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Test Bank 3rd_Ed Essential Cell Biology

Study Aid by Bruce-Alberts 2009
Sample Chapter No 5

CHAPTER 5

DNA AND CHROMOSOMES

Ó 2009 Garland Science Publishing

The Structure and Function of DNA

5-1 Using terms from the list below, fill in the blanks in the following brief
description of the experiment with Streptococcus pneumoniae that identified
which biological molecule carries heritable genetic information. Some terms
may be used more than once.

Cell-free extracts from S-strain cells of S. pneumoniae were fractionated to

__________________ DNA, RNA, protein, and other cell components. Each
fraction was then mixed with __________________ cells of S. pneumoniae.
Its ability to change these into cells with __________________ properties
resembling the __________________ cells was tested by injecting the
mixture into mice. Only the fraction containing __________________ was
able to __________________ the __________________ cells to
__________________ (or __________________ ) cells that could kill mice.

carbohydrate lipid R-strain

DNA nonpathogenic RNA

identify pathogenic S-strain

label purify transform

5-2 Many of the breakthroughs in modern biology came after Watson and
Crick published their model of DNA in 1953. In what decade did scientists first
identify chromosomes?

(a) 1880s

(b) 1920s

(c) 1940s

(d) 1780s

5-3 Mitotic chromosomes were first visualized in the 1880s with the use of
very simple tools: a basic light microscope and some dyes. Which of the
following characteristics of mitotic chromosomes reflects how they were
named?

(a) motion

(b) color

(c) shape

(d) location

5-4 In a DNA double helix, _____________________.

(a) the two DNA strands are identical

(b) purines pair with purines

(c) thymine pairs with cytosine

(d) the two DNA strands run antiparallel

5-5 Indicate whether the following statements are true or false. If a

statement is false, explain why it is false.
 1. DNA molecules, like proteins, consist of a single, long polymeric chain
that is assembled from small monomeric subunits.
2. The polarity of a DNA strand results from the polarity of the nucleotide
subunits.
3. There are five different nucleotides that become incorporated into a
DNA strand.
4. Hydrogen bonds between each nucleotide hold individual DNA strands
together.

5-6 Several experiments were required to demonstrate how traits are

inherited. Which scientist or team of scientists first demonstrated that cells
contain some component that can be transferred to a new population of cells
and permanently cause changes in the new cells?

(a) Griffith

(b) Watson and Crick

(c) Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty

(d) Hershey and Chase

5-7 Several experiments were required to demonstrate how traits are

inherited. Which scientist or team of scientists obtained definitive results
demonstrating that DNA is the genetic molecule?

(a) Griffith

(b) Watson

(c) Crick

(d) Hershey and Chase

5-8 Which of the following chemical groups is not used to construct a DNA
molecule?

(a) five-carbon sugar

(b) phosphate

(c) nitrogen-containing base

(d) six-carbon sugar

5-9 Which of the following sequences can fully base-pair with itself?

(a) 5′-AAGCCGAA-3′

(b) 5′-AAGCCGTT-3′

(c) 5′-AAGCGCAA-3′

(d) 5′-AAGCGCTT-3′

5-10 The DNA from two different species can often be distinguished by a
difference in the ______________________.

(a) ratio of A + T to G + C

(b) ratio of A + G to C + T

(c) ratio of sugar to phosphate

(d) presence of bases other than A, G, C, and T

5-11 For a better understanding of DNA structure, it helps to be able to

compare physical characteristics evident from a side view of double-stranded
DNA with those of individual base pairs.

1. Use brackets to designate the major and minor grooves on Figure Q5-
11A and shade in the surface that will be exposed in the major grove in
Figure Q5-11B.
2. If base pairs were aligned and stacked directly on top of each other, the
major and minor grooves would be linear depressions all along the
DNA. Explain why this is not the actual conformation of a DNA
molecule.
Figure Q5-11

5-12 Which DNA base pair is represented in Figure Q5-12?

(a) A-T

(b) T-A

(c) G-C

(d) C-G

Figure Q5-12

5-13 Use the terms listed to fill in the blanks in Figure Q5-13.

