Mediaspace scheduled maintenance: Aug 25, 2026 07:00 - 12:00 AM. During this time, videos will be temporarily unavailable. Check status updates.

Lecture

Building blocks of a gene: Regulation of transcription

Description

This lecture covers the regulation of transcription, genomics, transcriptomics, and epigenomics, emphasizing the dynamic interplay between these fields and their importance in bridging basic and clinical research. It explores the impact of environment, nutrition, lifestyle, pathogens, toxins, genetics, mutations, SNPs, histone modifications, DNA methylation, ncRNA, and epigenetics on gene expression, ultimately shaping phenotypes. The instructor delves into DNA and chromosome structure, gene anatomy, locus control regions, transcription mechanisms, and translation processes, providing a comprehensive understanding of the molecular basis of gene expression.

In MOOC

Neuroscience Reconstructed: Genetics and Brain Development

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Biology

Genetics: Molecular genetics

Related concepts (19)

Transcription factor

In molecular biology, a transcription factor (TF) (or sequence-specific DNA-binding factor) is a protein that controls the rate of transcription of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA, by binding to a specific DNA sequence. The function of TFs is to regulate—turn on and off—genes in order to make sure that they are expressed in the desired cells at the right time and in the right amount throughout the life of the cell and the organism.

Transcriptional regulation

In molecular biology and genetics, transcriptional regulation is the means by which a cell regulates the conversion of DNA to RNA (transcription), thereby orchestrating gene activity. A single gene can be regulated in a range of ways, from altering the number of copies of RNA that are transcribed, to the temporal control of when the gene is transcribed. This control allows the cell or organism to respond to a variety of intra- and extracellular signals and thus mount a response.

Transcription (biology)

Transcription is the process of copying a segment of DNA into RNA. The segments of DNA transcribed into RNA molecules that can encode proteins are said to produce messenger RNA (mRNA). Other segments of DNA are copied into RNA molecules called non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). mRNA comprises only 1–3% of total RNA samples. Less than 2% of the human genome can be transcribed into mRNA (Human genome#Coding vs. noncoding DNA), while at least 80% of mammalian genomic DNA can be actively transcribed (in one or more types of cells), with the majority of this 80% considered to be ncRNA.

Histone

In biology, histones are highly basic proteins abundant in lysine and arginine residues that are found in eukaryotic cell nuclei. They act as spools around which DNA winds to create structural units called nucleosomes. Nucleosomes in turn are wrapped into 30-nanometer fibers that form tightly packed chromatin. Histones prevent DNA from becoming tangled and protect it from DNA damage. In addition, histones play important roles in gene regulation and DNA replication. Without histones, unwound DNA in chromosomes would be very long.

DNA methylation

DNA methylation is a biological process by which methyl groups are added to the DNA molecule. Methylation can change the activity of a DNA segment without changing the sequence. When located in a gene promoter, DNA methylation typically acts to repress gene transcription. In mammals, DNA methylation is essential for normal development and is associated with a number of key processes including genomic imprinting, X-chromosome inactivation, repression of transposable elements, aging, and carcinogenesis.

Related lectures (31)

Neuroepigenetics: Chromatin Structure & Inheritance

Delves into neuroepigenetics, covering chromatin structure, histone modifications, DNA methylation, and their impact on gene transcription and inheritance.

Epigenetics: Histone Modifications

Delves into histone modifications, chromatin structure, and DNA methylation's role in gene regulation and heritability.

Neuroepigenetics: Chromatin Regulation and Memory Formation

Delves into chromatin regulation's role in memory formation, genetic and epigenetic influences on learning, and the potential of HDAC inhibitors as cognitive enhancers.

Neuroepigenetics: Chromatin Structure and Regulation

Explores neuroepigenetics, focusing on chromatin structure, regulation, and epigenetic inheritance in neurodevelopment.

Epigenetics: Chromatin Structure and Nucleosome Dynamics