All About Assays
Sometimes used in combination with other assays, it clones a specific gene that generates a measurable response, which can identify regulatory elements and relationships to transcription activity.
What is a reporter assay?
This screenable marker in organisms expressing the LacZ gene is controlled by the cleavage of X-Gal by beta-galactosidase.
What is colony color?
This polymerase, located in the nucleus, is responsible for only 10% of the cell’s RNA, but produces key RNA’s such as tRNA.
What is RNA Polymerase III?
This enzyme contains a template sequence used to extend or translocate protective repeats at the ends of dsDNA.
What is telomerase?
This cis element binds transcription factors upwards of 700 base pairs from a gene body to boost transcription.
What is an enhancer?
Results of this assay are categorized by physical displacement of DNA bound to protein.
What is a gel shift?
This monosaccharide is easily broken down by cells, making it an ideal candidate for quick energy.
What is glucose?
This RNA Polymerase II structure is responsible for joining template strands of DNA back together once mRNA for that region has been transcribed.
What is the rudder?
In linear chromosomes, gaps produced by total replication at the 5’ ends of genomic DNA provided the basis for this issue.
What is the end replication problem?
This transcription factor has two jobs: opening dsDNA and adding phosphates to RNA Polymerase II’s C-terminal domain during pre-initiation.
What is TFIIH?
Used to test protein-protein interactions in vivo, this experiment is akin to fishing, assigning proteins of interest the category “bait” or “prey”.
What is the yeast two-hybrid assay?
This protein inhibits transcription when not bound to its favorite carbohydrate, posing a problem for polymerase.
What is LacI?
This location in the cell houses RNA Polymerase I, a major producer of RNA (70%)
What is the nucleolus?
This method of DNA error correction uses PCNA, MutS, and MutL proteins to restore order to dsDNA.
What is mismatch repair?
Ubiquitin, methyl, phosphate, and acetyl, all of these groups can be named collectively as these when found on histone tails.
What are post-translational modifications?
This assay uses sequence alignment to examine exposed regions of chromatin based on transposon cleavage of DNA.
What is ATAC-seq?
Aided by cAMP, this protein binds to an enhancer sequence on the Lac operon when glucose levels are low.
What is the CAP protein?
This type of organism’s polymerase requires a mediator protein to initiate transcription.
What are eukaryotes?
This type of error-prone double-strand break repair, occurring only when a sister chromatid/homologous chromosome isn’t present, uses a Ku complex to ligate ends.
What is non-homologous end-joining?
This structure of processed mRNA, containing 7-methylguanine, is a key regulator of nuclear export as well as a protector against RNA degradation.
What is the 5’ cap?
This assay uses chemical cross-linking of its components and antibodies to sequence where proteins bind to DNA or what histones are modified relative to the genome.
What is CHIP-seq?
When all proteins align, RNA Polymerase gains a higher affinity for the LacZ promoter, producing blue colonies as a result of this process.
What is induced transcription?
This feature of RNA Polymerase II is highly flexible, able to open and close to promote catalysis and enhance synthesis of new nucleotides.
What is the trigger loop?
Using information from sister chromatids in G2/S phase, this method of highly accurate DSB repair produces not-so-festive DNA tangling called “Holliday Junctions”.
What is homologous recombination?
A time-sensitive promoter of mRNA stability, this component’s sequence is recognized by cleavage factors, but is NOT the end of transcription.
What is the PolyA tail?