True/False questions Promoter is a protein that regulates transcription. True/False   Bacterial genes are almost always part of operons. True/False   RNA polymerase cannot bind to the promoter when repressor is bound to the operator.     True/False   Proteins are polymers of amino acids connected by phosphodiester bonds.  True/False   First amino acid of any protein is always methionine.               True/False

IS. Alternative splicing has been estimated to occur in more than 95% of multi-exon genes. Which of the following is not an evolutionary advantage of alternative splicing? Alternative splicing increases diversity without increasing genome size Different gene isoforms can be expressed in different tissues Alternative splicing creates shorter mRNA transcripts Different gene isoforms can be expressed during different stages of development.

Antibiotics and Protein Synthesis Antibiotics are molecules produced by microorganisms as defense mechanisms. The most effective antibiotics work by interfering with essential biochemical or reproductive processes. Many antibiotics block or disrupt one or more stages in protein synthesis. Some of these are mentioned here. Tetracyclines are a family of chemically related compounds used to treat several types of bacterial infections. Tetracyclines interfere with the initiation of translation. The tetracycline molecule attaches to the small ribosomal subunit and prevents binding of the tRNA anticodon during initiation. Both eukaryotic and prokaryotic ribosomes are sensitive to the action of tetracycline, but this antibiotic cannot pass through the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells. Because tetracycline can enter bacterial cells to inhibit protein synthesis, it will stop bacterial growth, helping the immune system fight the infection. Streptomycin is used in hospitals to treat serious bacterial infections. It binds to the small ribosomal subunit but does not prevent initiation or elongation; however, it does affect the efficiency of protein synthesis. Binding of streptomycin changes the way mRNA codons interact with the tRNA. As a result, incorrect amino acids are incorporated into the growing polypeptide chain, producing nonfunctional proteins. In addition, streptomycin causes the ribosome to randomly fall off the mRNA, preventing the synthesis of complete proteins. Puromycin is not used clinically but has played an important role in studying the mechanism of protein synthesis in the research laboratory. The puromycin molecule is the same size and shape as a tRNA/amino acid complex. When puromycin enters the ribosome, it can be incorporated into a growing polypeptide chain, stopping further synthesis because no peptide bond can be formed between puromycin and an amino acid, causing the shortened polypeptide to fall off the ribosome. Chloramphenicol was one of the first broadspectrum antibiotics introduced. Eukaryotic cells are resistant to its actions, and it was widely used to treat bacterial infections. However, its use is limited to external applications and serious infections. Chloramphenicol destroys cells in the bone marrow, the source of all blood cells. In bacteria, this antibiotic binds to the large ribosomal subunit and inhibits the formation of peptide bonds. Another antibiotic, erythromycin, also binds to the large ribosomal subunit and inhibits the movement of ribosomes along the mRNA. Almost every step of protein synthesis can be inhibited by one antibiotic or another. Work on designing new synthetic antibiotics to fight infections is based on our knowledge of how the nucleotide sequence of mRNA is converted into the amino acid sequence of a protein. Questions Why is targeting protein synthesis an effective strategy for preventing infection?

Binding of _______ to _______ in DNA can increase the rate of transcription of specific genes. a. activators; repressors c. repressors; operators b. activators; enhancers d. repressors; enhancers

In the gene-coding sequence shown here, which of the following events will produce a frameshift after the last mutational site? a. insertion of an A after the first codon b. deletion of the second codon (AAA) c. insertion of TA after the second codon and deletion of CG in the fourth codon d. deletion of AC in the third codon

Put the following processes in order of their occurrence during expression of a eukaryotic gene: a. mRNA processing c. transcription b. translation d. RNA leaves nucleus

The pre-mRNA transcript and protein made by several mutant genes were examined. The results are given below. Determine where in the gene a likely mutation lies: the promoter region, exon, intron, cap on mRNA, or ribosome binding site. a. normal-length transcript, normal-length nonfunctional protein b. normal-length transcript, no protein made c. normal-length transcript, normal-length mRNA, short nonfunctional protein d. normal-length transcript, longer mRNA, shorter nonfunctional protein e. transcript never made

Binding or ___ to ___ in DNA can increase the rate of transcription of specific genes. a. activators; repressors b. activators; enhancers c. repressors: operators d. repressors: enhancers

Figure 15.16 Many antibiotics inhibit bacterial protein synthesis. For example, tetracycline blocks the A site on the bacterial ribosome, and chloramphenicol blocks peptidyl transfer. What specific effect would you expect each of these antibiotics to have on protein synthesis? Tetracycline would directly affect: tRNA binding to the ribosome ribosome assembly growth of the protein chain Chloramphenicol would directly affect tRNA binding to the ribosome ribosome assembly growth of the protein chain

The genetic code is defined as a series of _______________ in _______________. (a) anticodons; tRNA (b) codons; DNA (c) anticodons; mRNA (d) codons; mRNA (e) codons and anticodons; rRNA