Which of the following statements are FALSE?

1. Synteny refers to local conservation of gene order.
2. The helix content of a protein can be determined using circular dichromism spectroscopy.
3. In zinc finger proteins, the amino acid residues that coordinate zinc are cys and met.
4. The production of secondary metabolites in plant cell cultures is enhanced by the addition of elicitors.

Correct answer. Both are false statements. Synteny refers to gene duplication from a common ancestor. This is the condition in which two or more gene loci are present on the same chromosome. During evolution, rearrangements may cause the loss of synteny, else it will be retained. Translocations can cause gain of synteny. In zinc finger proteins, the amino acid residues that coordinate zinc are cys and his. Zinc fingers coordinate zinc ions with a combination of cysteine and histidine residues. They can be classified by the type and order of these zinc coordinating residues (e.g. cys2his2, cys4, and cys6).