Who controls DNA transcription?

Transcription is carried out by an enzyme called RNA polymerase and a number of accessory proteins called transcription factors. Transcription factors can bind to specific DNA sequences called enhancer and promoter sequences in order to recruit RNA polymerase to an appropriate transcription site.

What are DNA transcription factors?

Transcription factors are proteins involved in the process of converting, or transcribing, DNA into RNA. One distinct feature of transcription factors is that they have DNA-binding domains that give them the ability to bind to specific sequences of DNA called enhancer or promoter sequences.

How are transcription factors activated?

Transcription factor activation is complex and may involve multiple intracellular signal transduction pathways, including the kinases PKA, MAPKs, JAKs, and PKCs, stimulated by cell-surface receptors [8, 9]. Transcription factors may also be directly activated by ligands such as glucocorticoids and vitamins A and D [5].

Do transcription factors control transcription?

Transcription factors are proteins that regulate the transcription of genes—that is, their copying into RNA, on the way to making a protein. Transcription factors help ensure that the right genes are expressed in the right cells of the body, at the right time.

Are regulatory genes transcribed?

In prokaryotes, regulator genes often code for repressor proteins. Repressor proteins bind to operators or promoters, preventing RNA polymerase from transcribing RNA. Positive regulators are regulatory elements that permit RNA polymerase binding to the promoter region, thus allowing transcription to occur.

What is combinatorial control of transcription?

Most importantly is the idea of combinatorial control, which is that any given gene is likely controlled by a specific combination of factors to control transcription. In a hypothetical example, the factors A and B might regulate a distinct set of genes from the combination of factors A and C.

Where do transcription factors bind on DNA?

Transcription factors are a very diverse family of proteins and generally function in multi-subunit protein complexes. They may bind directly to special “promoter” regions of DNA, which lie upstream of the coding region in a gene, or directly to the RNA polymerase molecule.

How do transcription factors bind DNA?

Response elements. The DNA sequence that a transcription factor binds to is called a transcription factor-binding site or response element. Transcription factors interact with their binding sites using a combination of electrostatic (of which hydrogen bonds are a special case) and Van der Waals forces.

Why do antibodies bind to transcription factors?

Transcription factors contain more than one DNA-binding domain, allowing them to bind to specific DNA sequences near the genes that they regulate. Invitrogen transcription-specific antibodies are designed to dependably detect key transcription factor targets. Each antibody is validated for use in various applications.

What regulates gene expression?

Eukaryotic gene expression is regulated during transcription and RNA processing, which take place in the nucleus, and during protein translation, which takes place in the cytoplasm. Further regulation may occur through post-translational modifications of proteins.