Question

A researcher at Lund University is interested in studying the biological role of a so-called type I nuclear receptor (steroid receptor). To do this, the transcription factor was overexpressed by transfection of a plasmid, and then effects on gene expression in the cell were examined

.A: In the current experiment, the researcher attempted to influence the function of the transcription factor by increasing its amount. Hormones and other extracellular signals often use other, more rapid-acting, mechanisms to regulate the ability of transcription factors to control mRNA expression. List three different such mechanisms.

B: It was found that the overexpression of the transcription factor had very little effect on the gene expression. Briefly explain why overexpression alone is not enough for the researcher to discover the full significance of the nuclear receptor

Answer 1