You have decided to go to graduate school for Molecular Biology (yay!). Your first project involves investigating the regulation of expression of a gene suspected to be involved in the immune response to Zika Virus (we\'ll call this gene ZV1). You have found that this gene is expressed when someone is infected by Zika, but is not expressed in uninfected people. You believe that this is due to a change in a histone modification. Come up with a hypothesis for what type of change in histone modification may be responsible for the expression of this gene upon infection with Zika. Describe, in detail, an experiment to test your hypothesis. Include any necessary controls. Assuming your hypothesis is correct (of course it is), draw the results of the experiment (it doesn\'t have to be perfect, do the best you can). One of your friends in graduate school is super interested in your project. She thinks that there may be an epigenetic component to the expression of this gene in response to Zika Virus other than that of histone modifications. Describe a non-chromatin based mechanism for this and briefly describe how you might test this. Solution Thanks for the question. a. A hypothesis for the mechanism of expression of gene following infection with zika virus is follows the zika virus upon entering the body produces a translation whereby a RNA genome is produced which enters the endosomal membrane of the host cell causing the symptoms of zika virus fever etc b. an elisa test (enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay) which could test either the zika virus or its translated RNA could be a good way of assessing the infection of zika virus. c. A standard can be set up on the number of zika virus or its replicated RNA which is necessary to be present in the body of the infected patient to call him to be actively infected with the virus. This will decide for subsequent patients if they are infected with the virus and also if they are actively carrying the infection. d. the original hypothesis stated above is already having an epigenetic component. Hence its detection and other procedures are already mentioned above. Regards.

1. You have decided to go to graduate school for Molecular Biology (yay!). Your first project
involves investigating the regulation of expression of a gene suspected to be involved in the
immune response to Zika Virus (we'll call this gene ZV1). You have found that this gene is
expressed when someone is infected by Zika, but is not expressed in uninfected people. You
believe that this is due to a change in a histone modification. Come up with a hypothesis for
what type of change in histone modification may be responsible for the expression of this gene
upon infection with Zika. Describe, in detail, an experiment to test your hypothesis. Include any
necessary controls. Assuming your hypothesis is correct (of course it is), draw the results of the
experiment (it doesn't have to be perfect, do the best you can). One of your friends in graduate
school is super interested in your project. She thinks that there may be an epigenetic component
to the expression of this gene in response to Zika Virus other than that of histone modifications.
Describe a non-chromatin based mechanism for this and briefly describe how you might test this.
Solution
Thanks for the question.
a. A hypothesis for the mechanism of expression of gene following infection with zika virus is
follows
the zika virus upon entering the body produces a translation whereby a RNA genome is produced
which enters the endosomal membrane of the host cell causing the symptoms of zika virus fever
etc
b. an elisa test (enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay) which could test either the zika virus or its
translated RNA could be a good way of assessing the infection of zika virus.
c. A standard can be set up on the number of zika virus or its replicated RNA which is necessary
to be present in the body of the infected patient to call him to be actively infected with the virus.
This will decide for subsequent patients if they are infected with the virus and also if they are
actively carrying the infection.
d. the original hypothesis stated above is already having an epigenetic component. Hence its
detection and other procedures are already mentioned above.
Regards