Bicoid protein is a transcription factor that promotes transcription of the hunchback gene. This is an example of:
A)translational control of gene expression during development.
B)translational control of development.
C)hierarchical control of gene regulation during development.
D)maternal developmental effect.
E)oocyte polarization.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The promotion of hunchback gene transcription by Bicoid protein is an example of hierarchical control of gene regulation during development. Bicoid protein is produced in the mother's oocyte and then distributed in a concentration gradient in the developing embryo, thereby providing positional information that regulates gene expression along the embryonic axis. Hierarchical control refers to the fact that the expression of some key regulatory genes, such as bicoid, determines the expression of downstream genes, such as hunchback, in a cascade-like fashion. Translational control (A and B) and maternal developmental effects (D) can also play important roles in regulating gene expression during development, but they are not the best choices in this case. Oocyte polarization (E) refers to the establishment of a polarity axis within the oocyte prior to fertilization and is not directly related to Bicoid-mediated regulation of hunchback transcription.

Bicoid Protein Is a Transcription Factor That Promotes Transcription of the Hunchback