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Final Exam
May 22, 2015
DO NOT write everything you know about a topic, this will waste your time. If you provide more than
one answer for a question only your first answer will be graded.
If you need extra space, continue only on the back of the page that the question is written on. Clearly
label that you are using the back for your answer.
Signature: __________________________________
A. Ionic bonds
B. Covalent bonds
C. Van der Waals forces
D. Hydrogen bonds
3. How would a decrease in the processivity of DNA polymerase affect the replication of a cell’s
DNA?
4. Which of the following choices correctly associates the sequence of (in this order):
the coding strand of the DNA, the corresponding mRNA, and the corresponding tRNA anticodon?
6. In a polysome, which ribosomes will have synthesized the longest peptide chain at any particular
time?
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Exam Code Number:___________
8. Since steroid hormones bind to receptors inside the cell, which of the following is TRUE?
9. Below is shown a short sequence of DNA. Methylated cytosines are represented by “Cm”. If the
DNA containing this sequence is treated with sodium bisulfite and then PCR is performed, what
would you expect the resulting sequence to be?
5’-ATCGTCCmGAACmG-3’
A. 5’-ATTGTTCGAACG-3’
B. 5’-ATCGTCTGAATG-3’
C. 5’-ATTGTTTGAATG-3’
D. 5’-ATAGTCAGAAAG-3’
10. Which of the following statements best describes the difference between siRNAs and miRNAs?
A. siRNAs silence their gene targets by base-pairing with the sense strand, while miRNAs
silence their gene targets by base-pairing with the anti-sense strand
B. siRNAs act in the cytoplasm of the cell, while miRNAs act in the nucleus of the cell
C. siRNAs are processed from single-stranded RNAs that form a hairpin, while miRNAs are
processed from double-stranded RNAs
D. siRNAs originate primarily from external sources, while miRNAs originate from
the genome of the cell
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Exam Code Number:___________
11. Below are the results of an Ames test. All of the numbers provided in the table represent the
number of colonies present on plates that do not contain histidine. The column labels describe the
additional substances added to cultures of Salmonella bacteria. Based on the data below, which of
the following substances is likely to be a carcinogen?
A. Substance “B”
B. Substance “D”
C. Substances “A” and “C”
D. Substances “B” and “D”
12. How would a mutant in the EGFR protein that leads to constitutive activation and dimerization
of the receptor affect the Rb protein and the cell cycle?
A. The Rb protein would be hyperphosphorylated, and the rate of cell division would
increase
B. The Rb protein would not be phosphorylated, and the rate of cell division would increase
C. The Rb protein would be hyperphosphorylated, and the rate of cell division would
decrease
D. The Rb protein would not be phosphorylated, and the rate of cell division would
decrease
13. Why is the translocation of the myc gene from chromosome 8 to chromosome 14 characteristic
only of Burkitt’s lymphoma (a cancer involving B cells), and not of other cancers?
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Exam Code Number:___________
15. Which of the following alterations of a tumor suppressor gene would be most likely to lead to
cancer?
16. A diploid cell contains 2 pairs of homologous chromosomes. Each pair of chromosomes is
heterozygous for a single allele (Aa and Bb, respectively). After meiosis, how many different
combinations of these alleles could be present in the daughter cells?
A. 2
B. 4
C. 8
D. 16
17. Below is shown a pedigree of a family, some of whom have been diagnosed with a genetic
disorder. Based on the information provided in the pedigree, what is the likelihood that the
individual in the final generation marked with a “?” will be affected by the disease?
A. 0%
B. 25%
C. 50%
D. 100%
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Exam Code Number:___________
1. (a) What is one way in which the separation of proteins by gel filtration chromatography
and SDS-PAGE are similar? (2 points)
2 pts.: Both gel filtration chromatography & SDS-PAGE separate proteins by size (or
molecular weight)
Gel filtration uses flow-through & beads with channels to separate the proteins, while
SDS-PAGE uses an applied charge & a gel matrix
In gel filtration, the largest proteins will emerge from the column first, while in SDS-
PAGE, the smallest proteins will run the farthest on the gel
3. Mutations can occur every time our DNA is replicated and our cells divide. (3 points)
There may be a change in gene regulation that leads to the development of a disease
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Exam Code Number:___________
4. DNA primers are used in both PCR and Sanger sequencing. In general, 2 different primers are
required for PCR, while only 1 primer is necessary for the Sanger sequencing reaction. Why are 2
different primers added to a PCR reaction, while only 1 primer is added to a Sanger sequencing
reaction? (2 points)
1 pt.: In a PCR reaction, both strands need to be copied, requiring the use of 2
different primers, one complementary to each of the two strands.
