BISC403

BISC403
Genetics
Sample Exam 4, Spring 2020

Material covered on Exam 4:

Chapter 12 – Sections 12.1 - 12.4
Chapter 17 – Sections 17.1 - 17.4
 BISC403 Sample Exam 4, Spring 2020

1. If you were to eliminate (make a knock-down) expression of Drosha and Dicer

from an organism, which of the following regulatory phenotypes would you
expect?
A) Loss of mRNA capping
B) Loss of mRNA polyadenylation
C) Loss of mRNA transcription
D) Loss of mRNA translation
E) Loss of mRNA regulation by miRNAs

2. In generating a reporter construct to study gene regulation of gene x, the

reporter gene introduced replaces?
A) The repressor
B) a random region of DNA surrounding gene x
C) the cis-acting regulatory DNA sequence(s) of gene x
D) The inducer
E) the coding (expressed) region(s) of gene x.

3. Hypercondensation of heterochromatin results in:

A) hyperactivation of transcription.
B) suppression of progression through metaphase.
C) DNA replication.
D) transcriptional silencing.
E) none of the above

4. Which of the following are characteristic of eukaryotic, but not prokaryotic genes
and gene regulations?
A) they are polycistronic
B) they are subject to regulation by alternative mRNA splicing
C) a mechanism of trp attenuation is possible, allowing regulation of trp gene
mRNA transcription by the presence of trp charged tRNA
D) they generally transfer DNA by horizontal gene transfer, such as conjugation
E) most generally have a single chromosome

5 The 10,000 origins of replication in mammalian cells suggests that there is

A) at least one origin of replication per loop of DNA.
B) probably one origin of replication every other loop of DNA
C) a random distribution of origins of replication across the genome.
D) an even distribution of origins of replication across the genome.

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 BISC403 Sample Exam 4, Spring 2020

6 . When a cell loses telomerase activity, what is the predicted effect?

A) Telomeres will increase slightly with each cell division.
B) After 30–50 divisions, the cell will show signs of senescence and then die.
C) An immune stem cell will increase white blood cell production.
D) A normal somatic cell will gain the ability to divide indefinitely.
E) The cell will die immediately.

7. The components of a chromosome include one long DNA molecule and

A) phospholipids.
B) proteins.
C) carbohydrates.
D) steroids.
E) chromophores.

16. The primary function of Tata Binding Protein (TBP) and its associated Tata
Associated Factors (TAFs) is to:
A) repress transcription initiation of a particular gene.
B) assist in associating RNA polymerase with the basal promoter element.
C) increase transcription by binding enhancer sequences.
D) activate RNA synthesis at origins of replication.
E) regulate activity of DNA polymerase II.

17. Hypermethylation of chromatin results in?

A) hyperactivation of transcription
B) suppression of progression through metaphase
C) DNA replication
D) translational repression
E) none of the above

18. Eukaryotic steroid hormone receptors are similar to which prokaryotic

transcriptional regulator?
A) RNA polymerase
B) LacI, the lac repressor
C) CRP, cAMP response protein
D) TrpR, the trp repressor
E) The trp attenuator

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 BISC403 Sample Exam 4, Spring 2020

19. Which of the following protein complexes causes gene silencing of genes that
encode protein?
A) the RNA polymerase III complex
B) the Myc/Max complex.
C) the SWI/SNF complex.
D) the Jun-Fos complex.
E) the SIR complex.

20. A mutation in a gene encoding a miRNA (microRNA) that prevents its

expression would most likely?
A) Increase expression of a number of genes
B) Decrease expression of a number of genes
C) Increase expression of some genes and decrease expression of others
D) Decrease expression of one gene
E) Cause no change in gene expression

21. You treat a sample of DNA with DNase and run the digested fragments out
on an electrophoretic gel. You found mostly long fragments. What can you
conclude about this sample of DNA?
A) The sample contains mostly euchromatin.
B) The sample contains relatively few histone proteins.
C) The sample contains mostly heterochromatin. *
D) The DNA is from yeast cells.
E) The sample likely represents actively transcribed genes.
22. In the pedigree shown below it has been found that the disease (indicated by the filled
circles) is caused by a RARE autosomal recessive mutation in a gene that is paternally
imprinted. What are the genotype(s) for individuals I-2 and II-4, respectively? Imprinted
alleles are identified with an asterisk.

A) aa* and AA*

B) aA* and Aa*
C) aa* and Aa*
D) Aa* and AA*
E) aA* and AA*

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 BISC403 Sample Exam 4

24. You wish to determine the level of regulation for hunchback expression during
early Drosophila embryonic development. First, you measure hunchback mRNA
and protein at 1 and 2 hours after fertilization and find that both increase in that
interval. Next, you place the lacZ gene downstream of the hunchback genomic
regulatory region in Drosophila and find an increased level of β-galactosidase
expression in the 1 to 2 hour interval. Based on these observations you would
conclude that the hunchback gene is controlled at the level of
A) transcription.
B) RNA stability
C) translation.
D) protein stability.
E) post-translational modification.

27. What is the best definition for the FISH technique?

A) A method to fluorescently label different genes on metaphase chromosomes.
B) A method to fluorescently label methylated histones associated with chromosomes.
C) A method to fluorescently label heterochromatin.
D) A method to fluorescently label euchromatin.

28. What is the structure of telomeres?

A) short, repetitive DNA sequences found at the ends of linear eukaryotic chromosomes
B) long, repetitive DNA sequences found at the ends of linear eukaryotic chromosomes
C) short, repetitive DNA sequences found at the ends of linear prokaryotic
chromosomes
D) long, unique DNA sequences found at the ends of linear eukaryotic chromosomes

29. Acetylated histone tail lysines are associated with chromatin that is
A) open.
B) closed.
C) transcriptionally inactive.
D) newly replicated.
E) about to replicate.