In 2009, Issue 5967 of Science published the three parallel papers introducing this gene alongside the Perspective “Genetic Control of Hotspots.” For 10 points each:
[10h] Name this only known mammalian speciation gene, whose namesake protein induces H3K4 trimethylation at the 13-base-pair sequence motif that it recognizes.
ANSWER: PRDM9 [accept, but DO NOT REVEAL, PR domain zinc finger protein 9]
[10m] This structural motif appears in the full name of PRDM9. The PRDM9 protein features an array of the “Cys2His2” class of these motifs that bind to target sites on DNA with high specificity.
ANSWER: zinc fingers [accept zinc-finger protein or zinc finger motifs]
[10e] The PRDM9 protein controls the locations of “hotspots” at which this process is more likely to occur. This process occurs via the crossing-over of chromosomes.
ANSWER: genetic recombination
<David Bass, Biology>