1. A-T base pair

2. G-C base pair
 3. deoxyribose
4. phosphodiester bonds
5. purine base
6. pyrimidine base

Figure Q5-13

5-14 The structures of the four bases in DNA are given in Figure Q5-14.
Figure Q5-14

1. Which are purines and which are pyrimidines?

2. Which bases pair with each other in double-stranded DNA?

5-15 Using the structures in Figure Q5-15 as a guide, sketch the hydrogen
bonds between the base pairs in DNA. Hint: The bases in the figure are all
drawn with the –NH– that attaches to the sugar at the bottom of the structure.
5-16 Because hydrogen bonds hold the two strands of a DNA molecule
together, the strands can be separated without breaking any covalent bonds.
Every unique DNA molecule ―melts‖ at a different temperature. In this
context, Tm, melting temperature, is the point at which two strands separate, or
become denatured. Order the DNA sequences listed below according to
relative melting temperatures (from lowest Tm to highest Tm). Assume that they
all begin as stable double-stranded DNA molecules. Explain your answer.

1. GGCGCACC
2. TATTGTCT
3. GACTCCTG
4. CTAACTGG

5-17 Indicate whether the following statements are true or false. If a

statement is false, explain why it is false.

1. Each strand of DNA contains all the information needed to create a new
double-stranded DNA molecule with the same sequence information.
2. All functional DNA sequences inside a cell code for protein products.
3. Gene expression is the process of duplicating genes during DNA
replication.
4. Gene sequences correspond exactly to the respective protein
sequences produced from them.

5-18 The complete set of information found in a given organism’s DNA is

called its ____________.

(a) genetic code

(b) coding sequence

(c) gene

(d) genome
5-19 The manner in which a gene sequence is related to its respective
protein sequence is referred to as the _________ code.

(a) protein

(b) genetic

(c) translational

(d) expression

5-20 Given the sequence of one strand of a DNA helix as

5′-GCATTCGTGGGTAG-3′,

give the sequence of the complementary strand and label the 5′ and 3′ ends.

5-21 When double-stranded DNA is heated, the two strands separate into
single strands in a process called melting or denaturation. The temperature at
which half of the duplex DNA molecules are intact and half have melted is
defined as the Tm.

1. Do you think Tm is a constant, or can it depend on other small molecules

in the solution? Do you think high salt concentrations increase,
decrease, or have no effect on Tm?
2. Under standard conditions, the expected melting temperature in
degrees Celsius can be calculated from the equation Tm = 59.9 + 0.41
[%(G + C)] – [675/length of duplex]. Does the Tm increase or decrease if
there are more G + C (and thus fewer A + T) base pairs? Does
the Tmincrease or decrease as the length of DNA increases? Why?
3. Calculate the predicted Tm for a stretch of double helix that is 100
nucleotides long and contains 50% G + C content.

5-22 Consider the structure of the DNA double helix.

 1. You and a friend want to split a double-stranded DNA molecule so you
each have half. Is it better to cut the length of DNA in half so each
person has a shorter length, or to separate the strands and each take
one strand? Explain.
2. In the original 1953 publication describing the discovery of the structure
of DNA, Watson and Crick wrote, ―It has not escaped our notice that the
specific pairings we have postulated immediately suggest a possible
copying mechanism for the genetic material.‖ What did they mean?

5-23 A. In principle, what would be the minimum number of

consecutive nucleotides necessary to correspond to a single amino acid to
produce a workable genetic code? Assume that each amino acid is encoded
by the same number of nucleotides. Explain your reasoning.

1. On average, how often would the nucleotide sequence CGATTG be

expected to occur in a DNA strand 4000 bases long? Explain your
reasoning.

The Structure of Eucaryotic Chromosomes

5-24 For each of the following sentences, fill in the blanks with the best
word or phrase selected from the list below. Not all words or phrases will be
used; each word or phrase should be used only once.

In eucaryotic __________________, DNA is complexed with proteins to form

__________________. The paternal and maternal copies of human
Chromosome 1 are __________________, whereas the paternal copy of
Chromosome 1 and the maternal copy of Chromosome 3 are
__________________. Cytogeneticists can determine large-scale
chromosomal abnormalities by looking at a patient’s __________________.
Fluorescent molecules can be used to paint a chromosome by a technique
that employs DNA __________________, and thereby to identify each
chromosome by microscopy.
bands extended kinetochore

chromatin homologous nonhomologous

chromosomes hybridization

condensation karyotype

5-25 A. Define a gene.

