Inhibitors of Transcription and Translation

Transcription factors are those proteins that help in turning specific genes by binding to nearby DNA. Transcription factors are activators that boost the transcription of genes. Repressors decrease transcription. A group of transcription factor binding sites is called enhancers and silencers that can turn a gene on or off in the body’s specific parts.

Inhibitors of Transcription factors permit cells to do logic operations and help combine various sources of information to choose whether to express a gene or not. Many transcription factors are present in the human body including the body of a bird, fungus as well as a tree. Transcription factors ensure that the genes that are expressed in the body’s cells are right and at the correct time.

Transcription: The Important control point

Transcription is referred to as the process where a DNA gene’s sequence is copied or transcribed into an RNA molecule. It is an essential step in using the gene’s information to make a protein. Gene expression happens when a DNA gene is turned on. This is then utilised to make the specific protein.

However, all the body’s genes are not turned on at the same time and in the same parts of the body. Transcription is an important control point for many genes. This is true because a gene cannot make a protein in a cell if it is not transcribed in that cell. Thus, the more transcribed a gene is, there are more chances of a protein being made.

Different factors play a role in controlling how much a gene gets transcribed. For example, proteins like transcription factors play a significant role in regulating transcription. These essential proteins help in determining which genes are active in the body’s cells.

Transcription Factors

To transcribe a gene, the RNA polymerase enzyme that can make new RNA molecules that form a DNA template must be attached to the gene’s DNA. It gets attached to a spot known as the promoter.

There is an additional step in humans as well as other eukaryotes. RNA polymerase gets attached to the promoter only with the protein’s help. It is called basal or general transcription factors. They are the cell’s core transcription toolkit part, which is required for any gene transcription.

Workings of Transcription Factors

A general inhibitor of transcription factor binds to DNA at a specific target sequence. Once it is done, the transcription factor in some cases makes it harder and, in some cases, easier for RNA polymerase to bind to the gene promoter.

From the above discussion, the transcription factors of humans and other eukaryotes don’t seem different from the bacteria’s transcription factors. These factors bind DNA and make it harder or easier for RNA polymerase to do its work simply like the E. coli’s lac repressor protein.

In general, this is quite a good takeaway. Transcriptions that are controlled by protein act in similar ways. No matter if they’re in the cells or your nose’s bacteria. The major differences are mechanical, that is how far the regulatory sites are and whether the basal transcription factors are required or not, etc.

However, other meaningful differences define how inhibitors of transcription biology discussion factors are exactly used in humans. Humans as well as other eukaryotes are quite complex. We are made of a wide variety of cells that are organised into unique body structures and tissues. Each cell in the body must run its gene expression program.

Evolution of development

Enhancers like the Tbx4 gene are also known as tissue-specific enhancers. They control the gene’s expressions in the body’s specific parts. Mutations of tissue-specific silencers and enhancers might play an important role in the body’s evolution.

Wondering, how does that work? Suppose that a change in DNA or mutation happened in the Tbx4 gene coding sequence. The mutation would thus inactivate the gene all over the body, and a mouse would most likely die without a normal copy. Although, a mutation in an enhancer may simply change the pattern of the expression bit that leads to a new feature.

Cellular logic and Transcription factors

If you are wondering how cells can do logic, then they can’t do that in the same way as our brain. However, cells can detect important information and then combine it to determine the right response similarly as your calculator can detect pushed buttons and then outputs an answer.

We see the example of this “molecular logic” while we consider the way transcription factors help in regulating the genes. Many genes get controlled by numerous different inhibitors of transcription factors.

Particular combinations are required to turn on the gene. This is especially true in the case of eukaryotes and is sometimes known as combinatorial regulation. For example, a gene might get expressed only when activators A and B are present, and when repressor C is absent.

Conclusion

Real-life regulation might get even more complicated. For example, various factors of antibiotic inhibitors of transcription might be involved. The number of molecules of a specific transcription factor that are exactly bound to the DNA may also matter.