transcription factors are involved in defining body segment in?
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In molecular biology, a transcription factor (TF) (or sequence-specific DNA-binding factor) is a protein that controls the rate of transcription of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA, by binding to a specific DNA sequence.[1][2] The function of TFs is to regulate—turn on and off—genes in order to make sure that they are expressed in the right cell at the right time and in the right amount throughout the life of the cell and the organism. Groups of TFs function in a coordinated fashion to direct cell division, cell growth, and cell death throughout life; cell migration and organization (body plan) during embryonic development; and intermittently in response to signals from outside the cell, such as a hormone. There are up to 1600 TFs in the human genome.[3]
Transcription factor glossary
gene expression – the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product such as a protein
transcription – the process of making messenger RNA (mRNA) from a DNA template by RNA polymerase
transcription factor – a protein that binds to DNA and regulates gene expression by promoting or suppressing transcription
transcriptional regulation – controlling the rate of gene transcription for example by helping or hindering RNA polymerase binding to DNA
upregulation, activation, or promotion – increase the rate of gene transcription
downregulation, repression, or suppression – decrease the rate of gene transcription
coactivator – a protein that works with transcription factors to increase the rate of gene transcription
corepressor – a protein that works with transcription factors to decrease the rate of gene transcription
response element – a specific sequence of DNA that a transcription factor binds to
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Illustration of an activator
TFs work alone or with other proteins in a complex, by promoting (as an activator), or blocking (as a repressor) the recruitment of RNA polymerase (the enzyme that performs the transcription of genetic information from DNA to RNA) to specific genes.[4][5][6]
A defining feature of TFs is that they contain at least one DNA-binding domain (DBD), which attaches to a specific sequence of DNA adjacent to the genes that they regulate.[7][8] TFs are grouped into classes based on their DBDs.[9][10] Other proteins such as coactivators, chromatin remodelers, histone acetyltransferases, histone deacetylases, kinases, and methylases are also essential to gene regulation, but lack DNA-binding domains, and therefore are not TFs.[11]
TFs are of interest in medicine because TF mutations can cause specific diseases, and medications can be potentially targeted toward them.