1. Consider two different species of yeast that have similar genome sizes.
Is it likely that they contain the same number of genes? A similar
number of chromosomes?
2. Figure 5-15 in the textbook shows the G + C content and genes found
along a single chromosome. Is there any relationship between the G +
C content and the locations of genes?

5-26 The human genome has enough DNA to stretch more than 2 m.
However, this DNA is not contained in a single molecule; it is divided into
linear segments and packaged into structures called chromosomes. What is
the total number of chromosomes found in each of the somatic cells in your
body?

(a) 22

(b) 23

(c) 44

(d) 46

5-27 The number of cells in an average-sized adult human is on the order

of 1014. Use this information, and the estimate that the length of DNA
contained in each cell is 2 m, to do the following calculations (look up the
necessary distances and show your working):

1. Over how many miles would the total DNA from the average human
stretch?
 2. How many times would the total DNA from the average human wrap
around the planet Earth at the Equator?
3. How many times would the total DNA from the average human stretch
from Earth to the Sun and back?
4. How many times would the total DNA from the average human stretch
from the Earth to Pluto and back?

5-28 The process of sorting human chromosomes pairs by size and

morphology is called karyotyping. A modern method employed for karyotyping
is called chromosome painting. How are individual chromosomes ―painted‖?

(a) with a laser

(b) using fluorescent antibodies

(c) using fluorescent DNA molecules

(d) using green fluorescent protein

5-29 The human genome comprises 23 pairs of chromosomes found in

nearly every cell in the body. Answer the quantitative questions below by
choosing one of the numbers in the following list:

23 69 >200

46 92 >109

1. How many centromeres are in each cell? What is the main function of
the centromere?
2. How many telomeres are in each cell? What is their main function?
3. How many replication origins are in each cell? What is their main
function?
5-30 Explain the differences between chromosome painting and the older,
more traditional method of staining chromosomes being prepared for
karyotyping. Highlight the way in which each method identifies chromosomes
by the unique sequences they contain.

5-31 Indicate whether the following statements are true or false. If a

statement is false, explain why it is false.

1. Comparing the relative number of chromosome pairs is a good way to

determine whether two species are closely related.
2. Chromosomes exist at different levels of condensation, depending on
the stage of the cell cycle.
3. Eucaryotic chromosomes contain many different sites where DNA
replication can be initiated.
4. The telomere is a specialized DNA sequence where microtubules from
the mitotic spindle attach to the chromosome so that duplicate copies
move to opposite ends of the dividing cell.

5-32 For each of the following sentences, fill in the blanks with the best
word or phrase selected from the list below. Not all words or phrases will be
used; each word or phrase should be used only once.

Each chromosome is a single molecule of __________________ whose

extraordinarily long length can be compacted by as much as
__________________-fold during __________________ and tenfold more
during __________________. This is accomplished by binding to
__________________ that help package the DNA in an orderly manner so it
can fit in the small space delimited by the __________________. The
structure of the DNA–protein complex, called __________________, is highly
__________________ over time.

10,000 chromosome mitosis

100 different nuclear envelope

1000 DNA nucleolus

cell cycle dynamic proteins

cell wall interphase similar

chromatin lipids static

5-33 The images of chromosomes we typically see are isolated from mitotic
cells. These mitotic chromosomes are in the most highly condensed form.
Interphase cells contain chromosomes that are less densely packed and
__________________________.

(a) occupy discrete territories in the nucleus

(b) share the same nuclear territory as their homolog

(c) are restricted to the nucleolus

(d) are completely tangled with other chromosomes

5-34 Figure Q5-34 clearly depicts the nucleolus, a nuclear structure that
looks like large dark region when stained. The other dark speckled regions in
this image are the locations of particularly compact chromosomal segments
called ____________.

(a) euchromatin

(b) heterochromatin

(c) nuclear pores

(d) nucleosomes
Figure Q5-34

5-35 Mitotic chromosomes are _____ times more compact than a DNA
molecule in its extended form.

