Bitera, Christine Danica R.

4-Bio1

1. Define Transcription.
DNA transcription is a process that involves transcribing genetic information from DNA
to RNA. It is the first step in the synthesis of proteins from specific gene sequences. There are
three main steps to the process of DNA transcription: Initiation, Elongation and Termination. In
the first step, Initiation, transcription factors recognize specific nucleotide sequences known as
promoter regions in the DNA. RNA polymerase then binds to the promoter region of the gene
which contains the initiation site for transcription. RNA polymerase unwinds the dsDNA forming
single strands which can serve as a template for mRNA synthesis. The next step is Elongation,
here RNA polymerase adds nucleotides complimentary to the 3 end of the template DNA strand
to form the corresponding mRNA strand. The process goes on as the RNA polymerase advances
along the DNA template adding complimentary bases and thus elongating the mRNA strand.
Several copies of a gene may be produced after multiple rounds of transcription. Lastly, in
Termination, RNA polymerase moves along the DNA until it encounters a specific nucleotide
sequence called the terminator sequence which triggers the end of transcription. Once
transcription stops, the enzyme and the mRNA transcript disengage from the template DNA,
which re-winds to form a double helix. The mRNA transcript or pre-mRNA is then released for
post-transcriptional modifications that make it a mature mRNA ready for translation.
2. How is Transcription important in the development of an organism?
A transcription factor is molecule that controls the activity of a gene by determining
whether the genes DNA is transcribed into RNA. The enzyme RNA polymerase catalyzes the
chemical reactions that synthesize RNA, using the genes DNA as a template. Transcription
factors control when, where, and how efficiently RNA polymerases function. Transcription
factors are vital for the normal development of an organism, as well as for routine cellular
functions and response to disease. Transcription factors are a very diverse family of proteins and
generally function in multi-subunit protein complexes. Basal, or general, transcription factors are
necessary for RNA polymerase to function at a site of transcription in eukaryotes. They are
considered the most basic set of proteins needed to activate gene transcription, and they include a
number of proteins.
During development of multicellular organisms, transcription factors are responsible for
dictating the fate of individual cells. For example, homeotic genes control the pattern of body
formation, and these genes encode transcription factors that direct cells to form various parts of
the body. A homeotic protein can activate one gene but repress another, producing effects that are
complementary and necessary for the ordered development of an organism. If a mutation occurs
in any of the homeotic transcription factors, an organism will not develop correctly. For example,
in fruit flies (Drosophila), mutation of a particular homeotic gene results in altered transcription,

leading to the growth of legs on the head instead of antenna; this is known as the antennapedia
mutation.
3. Give one concrete example of transcriptional control in any model organism and
summarize it. (paper/article/publication)
According to the study Transcriptional control of stem cell maintenance in the
Drosophila intestine by Bardin, A. J., Perdigoto, C. N., Southall, T. D., Brand, A. H., &
Schweisguth, F. in 2010, adult stem cells maintain tissue homeostasis by controlling the proper
balance of stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. The adult midgut of Drosophila contains
multipotent intestinal stem cells (ISCs) that self-renew and produce differentiated progeny.
Control of ISC identity and maintenance is poorly understood. They have found that
transcriptional repression of Notch target genes by a Hairless-Suppressor of Hairless complex is
required for ISC maintenance, and identify genes of the Enhancer of split complex as the major
targets of this repression. In addition, they found that the bHLH transcription factor Daughterless
is essential to maintain ISC identity and that bHLH binding sites promote ISC-specific enhancer
activity. The study proposed that Daughterless-dependent bHLH activity is important for the ISC
fate and that Enhancer of split complex factors inhibit this activity to promote differentiation.

SOURCES
Bardin, A. J., Perdigoto, C. N., Southall, T. D., Brand, A. H., & Schweisguth, F. (2010).
Transcriptional control of stem cell maintenance in the Drosophila intestine. Development
(Cambridge, England), 137(5), 705714. http://doi.org/10.1242/dev.039404
Cheriyedath, S. (2016). What is Transcription? Retrieved from http://www.newsmedical.net/life-sciences/What-is-Transcription.aspx
Cooper,
J.A.
(2015).
Transcription
https://www.britannica.com/science/transcription-factor

factor.

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