Essays on Forkhead

Transcriptional regulation of gene expression

Gene expression in eukaryotic cells is regulated at transcriptional, post transcriptional and translational levels (Tomizawa,  Lekstrom-Himes, and Xanthopoulos 17). Transcriptional control is the primary means of regulating gene expression. Eukaryotic transcriptional control functions at three levels: modulation of the activities of activators and repressors; variations in chromatin structure; and effect of activators and repressors on assembly of initiation complexes (Lodish et al. 368). Regulation of transcription initiation is the most widespread form of gene control in eukaryotes. However, in some cases, transcription may be attenuated and regulated at subsequent steps, such as during or after the transcription process (Cooper ...

Choose a gene that has been implicated in a human developmental disorder

FOXP2 is a gene that codes for a member of the transcription factors’ forkhead /winged-helix family, FOX. It is situated from base pair 114,086,309 to base pair 114,693,771 on the chromosome 7’s long (q) arm at position 31. The gene has 42 distinct introns, which include 41gt-ag and 1 other. The first FOXP2 report depicted 19 exons, of which two, namely 3a and 3b, are variably spliced into transcripts that cover about 300 kb on the chromosome 7q31 (Lai, Fisher and Hurst).

Several alternative transcripts, as well as protein isoforms, have been predicted on the ...