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9: Gene Regulation

  • Page ID
    16148
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    To define a gene, a stretch of DNA must have a promoter, a start site, and and a stop site. In a prokaryote, these are necessary and often sufficient, but in a eukaryote, they are still necessary, but seldom sufficient. This chapter discusses the other elements, both positive and negative, that are used to regulate the expression (i.e. transcription) of a gene. It is primarily a story of transcription factors and the recognition elements to which they bind.

    • 9.1: Prokaryotic Transcriptional Regulation
      This page explores gene expression regulation in prokaryotic cells, focusing on operons like the lac and trp operons, which illustrate how transcription is either induced or repressed based on metabolite availability. It also covers the araBAD operon, regulated by arabinose via the araC protein, and the SOS repair system, crucial for managing DNA damage through a mechanism that increases mutation rates.
    • 9.2: Eukaryotic Transcriptional Regulation
      This page explores eukaryotic transcription regulation, highlighting the complexity compared to prokaryotic systems. It emphasizes the role of general and specific transcription factors (TFs), which allow for tissue-specific expression and can interact in complex ways.


    This page titled 9: Gene Regulation is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by E. V. Wong via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.