DNA molecule, which embodies genes, the hereditary units, is found in all living things. Science showed that genes could be expressed in any microorganism, meaning that DNA will direct the synthesis of proteins needed for various biological functions and structures.To reduce the costs of production, pharmaceutical companies use biotechnology to generate human insulin in bacteria.Can you describe the steps leading to the production of this hormone in industrial quantities?

Post-translational control refers to: a. regulation of gene expression after transcription b. regulation of gene expression after translation c. control of epigenetic activation d. period between transcription and translation

Which of the following mutations will result in cancer? a. homozygous recessive mutation in a tumor-suppressor gene coding for a nonfunctional protein b. dominant mutation in a tumor-suppressor gene in which the normal protein product is overexpressed c. homozygous recessive mutation in which there is a deletion in the coding region of a proto-oncogene, leaving it nonfunctional d. dominant mutation in a proto-oncogene in which the normal protein product is overexpressed

Animal Models: The Search for Behavior Genes You are a researcher studying an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder. You have cloned the gene underlying the disorder and have found that it encodes an enzyme that is overexpressed in the neurons of individuals who have the disorder. To better understand how this enzyme causes neurodegeneration in humans, you make a strain of transgenic Drosophila whose nerve cells overexpress the enzyme. a. How might you use these transgenic flies to try to gain insight into the disease or identify drugs that might be useful in the treatment of the disease? b. Can you think of any potential limitations of this approach?

In 2005, researcher Woo-suk Hwang reported that he had made immortal stem cells from human patients. His research was hailed as a breakthrough for people affected by degenerative diseases, because stem cells may be used to repair a persons own damaged tissues. Hwang published his results in a peer-reviewed journal. In 2006, the journal retracted his paper after other scientists discovered that Hwangs group had faked their data. Does the incident show that results of scientific studies cannot be trusted? Or does it confirm the usefulness of a scientific approach, because other scientists discovered and exposed the fraud?

Benign tumors: a. are noncancerous growths that do not spread to other tissues b. do not contain mutations c. are malignant and clonal in origin d. metastasize to other tissues e. none of these

Put the following processes in order of their occurrence during expression of a eukaryotic gene: a. mRNA processing c. transcription b. translation d. RNA leaves nucleus

What is the sequence of events that takes place in cell signaling?

Two genes associated with breast cancer, BRCA1 and BRCA2, were discovered in 1994 and 1995, respectively, and shortly thereafter, were patented by Myriad Genetics, a company based in Utah. Under the patents, testing for mutations in these genes could only be performed by Myriad, at costs from 300 to 3,000. Myriad also patented the process of analyzing the results of such tests, preventing anyone who obtains the sequence of their BRCA genes by other means (which itself would probably be patent infringement) from interpreting the information. The idea that genes can be patented has been a contentious issue from the beginning. Patents are not granted for products of nature, meaning that genes inside the body are not patentable, but biotech companies successfully argued that by removing a gene from the human body, purifying it, and then obtaining its DNA sequence, they created something not found in nature, and which is therefore a patentable invention. The U.S. Patent Office found the argument persuasive, but opponents argue that genes are parts of our bodies and can be identified but not invented. Biotech companies argue that without the protection offered by patents, they would have no incentive for research and development of diagnostic tests. In Europe, patents for BRCA1 and BRCA2 were revoked in 2004 because they did not meet the standards for a patent. After more than a decade of legal disputes, the patents were partially restored in 2008 on a very restricted basis. In the United States, a lawsuit, focused on the patents for the BRCA genes, was filed in May 2009. The suit challenges the basic idea that genes are patentable. In November 2009, the judge ruled that the lawsuit can proceed, and the case is moving forward. In March 2010, a federal court invalidated Myriad Genetics patent on these genes. In August 2011, the U.S. Court of Appeals reversed the lower courts decision and ruled that gene sequences isolated from cells are not a product of nature and are therefore patentable. The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ordered the appeals court to reconsider the case. The Federal Appeals Court did not change its decision, and the case once again, went to the U.S. Supreme Court. A unanimous decision in June 2013 invalidated Myriads patents on the basis that isolating a gene from nature does not make it patentable. This is a landmark decision on gene patenting with widespread ramifications for the biotechnoloogy industry. Will this decision reduce the incentives for companies to invest in new diagnostic tests that would be used by cancer victims or those with serious genetic disorders?

What is the difference between a proto-oncogene and a tumor-suppressor gene?