Assignment - Epigenetic regulation of gene expression: "Lick your rats"
You are learning about gene expression and regulation. This assignment will ask you apply that knowledge to an experiment performed in 2004 by researchers at McGill University. The reference can be seen below:
Weaver I, Cervoni N, Champagne FA, D'Alessio AC, Sharma S, Seckl JR, Dymov S, Szyf M, Meaney M. 2004. Epigenetic programming by maternal behavior. Nature Neuroscience. 7: 847-854.
Please note: There are two pages to this assignment.
Type your answers to each question below. When you are finished, save this file as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf with your first initial and last name at the beginning of the file name. For example, I would submit a file named lbarteelesson2assignment using the link in BlackBoard.
1. Click on "Gene Control". Use the animation to fill in the table below.
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Turn the dial all the way to the left (all the way down)
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Turn the dial all the way to the right (all the way up)
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GFP Gene compactness (loose or tight)
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Methyl tags (lots or few)
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Acetyl tags (lots or few)
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GFP mRNA produced (lots or few)
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GFP protein produced (lots or few)
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How bright does the cell glow?
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Is the GFP gene "on" or "off"?
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2. Compare what happens when the gene is active (being expressed) vs inactive (not being expressed). You must correctly use the words DNA, mRNA, protein, glow, transcription, and translation in your answer.
3. Scroll down the page. What is the relationship between DNA methylation and cancer? HINT TO GET FULL POINTS: Read this entire section, not just the top.
4. Hit the back button to move back to the main Epigenetics page. Click on Lick Your Rats. Use the information from the animation to fill in the table below.
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Attentive rat mother (lots of licking)
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Inattentive rat mother (very little licking)
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GFP Gene compactness (loose or tight)
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Gene expression (on or off)
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Response to stress
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5. Compare what happens when you are an attentive rat mother vs an inattentive mother. You must correctly use the words DNA, mRNA, protein, glucocorticoid receptor (GR), stress, transcription, and translation in your answer.