Trans-regulatory element

Trans-regulatory elements are genes which may modify (or regulate) the expression of distant genes.[1] More specifically, trans-regulatory elements are DNA sequences that encode trans-acting factors (often proteins such as transcription factors).

Trans-regulatory elements work through an intermolecular interaction between two different molecules and so are said to be "acting in trans". For example (1) a transcribed and translated transcription factor protein derived from the trans-regulatory element; and a (2) DNA regulatory element that is adjacent to the regulated gene. This is in contrast to cis-regulatory elements that work through an intramolecular interaction between different parts of the same molecule: (1) a gene; and (2) an adjacent regulatory element for that gene in the same DNA molecule.

Examples of trans-acting factors include the genes for:[2]

  • Subunits of RNA polymerase
  • Proteins that bind to RNA polymerase to stabilize the initiation complex
  • Proteins that bind to all promoters of specific sequences, but not to RNA polymerase (TFIID factors)
  • Proteins that bind to a few promoters and are required for transcription initiation (positive regulators of gene expression)

See also

References
  1. Gilad Y, Rifkin SA, Pritchard JK (August 2008). "Revealing the architecture of gene regulation: the promise of eQTL studies". Trends Genet. 24 (8): 408–15. doi:10.1016/j.tig.2008.06.001. PMC 2583071. PMID 18597885.
  2. McClean, Phillip. "Cis-Acting element and trans-acting factors". 1998.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.