RNA synthesis and gene expression

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Headshot of Ted Chauvin, PhD · Associate Professor
Ted Chauvin
PhD · Associate Professor
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Table of Contents

There is a lot of content in this session. Those with a strong background in molecular biology will find this to be a bit “basic”; others may be overwhelmed. As always, think big picture and how it can be applied in a clinical setting.

Chapter 31: RNA Structure, Synthesis, and Processing. Lippincott® Illustrated Reviews: Biochemistry, 8e. Medical Education Health Library.pdf

Chapter 33: Regulation of Gene Expression. Lippincott® Illustrated Reviews: Biochemistry, 8e. Medical Education Health Library.pdf

Yes, there is a lot here, but I’m hoping it will be reasonably easy to compartmentalize it.

Diagram and describe the transcription of a gene, including the different types of RNA structures and the post-transcriptional events that can occur

  • RNA Polymerase I 

  • RNA Polymerase II 

  • RNA Polymerase III 

  • Lac Operon 

  • TATA binding protein (TBP) 

  • 7-methyl guanine ‘cap’ 

  • Poly-A tail 

  • Ribosomal RNA 

  • Transfer RNA 

  • Polyadenylation 

  • Transcription 

  • RNA Splicing 

  • Alternative Splicing 

  • RNA editing 

  • cis element 

  • trans-acting factor 

  • Promoter Regions 

  • Enhancer Elements 

  • DNA methylation 

  • CpG islands 

 

Diagram and describe the various ways that steroid hormones, pharmaceuticals, RNA interference, and the histone code aid in regulating gene expression

  • Corticosteroids 

  • Histone deacetylase (HDAC) 

  • CREB-Binding Protein (CBP) 

  • NF-kappa B 

  • I-kappa B Proteins 

  • Steroid hormone receptors 

  • Histone modification (i.e. histone code) 

  • Steroid hormone mediated transcription 

  • Steroid hormone mediated transcription with pharmaceuticals (i.e. corticosteroids) 

  • RNA Interference 

  • Transferrin regulation 

 

Describe how dysregulation of gene expression contributes to disease development and progression

  • Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome

  • Androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS)

Diagram and describe the transcription of a gene, including the different types of RNA structures and the post-transcriptional events that can occur

Osmosis video on transcription.

And, of course, no discussion about transcription and gene expression would be complete without bringing up the lac operon: Osmosis video on the lac operon.

Diagram and describe the various ways that steroid hormones, pharmaceuticals, RNA interference, and the histone code aid in regulating gene expression

These videos do not hit all the points in the learning goal listed above, but they will help you in understanding gene expression. You may have to dive into the readings a bit if you are not familiar with these topics. These will also be discussed in class.

Osmosis video on gene expression.

Osmosis video on epigenetics.

Describe how dysregulation of gene expression contributes to disease development and progression

This information will be discussed in class with a couple of examples.