Regulator gene

Regulator gene

A regulator gene or regulatory gene is a gene involved in controlling the expression of one or more other genes. A regulator gene may encode a protein, or it may work at the level of RNA, as in the case of genes encoding microRNAs.

In prokaryotes, regulator genes often code for repressor proteins. Repressor proteins bind to operators or promoters, preventing RNA polymerase from transcribing RNA. Inducers cause repressor proteins to change shape or otherwise become unable to bind DNA, allowing RNA polymerase to continue transcription.

Other regulatory genes code for activator proteins. An activator binds to a site on the DNA molecule and causes an increase in transcription of a nearby gene. In prokaryotes, a well-known example of an activator protein is the catabolite activator protein or CAP, which is involved in positive control of the lac operon.

In eukaryotic gene regulation both activators and repressors are known to play important roles. [ Griffiths AJF, Wessler SR, Lewontin RC, Gelbart WM, Suzuki DT, Miller JH. Introduction to Genetic Analysis, 8th ed. New York: W.H. Freeman and Co., 2005.]

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • regulator gene — regulator gene. См. ген регулятор. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • regulator gene — reguliuojantysis genas statusas T sritis augalininkystė apibrėžtis Genas, kuris įjungia arba išjungia struktūrinių genų transkripcijos vyksmą. atitikmenys: angl. regulator gene rus. ген–регулятор; регуляторный ген …   Žemės ūkio augalų selekcijos ir sėklininkystės terminų žodynas

  • regulator gene — noun a gene that produces a repressor substance that inhibits an operator gene • Syn: ↑regulatory gene • Hypernyms: ↑gene, ↑cistron, ↑factor • Part Holonyms: ↑operon * * * noun …   Useful english dictionary

  • regulator gene — regulatory gene a gene whose product controls the activity of other, distant genes; the term was originally used specifically to denote a gene that synthesizes a repressor, and is still sometimes so used …   Medical dictionary

  • regulator gene — reg′ulator gene n. gen any gene that exercises control over the expression of another gene or genes • Etymology: trans. of Frégulateur(1959) …   From formal English to slang

  • regulator gene — noun see regulatory gene …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • regulator gene — A gene that controls the action of other genes through curtailing the rate of synthesis of the products of other distant genes …   Dictionary of invertebrate zoology

  • gene — /jeen/, n. the basic physical unit of heredity; a linear sequence of nucleotides along a segment of DNA that provides the coded instructions for synthesis of RNA, which, when translated into protein, leads to the expression of hereditary… …   Universalium

  • Gene — /jeen/, n. a male given name, form of Eugene. * * * I Unit of heredity that occupies a fixed position on a chromosome. Genes achieve their effects by directing protein synthesis. They are composed of DNA, except in some viruses that contain RNA… …   Universalium

  • gene — Synonyms and related words: Altmann theory, DNA, DNA double helix, De Vries theory, Galtonian theory, Mendelianism, Mendelism, RNA, Verworn theory, Weismann theory, Weismannism, Wiesner theory, allele, allelomorph, anticodon, biotype, birth,… …   Moby Thesaurus

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