(a) 10,000

(b) 100,000

(c) 1000

(d) 100

5-36 Interphase chromosomes are about______ times less compact than

mitotic chromosomes, but still are about______ times more compact than a
DNA molecule in its extended form.

(a) 10; 1000

(b) 20; 500

(c) 5; 2000

(d) 50; 200

5-37 For each of the following sentences, choose one of the options
enclosed in square brackets to make a correct statement about nucleosomes.

1. Nucleosomes are present in [procaryotic/eucaryotic] chromosomes,

but not in [procaryotic/eucaryotic] chromosomes.
2. A nucleosome contains two molecules each of histones [H1 and
H2A/H2A and H2B] as well as of histones H3 and H4.
3. A nucleosome core particle contains a core of histone with DNA
wrapped around it approximately [twice/three times/four times].
4. Nucleosomes are aided in their formation by the high proportion of
[acidic/basic/polar] amino acids in histone proteins.
5. Nucleosome formation compacts the DNA into approximately [one-
third/one-hundredth/one-thousandth] of its original length.

5-38 The classic ―beads-on-a-string‖ structure is the most decondensed

chromatin structure possible and is produced experimentally. Which chromatin
components are not retained when this structure is generated?

(a) linker histones

(b) linker DNA

(c) nucleosome core particles

(d) core histones

5-39 Nucleosomes are formed when DNA wraps _____ times around the
histone octamer in a ______ coil.

(a) 2.0; right-handed

(b) 2.5; left-handed

(c) 1.7; left-handed

(d) 1.3; right-handed

5-40 For each of the following sentences, fill in the blanks with the best
word or phrase selected from the list below. Not all words or phrases will be
used; each word or phrase should be used only once.

Interphase chromosomes contain both darkly staining __________________

and more lightly staining __________________. Genes that are being
transcribed are thought to be packaged in a __________________
condensed type of euchromatin. Nucleosome core particles are separated
from each other by stretches of __________________ DNA. A string of
nucleosomes coils up with the help of __________________ to form the more
compact structure of the __________________. A __________________
model describes the structure of the 30 nm fiber. The 30 nm chromatin fiber is
further compacted by the formation of __________________ that emanate
from a central __________________.

30 nm fiber heterochromatin linker

active chromatin histone H1 loops

axis histone H3 more

beads-on-a-string histone H4 synaptic complex

euchromatin less zigzag

5-41 The octameric histone core is composed of four different histone

proteins, assembled in a stepwise manner. Once the core octamer has been
formed, DNA wraps around it to form a nucleosome core particle. Which of the
following histone proteins does not form part of the octameric core?

(a) H4

(b) H2A

(c) H3

(d) H1
5-42 The core histones are small, basic proteins that have a globular
domain at the C-terminus and a long extended conformation at the N-
terminus. Which of the following is not true of the N terminal ―tail‖ of these
histones?

(a) It is subject to covalent modifications,

(b) It extends out of the nucleosome core.

(c) It binds to DNA in a sequence-specific manner.

(d) It helps DNA pack tightly.

5-43 Stepwise condensation of linear DNA happens in five different packing

processes. Which of the following four processes has a direct requirement for
histone H1?

(a) formation of ―beads-on-a-string‖

(b) formation of the 30 nm fiber

(c) looping of the 30 nm fiber

(d) packing of loops to form interphase chromosomes

5-44 Evidence suggests that the replication of DNA packaged into

heterochromatin occurs later than the replication of other chromosomal DNA.
What is the simplest possible explanation for this phenomenon?

The Regulation of Chromosome Structure

5-45 Although the chromatin structure of interphase and mitotic

chromosomes is very compact, DNA-binding proteins and protein complexes
must be able to gain access to the DNA molecule. Chromatin-remodeling
complexes provide this access by __________________.

