(5/6A) GENE EXPRESSSION & REGULATION 24-25

HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?

LET'S FIND OUT!!!

Organism

DNA

1

ATCCGGTACGATTTGGCGCGATGAGTGGGCCTACGATC

2

CCCTATCAATCGATCGATCGATCGACGGATTTATCACAA

3

GTCGTACGATAGCCATTTTGCAGTCATATTTTGGGCCCC

4

GTCGTACGATAGCCATTTTGCAGTCATATTTTGGGCACA

5

TGATGATGCTAGCTSGGATGGCAGAGAGCATCTAGTGC

6

CGATCGACTACTAGATAGATGACTAGCTAGTTGGATTTC

CAN YOU TELL WHAT ORGANISM EACH STRAND OF DNA BELONGS TO?​

BELOW ARE STRANDS OF DNA EXTRACTED FROM A MOUSE, A BACTERIUM, A PLANT, A CAT, A CHICKEN, AND PIG.

YOU CANNNOT TELL.

DNA IS UNIVERSAL- IT IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF ALL LIVING THINGS. AND IT HAS THE EXACT SAME PARTS (NUCLEOTIDES) IN EVERY ORGANISM.

​THE CENTRAL DOGMA IS UNIVERSAL TOO.

ALL ORGANISMS USE THE SAME MOLECULES AND PROCESSES TO EXPRESS TRAITS.

Nucleotide

RNA Polymerase

​Amino Acids

Multiple Choice

All cells have DNA nucleotides, RNA nucleotides, RNA polymerase, amino acids and ribosomes.

• True

• False

WE CAN SWAP DNA BETWEEN ORGANISMS

ALL ORGANISMS HAVE THE SAME MOLECULES TO CONDUCT PROTEIN SYNTHESIS, SO THEY CAN ALL USE DNA'S INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE PROTEINS.

​

The Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) Gene is naturally found in certain species of jellyfish. It codes for a protein that causes the jellyfish to "glow".

Since all living things have the parts & process, we can insert this gene into other organisms which can use this DNA to make the GFP and have the trait of "glowing".

UNDERSATNDING GFP AND GLOWING:

THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTURM

u

​The only energy that can be seen with our eyes is "visible light energy". This includes the green that is emitted from the trait of "glowing".

THE CHEMISTRY OF FLUORESCENCE

UV Energy

Light Energy

Ok...so the protein looks like it's glowing, but it is actually fluorescing. It takes in energy of one wavelength (UV), which pushes electrons away from the nucleus (excites them). As they "fall" back toward the nucleus, they give off energy that is visible as green visible light. #physicsiscool

BUT WHY ARE ONLY CERTAIN PARTS OF THE ORGANISMS GLOWING?

Cell

Gorilla DNA

Heart

CCCTATCAATCGATCGATCGATCGACGGATTTATCACAA

Brain

CCCTATCAATCGATCGATCGATCGACGGATTTATCACAA

Lung

CCCTATCAATCGATCGATCGATCGACGGATTTATCACAA

Muscle

CCCTATCAATCGATCGATCGATCGACGGATTTATCACAA

Liver

CCCTATCAATCGATCGATCGATCGACGGATTTATCACAA

Spleen

CCCTATCAATCGATCGATCGATCGACGGATTTATCACAA

What do you notice?

BELOW ARE PIECES OF DNA FROM DIFFERENT CELLS IN A GORILLA.​

WHAT DO YOU NOTICE?

Cell

Gorilla DNA

Heart

CCCTATCAATCGATCGATCGATCGACGGATTTATCACAA

Brain

CCCTATCAATCGATCGATCGATCGACGGATTTATCACAA

Lung

CCCTATCAATCGATCGATCGATCGACGGATTTATCACAA

Muscle

CCCTATCAATCGATCGATCGATCGACGGATTTATCACAA

Liver

CCCTATCAATCGATCGATCGATCGACGGATTTATCACAA

Spleen

CCCTATCAATCGATCGATCGATCGACGGATTTATCACAA

EVERY CELL IN AN ORGANISM CONTAINS THE SAME DNA.

IF ALL CELLS CONTAIN THE SAME DNA, HOW DO THEY HAVE DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS? WHAT MAKES A BRAIN CELL DIFFERENT THAN A LUNG CELL?

Multiple Choice

What is a stem cell?

• a mature cell that has a specific structure and function

• an immature cell that does not have specific structures of functions

• a cell that forms in the roots of all plants

• a cell that can cause organisms to express GFP and glow

Multiple Choice

Although all cells in a multicellular eukaryote have the same DNA, different cells have different structures and functions (ex. lung cell vs heart cell or glowing cell vs non-glowing cell). What causes this?

• mutations changing multipotent cells

• pluripotent cells changing into stem cells

• turning different genes on or off to differentiate cells

• undergoing mitosis to regenerate cells

​INSERTING GFP INTO NON-JELLYFISH CELLS & MAKING CELLS "GLOW"

GFP can be inserted into every cell. But it must be activated (turned on) to cause the trait of glowing. If is attached to another gene, they will get transcribed and translated together when the genes are activated and that protein will glow when made.

BUT WHY WOULD WE DO THIS (OTHER THAN BECAUSE IT'S COOL)?