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A scientist compares the promoter regions of two genes. Gene A’s core promoter plus proximal promoter elements encompass 70bp. Gene B’s core promoter plus proximal promoter elements encompass 250bp. Which of the scientist’s hypotheses is most likely to be correct?

a) Gene A has higher gene expression than Gene B.
b) Gene B has higher gene expression than Gene A.
c) Gene A and Gene B have similar gene expression.
d) Gene B has fewer transcription factor binding sites than Gene A.

User Elanh
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Final answer:

The length of a gene's promoter region suggests possible differences in regulatory control, with longer promoters, like Gene B's, allowing for more transcription factor binding and potentially more complex regulation. However, promoter length alone does not determine gene expression levels. Additionally, core promoter sequences are found to evolve faster than protein-coding genes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question at hand involves assessing the relationship between the length of the promoter regions of two genes, Gene A and Gene B, and their gene expression levels or transcription control. The premises provided indicate that Gene A's promoter region, including core and proximal promoter elements, is 70 base pairs (bp) long, while Gene B's is 250 bp long. Longer promoters allow for more space for proteins, such as transcription factors, to bind. This binding can either enhance or inhibit transcription. Thus, a longer promoter, as seen in Gene B, suggests that it likely has more transcription factor binding sites and could therefore be under more complex regulatory control.

Based on the information provided, we can conclude that the statement 'Transcription of Gene A is more controlled than transcription of Gene B' is not supported by evidence, as longer promoters typically allow more control. However, we cannot accurately infer which gene has higher expression levels solely from promoter lengths. Enhancers and additional regulatory elements outside the core and proximal promoter regions can also significantly impact transcription levels.

Finally, when examining the evolution of core promoter sequences, it has been observed that they evolve even faster than protein-coding genes. This suggests a high degree of variation and adaptability in regulatory regions, which may influence gene expression over time.

User Zoltan Hernyak
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