Question

A researcher found a method she could use to manipulate and quantify acetylation in embryonic cells in culture. In one set of experiments using this procedure in Drosophila, she was readily successful in increasing acetylation of amino acids in histone tails. Which of the following results would she most likely see?a) decreased chromatin condensation.
b) inactivation of the selected genes.
c) activation of histone tails for enzymatic function.
d) increased chromatin condensation.
e) decreased binding of transcription factors

Answer 1

Answer:

a) decreased chromatin condensation.

Explanation:

Chromatin Condensation is the reordering of the long thin chromatin strands into pact short chromosomes that occurs in mitosis and meiosis. Decreased in  chromatin condensation is depicted by a reduction in the volume of Chromosomes which is brought by certain Histone modifications. For example as given in the question; increasing acetylation of amino acids in histone tails takes place on the NH3+ groups of Lysine amino acid residues which therefore decreased chromatin condensation.

This is because increased acetylation take away the positive charge on the histones, thus decreasing the interaction of events occuring between the N-terminai tails of histones with the negatively charged phosphate groups of DNA. The effect of that event therefore contributes to the decrease chromatin condensation.