5. What are two components that must be present on a plasmid in order for it to be used as a
cloning vector? (2 points)
1 pt. each for any of the following: Origin of Replication, Antibiotic Resistance Gene,
Restriction Enzyme Site
0.5 pts.: “lacZ gene”- Not necessary for cloning, but does make cloning easier
6. Describe how each of the following contributes to the structure of genomic DNA. (4 points)
(b) Supercoiling:
Supercoiling compacts the genomic DNA (1 pt.) by twisting the DNA tightly/creating
superhelical structure (1 pt.) (did not need to use the term “superhelical” to get full
credit)
7. RNase P is a ribozyme that is known to convert pre-tRNA into tRNA. If RNase P was extracted
from cells and then heated above its Tm, would you expect that it would still perform this function?
Why or why not? (3 points)
No, it would not perform its function. (1 pt.) If RNase P was heated to a temperature
above its Tm, the base-pairing interactions would be disrupted. (1 pt.) Like protein
enzymes, RNaseP function requires that it folds into a particular structure. The
secondary structure is formed by base-pairing interactions and thus would be
disrupted by heat. (1 pt.)
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Exam Code Number:___________
8. A mutant eukaryotic RNA polymerase has been created that is missing part of the C-Terminal
Domain. The mutant protein is no longer able to be phosphorylated, and cells expressing this
mutant protein do not survive. Provide 2 reasons why these mutations would be lethal in vivo. (4
points)
9. Below is shown a diagram of a gene with introns and exons. What effect would the mutations
below have on the protein? (6 points)
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Exam Code Number:___________
10. A point mutation occurs upstream of the lac operon, in the CAP protein binding site. This
mutation prevents the CAP protein from binding to the DNA. (6 points)
(a) The cells containing this mutation are grown on media containing X-Gal. In the table
below, indicate the color of the colonies in the various growth conditions.
1 point for each box:
(b) Explain how changing the sequence of a binding site could affect the binding of a
protein to DNA.
1 pt.: Amino acid side chains of DNA-binding proteins interact with specific
base pairs in the DNA helix.
1 pt.: If the sequence is mutated such that the base pairs are changed, these
interactions are disrupted, and the protein will no longer bind to the sequence
11. You are interested in understanding which genes in liver cells are controlled by glucocorticoids
(steroid hormones), and further, how the expression of these genes is changed in the presence of
glucocorticoids. You have at your disposal liver cells in cell culture, reverse transcriptase,
fluorescent dNTPs, purified glucocorticoids, radioactive dNTPs, SDS-PAGE and agarose gels, and
microarrays. (8 points)
(a) What experiment would be the best way to investigate this question?
1 pt.: Microarray
(b) Briefly (in 2-3 sentences) describe what experimental and control samples you would
use to perform the experiment.
1.5 pts.: Experimental Samples: fluorescently labeled cDNA made from mRNA
from cultured liver cells exposed to glucocorticoids
1.5 pts.: Control Samples: (differently) fluorescently labeled cDNA made from
mRNA from cultured liver cells NOT exposed to glucocorticoids
(c) Briefly (in 2-3 sentences) describe your anticipated results from your proposed
experiment and how these results would help you to answer your research question.
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Exam Code Number:___________
2 pts.: By analyzing these results, you could determine which genes were
expressed more/less strongly in response to glucocorticoid exposure
(a) Describe how each of the two terms you chose can regulate transcription.
(b) Describe how the two terms you chose work together to regulate transcription.
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Exam Code Number:___________
13. A patient has arrived at your clinic with symptoms resembling those of a condition called
hemochromatosis. Patients with this condition absorb and store more iron than normal. After
confirming that this patient has wild-type hemoglobin, you perform the following tests: a northern
blot to examine your patient’s ferritin and transferrin mRNAs before and after the patient receives
treatment to lower their iron levels, an SDS-PAGE gel to determine levels of IRE-Binding Protein,
Ferritin protein, and Transferrin protein in your patient before and after treatment to lower their
iron levels, and a gel-shift assay with your patient’s IRE-binding protein and their ferritin and
transferrin mRNAs. The results are shown below: (12 points)
(a) What can you conclude from the northern blots? Is this what you would expect if the
system was functioning normally?
1 pt.: levels of Ferritin mRNA are equal whether iron levels are high or low
1 pt.: levels of Transferrin mRNA are low when iron levels are high, high when
iron levels are low
1 pt.: yes, this is what you would expect
(b) What can you conclude from the protein levels provided in the table? Is this what you
would expect if the system was functioning normally?
2 pts.: accurate conclusion from the protein levels in the table (for example:
protein levels match mRNA levels, IRE-BP & Ferritin are not affected by iron
levels, Transferrin is affected by iron levels)
1 pt.: no, this is not what you would expect
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Exam Code Number:___________
13. (cont):
(c) What can you conclude from the gel-shift assays? Is this what you would expect if the
system was functioning normally?
