Chapter 6 Multiple choice questions

. Which one of the following is NOT a property of embryonic stem cells?

They can be cultured in the laboratory.

They can give rise to all of the cells of an adult animal.

Their genome can be edited by CRISPR/Cas9.

Their differentiation in culture can be controlled reliably and precisely.

. How is CRISPR/Cas9 used to control gene expression?

Intact Cas9 is fused to a viral transcriptional activator and targeted to a synthetic promoter with a relevant gRNA.

DNA-binding-deficient Cas9 is fused to a viral transcriptional activator and targeted to a synthetic promoter with a relevant gRNA.

Nuclease-deficient Cas9 is fused to a viral transcriptional activator and targeted to a synthetic promoter with a relevant gRNA.

gRNA is used to target intact Cas9 to mutate a repressor-binding element of a promoter to eliminate it and activate the gene.

. What are induced pluripotent (iPS) cells?

Pluripotent cells induced to differentiate along a particular pathway by signalling molecules

Pluripotent cells induced to differentiate along a particular pathway by natural transcription factors

Differentiated cells induced to become pluripotent by forced expression of Yamanaka factors

Pluripotent cells induced to proliferate in culture by Yamanaka factors

. Which one of the following would be an example of direct reprogramming?

Exposing ES cells to a sequence of growth factors to differentiate them into neurons

Turning fibroblasts into iPS lines and then differentiating them into muscle cell progenitors

Genetic engineering within the animal that is to be host of the system (rather than engineering ES cells or the embryo)

Turning fibroblasts into muscle cell progenitors by expressing MyoD in them

. Which of the following properties of a transcription factor best identifies it as a master regulator of a cell fate?

If it is knocked out, no cells can reach that fate.

It is switched on once the cells have taken on that fate.

If it is expressed in other cell types, they take on that fate.

It is expressed throughout the life of a cell taking on that fate.

. Which of the following is NOT a feature of typical adult stem cell systems?

Stem cells can be regenerated from differentiated progeny, which increases the secretion of insulin.

Stem cell behaviour is controlled by surrounding cells and matrix in a niche.

Adult stem cells can give rise to a small range of progenitor types rather than being totipotent.

Division of stem cells both renews their own population and gives rise to differentiated progeny.

. Which of the following cell types is most useful for studies of drug toxicology?

Erythrocytes (red blood cells)

Hepatocytes (liver cells)

Chondrocytes (cartilage cells)

Myoblasts (muscle cell progenitors)

. From which human tissue can HSCs be isolated?

Blood

Blood vessels

Adult liver

Bone marrow

. Which of the following is a property of intestinal stem cells?

They are easy to expand in culture.

They can make pancreas, liver, and oesophagus.

They always divide asymmetrically.

Their cell cycle is always very slow.

. Which one of the following statements about cell differentiation is FALSE?

Differentiation is usually irreversible.

Differentiation is usually controlled by factors released by other cells.

Differentiation can be controlled by master regulators.

As pluripotent cells differentiate, they discard genes they do not need.

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