Help with Other Gene Regulation Principles - GRE Subject Test: Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology

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Question

Mutations in two or more genes cause cell death, however, a mutation in only one of the genes is not lethal.

Which of the following best describes this phenomenon?

Answer

Synthetic lethality is the correct answer. The combinatorial effect of multiple mutated genes disrupts homeostasis in cells, inducing cell death. A mutation in only one gene can be compensated for in cells by altering the expression of other genes, such as turning on anti-apoptotic signaling pathways.

Oncogene addiction occurs when a tumor cell relies on the expression of a particular oncogene (mutated gene) for survival.

Oncogenic shock refers to an increase in pro-apoptotic signaling and a decrease in anti-apoptotic signaling upon removal of an oncoprotein.

Apoptosis refers to the process of programmed cell death.

Secondary mutations occur in a cancer cell that is treated with a therapeutic agent to promote resistance to that specific agent.

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Question

When modifiying histones with either activating or repressing marks, such as with acetyl and methyl groups, histone acetyltransferases and histone methyltransferases normally modify which amino acid?

Answer

Histones are almost always modified on lysines. Acetylation normally is an activating mark, and methylation is normally a repressing mark of chromatin structure.

Note that guanine is not an amino acid, but a nucleotide.

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Question

Which of the following is indicative of enhancers in the chromatin landscape of a given cell?

Answer

The correct answer is all of the other answers are correct. H3K4me1 (Histone 3 Lysine 4 methyl 1) marks where enhancers are in the chromatin landscape. By further identifying H3K27Ac or H3K27Me3 marks on the same histone, we can determine whether the enhancer is active or inactive, respectively. A DNase 1 hypersensitivity assay will preferentially cut open chromatin, which often is indicative of enhancer regions in the chromatin landscape.

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