(d) Propose an explanation for the observed results, including a description of the mutation
that is likely present in this patient and responsible for their symptoms.
The IRE upstream of the Ferritin gene is mutated (1 pt.) so that the IRE-BP
does not bind (1 pt.). This leads Ferritin protein to be expressed at high levels
all the time, and too much iron to be stored (1 pt.).
14. Briefly describe 2 reasons that cells in primary cell culture reach the plateau phase and senesce.
(4 points)
2 pts. each:
Contact Inhibition/Cadherin or YAP or HIPPO signaling (“no more room to divide”
also accepted)
Hayflick Limit/Telomere Shortening
15. (a) Briefly (1-2 sentences) describe how the symptoms of the hereditary and non-
hereditary forms of retinoblastoma differ. (3 points)
1.5 pts.: any 1 or more of the following: hereditary occurs at earlier age, tumors
develop in both eyes, more than one tumor develops in each eye
1.5 pts.: any 1 or more of the following: non-hereditary occurs at later age, tumors
develop in only one eye, one tumor develops in the affected eye
(b) How did these differences lead Knudson to propose the two-hit hypothesis? (3 points)
1.5 pts.: Knudson noted that the earlier age/effects in both eyes/more than one
tumor per eye was consistent with a genetic predisposition to retinoblastoma (the
first hit)
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Exam Code Number:___________
16. Below is shown a pedigree of a family with hereditary retinoblastoma. The mother and father
in the bottom right-hand region of the pedigree (generation III) are concerned about the health of
their 4 young children, and decide to have them all pre-emptively tested for the presence of Rb
mutations, before any of them have developed tumors. A northern blot for the Rb mRNA was
performed on cells from each child and is also shown below. (5 points)
(a) Based on the data shown, which of the children are more likely to develop
retinoblastoma? 1 point each: “A” and “D”
There is less mRNA for the Rb gene in children “A” and “D”. (1 pt.) This
suggests that these children may already have one mutant copy of the Rb gene
and the gene is only being expressed from only one chromosome. (2 pts.)
1 pt.: “Rb mRNA not recognized as well, due to mutations in the gene that
inhibit base-pairing with the probe”
17. Complete the following table by determining whether the cell cycle would proceed in each of
the following situations. Write a “+” if cell division would occur and a “-“ if cell division would not
occur. (6 points) (1 pt. each box)
+ -
+ +
+ -
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Exam Code Number:___________
18. How does the process of apoptosis prevent the development of cancer? (2 points)
Cells undergo apoptosis when they are unable to repair damaged DNA/are triggered
to undergo apoptosis by p53 (1 pt.), this prevents cells from dividing when their DNA
is damaged and passing on mutations (1 pt.)
19. What would be the effect of a deletion of the Xic region of an X chromosome? (4 points)
No effect (1 pt.), The Xic region encodes the XIST mRNA, which inactivates the X
chromosome, and males only have one X chromosome, so it would not be inactivated
(1 pt.)
The chromosome with the deletion would never be inactivated (1 pt.) The XIST
mRNA inactivates the chromosome from which it is transcribed (1 pt.)
20. Explain why Prader-Willi and Angelman Syndromes may develop in children of either sex, but
can only be inherited from a parent of a particular sex? (4 points)
2 pts.: Children- regardless of sex- inherit one chromosome 15 from their mother
and one from their father, and these are imprinted
2 pts.: PWS & AS are diseases of imprinting- the regions are silenced on either the
maternal or paternal chromosome. Thus, whether the disease occurs depends on
whether the mutation causing the disease is inherited from the parent with the
“active” region.
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Exam Code Number:___________
21. The images below are from an organism with 4 chromosomes. Label each of the following
images as occurring during mitosis or meiosis, the phase of mitosis/meiosis that is pictured, and
whether the cell is “n” or “2n”, and “c”, “2c” or “4c” at the end of the pictured phase. (9 points)
Meiosis
Anaphase
n, 2c or 2n, 4c
Meiosis
Prophase
2n, 4c
Mitosis
Metaphase
2n, 4c
22. Describe how each of the following contributes to increasing the genetic variability of a species.
(8 points)
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Exam Code Number:___________
23. (a) Briefly describe one way that trisomy of the 18th chromosome might increase the
expression of a gene located on the 8th chromosome. (2 points)
2 pts.: A gene on the 18th chromosome could encode an activator protein that
acts on a gene on the 8th chromosome.
(b) Briefly describe one way that trisomy of the 18th chromosome might decrease the
expression of a gene located on the 12th chromosome. (2 points)
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