(a) recruiting other enzymes

(b) modifying the N-terminal tails of core histones

(c) using the energy of ATP hydrolysis to move nucleosomes

(d) denaturing the DNA by interfering with hydrogen-bonding between

base pairs

5-46 You are studying a newly identified chromatin-remodeling complex,

which you call NICRC. You decide to run an in vitro experiment to
characterize the activity of the purified complex. Your molecular toolbox
includes: (1) a 400-base-pair DNA molecule that has a single recognition site
for the restriction endonuclease EcoRI, an enzyme that cleaves internal sites
on double-stranded DNA (dsDNA); (2) purified EcoRI enzyme; (3) purified
DNase I, a DNA endonuclease that will cleave dsDNA at nonspecific sites if
they are exposed; and (4) core octamer histones. You are able to assemble
core nucleosomes on this DNA template and test for NICRC activity. Figure
Q5-46A illustrates the DNA template used and indicates both the location of
the EcoRI cleavage site and the size of the DNA fragments that are produced
when it cuts. Figure Q5-46B illustrates how the DNA molecules in your
experiment looked after separation according to size by using gel
electrophoresis. Your experiment had a total of six samples, each of which
was treated according to the legend below the gel. The sizes of the DNA
fragments observed are indicated on the left side of the gel.
Figure Q5-46

A Explain the results in lanes 1–4 and why it is important to have this
information before you begin to test your remodeling complex.

1. What can you conclude about your purified remodeling complex from
the results in lanes 5 and 6?

5-47 The N-terminal tail of histone H3 can be extensively modified, and

depending on the number, location, and combination of these modifications,
these changes may promote the formation of heterochromatin. What is the
result of heterochromatin formation?

(a) increase in gene expression

(b) gene silencing

(c) recruitment of remodeling complexes

(d) displacement of histone H1

5-48 Methylation and acetylation are common changes made to histone H3,
and the specific combination of these changes is sometimes referred to as the
―histone code.‖ Which of the following patterns will probably lead to gene
silencing?

(a) lysine 9 methylation

(b) lysine 4 methylation and lysine 9 acetylation

(c) lysine 14 acetylation

(d) lysine 9 acetylation and lysine 14 acetylation

5-49 When there is a well-established segment of heterochromatin on an

interphase chromosome, there is usually a special barrier sequence that
prevents the heterochromatin from expanding along the entire chromosome.
Gene A, which is normally expressed, has been moved by DNA
recombination near an area of heterochromatin. None of the daughter cells
produced after this recombination event express gene A, even though its DNA
sequence is unchanged. What is this the best way to describe what has
happened to the function of gene A in these cells?

(a) barrier destruction

(b) heterochromatization

(c) epigenetic inheritance

(d) euchromatin depletion

5-50 Your friend is working in a lab to study how yeast cells adapt to growth
on different carbon sources. He grew half of his cells in the presence of
glucose and the other half in the presence of galactose. Then he harvested
the cells and isolated their DNA with a gentle procedure that leaves
nucleosomes and some higher-order chromatin structures intact. He treated
the DNA briefly with a low concentration of M-nuclease, a special enzyme that
easily degrades protein-free stretches of DNA. After removing all the proteins,
he separated the resulting DNA on the basis of length. Finally, he used a
procedure to visualize only those DNA fragments from a region near a
particular gene called Sweetie or another gene called Salty. The separated
DNA fragments are shown in Figure Q5-50. Each vertical column, called a
lane, is from a different sample. DNA spots near the top of the figure
represent DNA molecules that are longer than those near the bottom. Darker
spots contain more DNA than fainter spots. The lanes are as follows:

1. ―marker‖ containing known DNA fragments of indicated lengths

2. cells grown in glucose, DNA visualized near Sweetie gene
3. cells grown in galactose, DNA visualized near Sweetie gene
4. cells grown in glucose, DNA visualized near Salty gene
5. cells grown in galactose, DNA visualized near Salty gene
Figure Q5-50

1. The lowest spot (as observed in lanes 2, 4, and 5) has a length of about
150 nucleotides. Can you propose what it is and how it arose?
2. What are the spots with longer lengths? Why is there a ladder of spots?
3. Notice the faint spots and extensive smearing in lane 3, suggesting the
DNA could be cut almost anywhere near the Sweetie gene after growth
of the cells in galactose. This was not observed in the other lanes. What
probably happened to the DNA to change the pattern between lanes 2
and 3?
4. What kinds of enzyme might have been involved in changing the
chromatin structure between lanes 2 lane 3?
5. Do you think that gene expression of Sweetie is higher, lower, or the
same in galactose compared to glucose? What about Salty?

