In the Classroom
Gene Expression Wordsearch Terry L. Helser Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, SUNY College at Oneonta, New York 13820-4015
[email protected] This puzzle contains 28 names, abbreviations, and acronyms that describe the control of gene expression in E. coli. Discover them by filling the blanks in the description below the matrix. Then, find and highlight these terms in the letter matrix. “REGULATION” is already done for you. Hint: there are no words entirely within words, but letters are shared. Finally, use the 29 letters remaining in the matrix, read left-to-right and topto-bottom, to complete the sentence describing regulation. Good hunting!
The R E G U L A T I O N of G _ _ _ expression involves C _ _ _ _ _ _ of T _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ in E. coli. The L _ _ O _ _ _ _ _, which makes β-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (L _ _ _ _ _ _) is controlled by I _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ repression. Lack of G _ _ _ _ _ _ causes C _ _ _ _ _ A _ _ (_ _ _ _) synthesis, which binds to catabolite A _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ protein, _ _ _. The complex allows expression. The L _ _ operon also needs the I _ _ _ _ _ _, allo _ _ _ _ _ _ _, to inactivate the R _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and open the O _ _ _ _ _ _ _ before expression occurs. Other controls include R _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and A _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ as in the T _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ operon, C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ genes that are always on, and a ribo _ _ _ _ _ _ to regulate _ _ _ and _ _ _ cofactor synthesis. Use the remaining letters to fill in the sentence below: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. Supporting Information Available Wordsearch puzzle; puzzle solution. This material is available via the Internet at http://pubs.acs.org.
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Journal of Chemical Education
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Vol. 87 No. 4 April 2010 pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc r 2010 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc. 10.1021/ed800130v Published on Web 03/09/2010
