Essays on Chromatin

Transcriptional regulation of gene expression

Gene expression in eukaryotic cells is regulated at transcriptional, post transcriptional and translational levels (Tomizawa,  Lekstrom-Himes, and Xanthopoulos 17). Transcriptional control is the primary means of regulating gene expression. Eukaryotic transcriptional control functions at three levels: modulation of the activities of activators and repressors; variations in chromatin structure; and effect of activators and repressors on assembly of initiation complexes (Lodish et al. 368). Regulation of transcription initiation is the most widespread form of gene control in eukaryotes. However, in some cases, transcription may be attenuated and regulated at subsequent steps, such as during or after the transcription process (Cooper ...

Article Review on Polytene Chromosomes and Structural Abnormalities

Background The interphase stage during cell division condenses the genetic material i.e. DNA into chromosomes and in salivary glands of Drosophila melanogaster, polytene chromosomes appear characteristically that are a result of repeated replication cycles but no disjunction. They have dark bands alternating with light interbands. The hypothesis tested in the research work performed by Zhimulev et al in 2014 was that the interbands incorporates transcripton initiation sites i.e. promoter binding areas that extend to coding areas in band regions. Using the modENCODE protein profiling data, DamID genome mapping has earlier classified various chromatin states. The current study performed cytological ...

{Author Name [first-name middle-name-initials last-name]} {Institution Affiliation [name of Author’s institute]} A cell is a form of the miniature factory that encloses a distinct chemical system that is involved in structural maintenance, homeostasis, energy generation and reproduction. Every organism is made of these structural living units. The cell divides and produces more cells and assists in the growth of the organism. There are two types of cells, eukaryotic and prokaryotic. Eukaryotic cells are characterised by a membrane-bound nucleus enclosing the genetic material. The Eukaryotic cells can be divided into three main parts, plasma membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus (Cooper & ...

DNA and cancer treatment

Wade, N. (2010). Speed-reading of DNA may help cancer treatment. Retrieved on June 7, 2011, from The Johns Hopkins University has initiated a method of investigating the progress of a patient’s cancer treatment by means of modern technology for rapid succession, or decoding, huge quantities of DNA. The author in this article states clearly that individuals have a unit account of the DNA within their mitochondria, which are the several energy stores inside each cell. It states that apart form the mutations or modifications, in DNA present in cancer patients, even health individuals are known to have differences in ...

Posttranslational Mechanisms Regulate the Mammalian Circadian Clock

The issue of interest in these three research topics is the Circadian Clock. The first article, ‘Posttranslational Mechanisms Regulate the Mammalian Circadian Clock’ examines the posttranslational regulation of this clock in the liver of a mouse. The study published in this article used the mPER1 and the mPER2 proteins, the BMAL1 and the CLOCK proteins to show their significance in the stabilization of phosphorylated mPER2 proteins by the mCRYs. This article shows the Circadian rhythms to be greatly influenced by the biological clocks in the mammalian bodies. The timing system in mammals for example, is shown to be organized in a ...