Answers

5-1 Cell-free extracts from S-strain cells of S. pneumoniae were

fractionated to purify DNA, RNA, protein, and other cell components. Each
fraction was then mixed with R-strain cells of S. pneumoniae. Its ability to
change these into cells with pathogenic properties resembling the S-
straincells was tested by injecting the mixture into mice. Only the fraction
containing DNA was able to transform the R-strain cells to pathogenic (or
S-strain) cells that could kill mice.

5-2 (a)

5-3 (b)
5-4 (d)

5-5 A. False. DNA is double-stranded. It is actually is made of two

polymers that are complementary in sequence.

1. True.
2. False. There are four different nucleotides that are used to make a DNA
polymer: adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine. A fifth nucleotide,
uracil, is found exclusively in RNA molecules, replacing thymine
nucleotides in the DNA sequence.
3. False. Nucleotides are linked covalently through phosphodiester bonds.
Hydrogen-bonding between nucleotides from opposite strands holds the
DNA molecule together.

5-6 (a)

5-7 (d)

5-8 (d)

5-9 (d)

5-10 (a)

5-11 See figure A5-11 below.

Figure A5-12
Figure A5-11

1. The DNA base pairs are rotated with respect to each other. For a
double-stranded DNA molecule with 10 base pairs, a full 360° rotation
has occurred. This is referred to as one turn of the helix, and it can be
seen in the alignment of the A-T base pair at the bottom with the G-C
base pair at the top.

5-12 (c)

5-13 See Figure A5-13.

Figure A5-13

5-14 A. Adenine and guanine are purines; cytosine and thymine are
pyrimidines.

1. Cytosine pairs with guanine and adenine with thymine.

5-15 See Figure A5-15.

Figure A5-15

5-16 The order in which the DNA molecules would denature as the
temperature increases is:

1—B; 2—D; 3—C; 4—A

All the DNA molecules are the same length, so only the A + T and G + C
content determine their relative Tm. Molecules with higher G + C content will
be more stable than molecules with a high A + T content. This is because
there are three hydrogen bonds between each G-C base pair but only two
between each A-T base pair. More energy (heat) is required to disrupt a larger
number of hydrogen bonds.

5-17 A. True.

1. False. Some sequences encode only RNA molecules, some bind to

specific regulatory proteins, and others are sites where specific
chrosomosomal protein structures are built (for example, centromeric
and telomeric DNA).
2. False. Gene expression is the process of going from gene sequence to
RNA sequence, to protein sequence.
3. False. This statement is false for two reasons. First, genes often contain
intron sequences. Second, genes always contain nucleotides flanking
 the protein-coding sequences that are required for the regulation of
transcription and translation.

5-18 (d)

5-19 (b)

5-20 5′-CTACCCACGAATGC-3′.

5-21 A. Tm depends on the identity and concentration of other

molecules in the solution. High salt concentrations are more effective at
shielding the two negatively charged phosphate-sugar backbones in the
double helix from each other, so the two strands repel each other less
strongly. Thus, a high salt concentration stabilizes the duplex and increases
the melting temperature.

1. The Tm increases as the proportion of G + C bases increases and as the

length increases. The thermal energy required for melting depends on
how many hydrogen bonds between the strands must be broken. Each
G-C base pair contributes three hydrogen bonds, whereas an A-T base
pair contributes only two.
2. Inserting values into the equation in part B gives Tm = 59.9 + (0.41 × 50)
– (675/100) = 73.65°C, which is about twice the normal temperature of
the human body and nearly too hot to touch.

5-22 A. It is better to separate the strands and each take a single

strand, because all of the information found in the original molecule is
preserved in a full-length single strand but not in a half-length double-stranded
molecule.

1. Watson and Crick meant that the complementary base pairing of the
strands allows a single strand to contain all of the information necessary
to direct the synthesis of a new complementary strand.
5-23 A. Because there are 20 amino acids used in proteins, each
amino acid would have to be encoded by a minimum of three nucleotides. For
example, a code of two consecutive nucleotides could specify a maximum of
16 (42) different amino acids, excluding stop and start signals. A code of three
consecutive nucleotides has 64 (43) different members and thus can easily
accommodate the 20 amino acids plus a signal to stop protein synthesis.

