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Ch. 12 - DNA Organization in Chromosomes

Chapter 12, Problem 14

How many base pairs are in a molecule of phage T2 DNA 52-µm long?

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Hi everyone. Let's look at our next problem. It says the untranslated regions of DNA are called. Now here it's important to recall when it says untranslated regions. We remember that transcription is that process of DNA to RNA. So an un transcribed region um does not get transcribed even into pre M. R. N. A. So our answer that we're looking for here is choice. See the inter genic regions and we can think of that as between the genes and these regions. Put this up here can contain functional elements and what's called junk DNA. So these functional elements that might be contained in these um transcribed regions include promoters, regulatory elements, enhancers, spacers and centrum ears. New carry outs that junk DNA can include pseudo genes and repetitive D. N. A. Um But again these energetic regions not even made into the pre M. R. N. A. They stay in D. N. A. So that's as opposed to we might get confused here by introns because introns don't end up getting getting made into protein. But the introns will say versus introns introns get transcribed into pre M. R. N. A. And then excised. So they're not found in the final M. RNA but they are transcribed initially. So that could be a little bit confusing. We weren't given entrance as an option. So that's helpful but just thinking when you're thinking about this topic or if the question has introns as an option. Um That is the difference between inter genic regions and introns. Let's look at the other end choices. We were given choice A. Is Exxon's and choice B. R. Coding regions. Well Exxon's are coding regions so they're both areas that do end up even as part of that final M. R. N. A. So they are definitely transcribed and not our answer. And finally Choice the telomeres. Um These are these regions at the end of the chromosomes and they have those repetitive sequences of DNA there so they're not what we're looking for cross that off. But again the UN transcribed regions of DNA are called choice. See inter genic regions. See you in the next video.
Related Practice
Textbook Question
Provide a comprehensive definition of heterochromatin and list as many examples as you can.
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Textbook Question
Mammals contain a diploid genome consisting of at least 10⁹ bp. If this amount of DNA is present as chromatin fibers, where each group of 200 bp of DNA is combined with 9 histones into a nucleosome and each group of 6 nucleosomes is combined into a solenoid, achieving a final packing ratio of 50, determine (a) the total number of nucleosomes in all fibers, (b) the total number of histone molecules combined with DNA in the diploid genome, and (c) the combined length of all fibers.
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Textbook Question
Assume that a viral DNA molecule is a 50-µm-long circular strand with a uniform 20-Å diameter. If this molecule is contained in a viral head that is a 0.08-µm-diameter sphere, will the DNA molecule fit into the viral head, assuming complete flexibility of the molecule? Justify your answer mathematically.
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Textbook Question
Examples of histone modifications are acetylation (by histone acetyltransferase, or HAT), which is often linked to gene activation, and deacetylation (by histone deacetylases, or HDACs), which often leads to gene silencing typical of heterochromatin. Such heterochromatinization is initiated from a nucleation site and spreads bidirectionally until encountering boundaries that delimit the silenced areas. Recall from earlier in the text (see Chapter 4) the brief discussion of position effect, where repositioning of the w⁺ allele in Drosophila by translocation or inversion near heterochromatin produces intermittent w⁺ activity. In the heterozygous state (w⁺/w) a variegated eye is produced, with white and red patches. How might one explain position-effect variegation in terms of histone acetylation and/or deacetylation?
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Textbook Question
In a study of Drosophila, two normally active genes, w⁺ (wild-type allele of the white-eye gene) and hsp26 (a heat-shock gene), were introduced (using a plasmid vector) into euchromatic and heterochromatic chromosomal regions, and the relative activity of each gene was assessed [Sun et al. (2002)]. An approximation of the resulting data is shown in the following table. Which characteristic or characteristics of heterochromatin are supported by the experimental data? Gene Activity (relative percentage) _ Euchromatin Heterochromatin hsp26 100% 31% w⁺ 100% 8%
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Textbook Question
While much remains to be learned about the role of nucleosomes and chromatin structure and function, recent research indicates that in vivo chemical modification of histones is associated with changes in gene activity. One study determined that acetylation of H3 and H4 is associated with 21.1 percent and 13.8 percent increases in yeast gene activity, respectively, and that histones associated with yeast heterochromatin are hypomethylated relative to the genome average [Bernstein et al. (2000)]. Speculate on the significance of these findings in terms of nucleosome–DNA interactions and gene activity.
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