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Study Guides
Page 1 of 1 This guide was created by Amy Shen and Jin Yu. To learn more about the
student authors, visit http://www.ck12.org/about/about-us/team/interns.
Prokaryotes
Regulation in prokaryotes involve
operons and operators.
When a group of proteins is not
needed, a repressor binds to
the operator and prevents RNA
polymerase from transcribing
the operon.
When proteins are needed, the
repressor is removed so that
the operon can be transcribed
and the proteins can be made.
In order to produce the specifc proteins that cells need, cells must regulate DNA transcription so that only certain parts
of DNA are transcribed and translated into proteins. Transcription is regulated by regulatory proteins, which control
the behavior of RNA polymerase. Regulation in prokaryotic cells involves operons, while regulation in eukaryotic cells
involves different types of regulatory elements such as TATA boxes.
Key Terms
How Genes are Regulated
Gene Expression: Activating a particular gene to make a protein.
Regulatory Protein: Proteins that regulate DNA transcription.
Activators: Regulatory proteins that promote transcription.
Repressors: Regulatory proteins that prevent transcription.
Regulatory Elements: Regions of DNA where regulatory proteins can bind.
Promoter: Region of a gene where a RNA polymerase binds to initiate transcription of the gene.
RNA Polymerase: An enzyme that helps produce RNA during transcription.
Operon: Region of DNA containing genes that code for proteins with a particular function (usually for prokaryotic
cells).
Operator: Part of the operon where regulatory proteins bind.
TATA Box: Regulatory element in the promoter of most cells.
Homeobox Genes: Genes that regulate development.
Big Picture
Gene expression is regulated, meaning that specifc
proteins are made when and where they are needed.
This can be done by regulating transcription.
Transcription is regulated by regulatory proteins.
Regulatory proteins bind to regulatory elements
located near promoters and interact with RNA
polymerase.
Types of regulatory proteins:
Activators: promote transcription by helping RNA
polymerase interact with promoter.
Repressors: prevent transcription by preventing
RNA polymerase from transcribing.
Eukaryotes
Eukaryotic cells are specialized, meaning that they have different functions, so
different types of cells use different regulatory elements.
Some regulatory elements are used by all types of cells, such as the TATA
box
Many regulatory proteins can bind to the TATA box
The gene is only expressed after all the necessary regulatory proteins
bind to the TATA box
Regulation while an organism is growing is important because it allows the
organism to have specialized cells
Homeobox genes in particular need to be regulated since they code for
proteins that will turn on many development genes
Regulator gene mutations can cause cancer
Mutations that cause cancer usually occur in tumor-suppressor genes
and proto-oncegenes, which cause cells to keep dividing rapidly without
stopping
Gene Expression
REGULATION OF GENE EXPRESSION
Image credit: CK-12 Foundation, CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0
v1.1.11.2012