1. Because 46 (= 4096) different sequences of six nucleotides can occur in

DNA, any given sequence of six nucleotides would be expected to occur
on average once in a DNA strand 4000 bases long, assuming a random
distribution of sequences.

5-24 In eucaryotic chromosomes, DNA is complexed with proteins to

formchromatin. The paternal and maternal copies of human Chromosome 1
arehomologous, whereas the paternal copy of Chromosome 1 and the
maternal copy of Chromosome 3 are nonhomologous. Cytogeneticists can
determine large-scale chromosomal abnormalities by looking at a
patient’s karyotype. Fluorescent molecules can be used to paint a
chromosome by a technique that employs DNA hybridization, and thereby to
identify each chromosome by microscopy.

5-25 A. A gene is a segment of DNA that stores the information

required to specify the particular sequence found in a protein (or, in some
cases, the sequence of a structural or catalytic RNA).

1. A similar genome size indicates relatively little about the number of

genes and virtually nothing about the number of chromosomes. For
example, the commonly studied yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Sc)
and Schizosaccharomyces pombe (Sp) are separated by roughly 400
million years of evolution, and both have a genome of 14 million base
pairs. Yet Sc has 6500 genes packaged into 16 chromosomes
and Sphas 4800 genes in 3 chromosomes.
2. Regions of the chromosome with a high density of genes tend to have
about 50% G + C, whereas those with few genes tend to have a lower G
+ C content. This is generally true in most organisms.
5-26 (d)

5-27 A. 2 × 1014 m = 124,274,238,447 miles.

1. The Earth’s circumference at the Equator is 7,926 miles. The length of

DNA from the average human body could wrap around the Earth
15,678,759 times.
2. The average distance from the Earth to the Sun is 93,000,000 miles.
So, the round-trip distance is 186,000,000 miles. The length of DNA
from the average human body could stretch from the Earth to the Sun
and back 668 times.
3. The distance from the Earth to Pluto is, on average, about 39 ×
93,000,000 miles. The length of DNA from the average human body
could stretch from the Earth to Pluto and back 36 times.

5-28 (c)

5-29 A. There are 46 centromeres per cell, one on each chromosome.

The centromeres have a key role in the distribution of chromosomes to
daughter cells during mitosis.

1. There are 92 telomeres per cell, two on each chromosome. Telomeres

serve to protect the ends of chromosomes and to enable complete
replication of the DNA of each chromosome all the way to its tips.
2. There are far more than 200 replication origins in a human cell, probably
about 10,000. These DNA sequences direct the initiation of DNA
synthesis needed to replicate chromosomes.

5-30 Chromosome painting relies on the specificity of DNA

complementarity. Because unique sequences for each chromosome are
known, short DNA molecules matching a set of these sites can be designed
for each chromosome. Each set is labeled with a specific combination of
fluorescent dyes and then allowed to hybridize (form base pairs) with the two
homologous chromosomes that contain the unique sequences being targeted.
Giemsa stain is a nonfluorescent dye that has a high affinity for DNA, and
specifically accumulates in regions that are rich in A-T nucleotide pairs. This
dye produces a pattern of dark and light bands, which differ for each
chromosome on the basis of the distribution of A-T-rich regions.

5-31 A. False. There are several examples of closely related species

that have a drastically different number of chromosome pairs. Two related
species of deer—Chinese and Indian muntjac—have 23 and 3, respectively.

1. True.
2. True.
3. False. The telomere is a specialized DNA sequence, but not for the
attachment of spindle microtubules. Telomeres form special caps that
stabilize the ends of linear chromosomes.

5-32 Each chromosome is a single molecule of DNA whose extraordinarily

long length can be compacted by as much as 1000-fold during interphaseand
tenfold more during mitosis. This is accomplished by binding toproteins that
help package the DNA in an orderly manner so it can fit in the small space
delimited by the nuclear envelope. The structure of the DNA–protein
complex, called chromatin, is highly dynamic over time.

5-33 (a)

5-34 (b)

5-35 (a)

5-36 (b)
5-37 A. Nucleosomes are present in eucaryotic chromosomes, but not
in procaryotic chromosomes.

