Overview of Differences Between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Gene Expression and Regulation Prokaryotes Eukaryotes Structure of Single, generally circular Genome found in genome genome sometimes chromosomes nucleosome st accompanied by smaller pieces ructure limits DNA of accessory DNA, like plasmids accessibility Size of genome Relatively small Relatively large Location of Coupled; no nucleoid envelope Nuclear transcription and gene barrier because of cytoplasmic translation transcription prokaryotic cell structure and translation Gene clustering Operons where genes with Operons generally not found similar function are grouped in eukaryotes; each gene has together its own promoter element and enhancer element(s) Default state of on Off transcription DNA structure Highly supercoiled DNA with Highly supercoiled chromatin some associated proteins associated with histones in nucleosomesOverview of Differences Between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Gene Expression and Regulation Prokaryotes Eukaryotes Structure of genome Single, generally circular genome sometimes accompanied by smaller pieces of accessory DNA, like plasmids Genome found in chromosomes;nucleosome st ructure limits DNA accessibility Size of genome Relatively small Relatively large Location of gene transcription and translation Coupled; no nucleoid envelope barrier because of prokaryotic cell structure Nuclear transcription and cytoplasmic translation Gene clustering Operons where genes with similar function are grouped together Operons generally not found in eukaryotes; each gene has its own promoter element and enhancer element(s) Default state of transcription On Off DNA structure Highly supercoiled DNA with some associated proteins Highly supercoiled chromatin associated with histones in nucleosomes