.

Describe how regulatory proteins regulate gene expression.

Transcription is controlled by regulatory proteins. The proteins bind to regions of DNA, called regulatory elements, which are located near promoters. After regulatory proteins bind to regulatory elements, they can interact with RNA polymerase, the enzyme that transcribes DNA to mRNA. Regulatory proteins are typically either activators or repressors.

What is gene expression?

Using a gene to make a protein