Eukaryotic Gene Expression - Online Animations and Interactive
Learning
Introductory Animations and Video Lectures
Gene Expression – Overview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEWOZS_JTgk&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1
Great Minds – Barbara McClintock’s Work on Gene Expression
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHho1c-EbTY
Website 1 – McGraw Hill – Overview of Gene Expression Control
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/007337797x/student_view0/chapter13/animation_quiz__control_of_gene_expression_in_eukaryotes.html
Animation Quiz - Control of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes
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Animation Quiz -
007337797x
How Genes Work 13
4082278
What is meant by gene expression? Gene expression refers to genes being ‘turned on’
and producing a product. The product could be an enzyme, a structural protein, or a control molecule.
Studies of gene expression typically measure the production of mRNA. Most mechanisms that control gene
expression do so by controlling transcription, the synthesis of mRNA. However there are other mechanisms
for controlling the rate of protein synthesis that occur downstream (between transcription and translation).
Several of these are described in this animation.
1
RNA polymerase binds to the
A. operator
B. promoter
C. regulator
D. terminator
E. enhancer
2
The most efficient control of eukaryotic gene expression is achieved at the level of
A)
B)
C)
D)
replication.
transcription initiation.
post-transcription.
translation initiation.
3
3
5
E) post-translation.
At which of the following level(s) can gene expression be regulated in eukaryotes?
A)
B)
C)
D)
passage of mRNA through the nuclear membrane
destruction of the mRNA
rate of protein synthesis
A and B
4
4
5
5
2
E) A, B and C
The addition of a phosphate to a protein after it is produced is an example of posttranscriptional modification.
True
A)
2
B) False
The exons of eukaryotic mRNA are removed and the introns are spliced together.
A)
B)
True
False
Website 2 - Learn Genetics (Utah) – Gene Control by Methylation and Acetylation
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/control/
GENE CONTROL
Signals from the outside world can work through the epigenome to change a cell's gene expression.
In the activity below, you act as the signal. As you turn the control knob, epigenetic tags come and go
to change the shape of the gene.
Notice what happens to the mRNA and protein levels when you manipulate the epigenetic tags on the
gene. Gene, mRNA and protein production are linked. They change together.
Website 3 - Learn Genetics (Utah) – Epigenetic Inheritance
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/rats/
LICK YOUR RATS
Some mother rats spend a lot of time licking, grooming and nursing their pups. Others seem to ignore
their pups. Highly nurtured rat pups tend to grow up to be calm adults, while rat pups who receive little
nurturing tend to grow up to be anxious.
It turns out that the
difference between a calm
and an anxious rat is not
genetic - it's epigenetic.
The nurturing behavior of a
mother rat during the first
week of life shapes her
pups' epigenomes. And the
epigenetic pattern that
mom establishes tends to
stay put, even after the
pups become adults.
Website 4 - University of Nebraska - Antisense RNA in Delaying Tomato Repining
http://passel.unl.edu/pages/animation.php?a=Antisense.swf&b=1022275593
Antisense technology is a type of biotechnology
application that controls gene expression. The
animation shows how translation is prevented when
is antisense RNA binds to the mRNA transcribed from
particular selected gene. This antisense RNA is
synthesized from gene located downstream on
template strand in relation to the genes for ripening.
there
the
Website 5 - DNA Learning Center – Anti-sense Therapy for Spinal Muscular Atrophy
http://www.learnaboutsma.org/antisense/
Antisense Therapy for SMA
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are small molecules that can bind to RNA to change how it is
spliced. A potential therapy for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is to custom-design ASOs that will
change the splicing of SMN2 to make more functional SMN protein.
Making Sense of Antisense and SMA
In patients with SMA, the SMN2 gene only produces a small amount of fulllength, functional SMN protein, due to a change in RNA splicing of the
SMN2 gene that results in a shortened version of the protein that is not
functional. ASOs can “fix” splicing so that the full-length, functional SMN
protein is produced.
Drug Delivery to the Spinal Cord
With SMA, the target area for medication is motor neurons in the spinal
cord. Delivering drugs to the spinal cord is difficult, due to the “blood-brain
barrier.” One potential method of drug delivery for SMA therapies is via
intrathecal injection directly to the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the
spinal cord.
Biosolutions Animation – How MicroRNA Works to Stop Gene Expression
http://www.biosolutions.info/2007/10/microrna.html
MicroRNA Animation
MicroRNAs (miRNA) are single-stranded RNA molecules of about 21-23 nucleotides in length, which
regulate gene expression. miRNAs are encoded by genes that are transcribed from DNA but not
translated into protein (non-coding RNA); instead they are processed from primary transcripts known
as pri-miRNA to short stem-loop structures called pre-miRNA and finally to functional miRNA. Mature
miRNA molecules are partially complementary to one or more messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules,
and their main function is to down-regulate gene expression. They were first described in 1993 by Lee
and colleagues, yet the term microRNA was only introduced in 2001 in a set of three articles in
Science (26 October 2001)
Biosolutions – How RNAi Works to Stop Gene Expression
http://www.biosolutions.info/2007/02/rna-interfernce.html
RNA interference Animation
RNA interference (also called "RNA-mediated interference", abbreviated RNAi) is a mechanism for
RNA-guided regulation of gene expression in which double-stranded ribonucleic acid inhibits the
expression of genes with complementary nucleotide sequences. Conserved in most eukaryotic
organisms, the RNAi pathway is thought to have evolved as a form of innate immunity against viruses
and also plays a major role in regulating development and genome maintenance.