4. A nucleosome contains two molecules each of histones H2A and H2B,

as well as histones H3 and H4.
5. A nucleosome core particle contains a core of histone with DNA
wrapped around it approximately twice.
6. Nucleosomes are aided in their formation by the high proportion
ofbasic amino acids in histone proteins.
7. Nucleosome formation compacts DNA into approximately one-thirdof
its original length.

5-38 (a)

5-39 (c)

5-40 Interphase chromosomes contain both darkly

stainingheterochromatin and more lightly staining euchromatin. Genes that
are being transcribed are thought to be packaged in a less condensed type of
euchromatin. Nucleosome core particles are separated from each other by
stretches of linker DNA. A string of nucleosomes coils up with the help
ofhistone H1 to form the more compact structure of the 30 nm fiber.
A zigzagmodel describes the structure of the 30 nm fiber. The 30 nm
chromatin fiber is further compacted by the formation of loops that emanate
from a centralaxis.

5-41 (d)

5-42 (c)
5-43 (b)

5-44 The DNA double helix in heterochromatin may be so tightly packed

and condensed that it is inaccessible to the proteins that bind replication
origins, including the DNA replication machinery. It may take extra time to
remodel the chromatin to make it more accessible to the proteins required to
initiate and perform DNA replication.

5-45 (c)

5-46 A. Sample 1 confirms the location of the EcoRI restriction site and
shows what those fragments should look like when separated on the gel. The
cleavage is the readout that will tell us whether the remodeling complex is
working. Sample 2 demonstrates that DNA that is not assembled into
nucleosomes can be cut into many small fragments by DNAseI. That is why
we do not see discrete bands. Sample 3 demonstrates that when
nucleosomes are assembled on the DNA, DNase I cuts only in one place,
presumably in the linker region between two assembled nucleosomes.
Sample 4 demonstrates that EcoRI cannot access its cleavage site when
nucleosomes are assembled over it.

1. Sample 5 demonstrates that our purified complex is working. It must be

moving the nucleosomes, providing access to EcoRI, such that it can
now cleave at its restriction site, which was not possible in the absence
of NICRC. Sample 6 shows that NICRC will function only if ATP is
available as an energy source for the remodeling process.

5-47 (b)

5-48 (a)

5-49 (c)
5-50 A. The lowest spot represents DNA of a length similar to that of
the segment of DNA found in a nucleosome core particle. Partial digestion
with an enzyme such as M-nuclease causes breaks in the DNA backbone
primarily within the linker DNA or other DNA segments not bound tightly to
histones. Thus, this band probably comprises the DNA bound tightly to a
single histone octamer and it arose by cutting the linker DNA outside a single
nucleosome core particle.

1. The ladder of bands with longer lengths probably corresponds to

stretches of DNA associated with increasing numbers of nucleosomes
(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and so on). In support of this proposal, adjacent bands
differ in size by roughly 200 nucleotides, which is the length of DNA
found in a nucleosome core particle plus neighboring linker DNA. This
interpretation must mean that the M-nuclease digestion did not go to
completion, because if all non-nucleosomal DNA were digested
completely, the samples would contain only the 150-base-pair fragment.
2. Given the ability of M-nuclease to cut anywhere near Sweetie after
growth in galactose, it seems that the DNA is no longer protected from
digestion by binding to histones. Perhaps the wrapping of DNA within
the nucleosomes has been loosened considerably. This change in the
nucleosomes must be specific to the Sweetie gene, because it is not
seen at the Salty gene or throughout the genome.
3. The main candidates for enzymes that catalyzed the nucleosome
alterations near Sweetie are chromatin-remodeling complexes and
enzymes that covalently modify histone tails with methyl, acetyl, or
phosphate groups.
4. As the chromatin seems to have been loosened near Sweetie, it seems
likely that Sweetie gene expression is increased when cells are grown in
galactose rather than glucose, whereas Salty gene expression is likely
to be the same under the two conditions. Perhaps the Sweetiegene
contains instructions for a protein that is required for cells to metabolize
galactose but not glucose.

Test Bank 3rd_Ed Essential Cell Biology Study Aid by Bruce-Alberts 2009

Test Bank 3rd_Ed Essential Cell Biology Study Aid by Bruce-Alberts 2009