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Trans-acting
View on WikipediaIn the field of molecular biology, trans-acting (trans-regulatory, trans-regulation), in general, means "acting from a different molecule" (i.e., intermolecular). It may be considered the opposite of cis-acting (cis-regulatory, cis-regulation), which, in general, means "acting from the same molecule" (i.e., intramolecular).
In the context of transcription regulation, a trans-acting factor is usually a regulatory protein that binds to DNA.[1] The binding of a trans-acting factor to a cis-regulatory element in DNA can cause changes in transcriptional expression levels. microRNAs or other diffusible molecules are also examples of trans-acting factors that can regulate target sequences.[2] The trans-acting gene may be on a different chromosome to the target gene, but the activity is via the intermediary protein or RNA that it encodes. Cis-acting elements, on the other hand, do not code for protein or RNA. Both the trans-acting gene and the protein/RNA that it encodes are said to "act in trans" on the target gene.
Transcription factors are categorized as trans-acting factors.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Brooker, Robert J. Genetics: analysis and principles (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
- ^ Watson, James D.; Caudy, Amy A; Myers, Richard M.; Witkowski, Jan A. (2007). Recombinant DNA: Genes and Genomes - A Short Course. Cold Spring Harbor Press. pp. 57–58. ISBN 978-0-7167-2866-5.
Trans-acting
View on GrokipediaFundamentals
Definition
Trans-acting elements are diffusible molecules, typically proteins or RNAs, that regulate gene expression by interacting with target genes located on separate DNA molecules or at distant chromosomal loci, enabling them to influence transcription or translation across the genome.[2] These factors function through specific recognition of binding sites on DNA or RNA, rather than being physically linked to the regulated gene itself.[4] The concept of trans-acting elements originated in the 1961 operon model proposed by François Jacob and Jacques Monod, who conceptualized bacterial repressors as diffusible products of regulator genes that could act on operator sites to control the expression of structural genes in the lac operon. This model established the foundational idea of regulatory proteins diffusing within the cell to modulate gene activity coordinately, laying the groundwork for understanding gene regulation in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.[5] Key characteristics of trans-acting elements include their diffusibility, which allows them to act in trans—meaning across different chromosomes within the cell—and their specificity, achieved via structured domains such as DNA- or RNA-binding motifs that recognize particular sequence elements.[2] Common types encompass transcription factors, which serve as activators or repressors to modulate RNA polymerase activity, as well as small RNAs like microRNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate target mRNAs. In contrast to cis-acting elements, which are immobile DNA sequences adjacent to genes, trans-acting factors provide flexible, global control over gene networks.[4]Comparison to Cis-acting Elements
Cis-acting elements are non-coding DNA sequences, such as promoters, enhancers, and silencers, that regulate gene expression by acting exclusively on the same DNA molecule or chromosome on which they are located, without the ability to diffuse to other molecules.[1][6] In contrast to trans-acting factors, which are diffusible molecules like proteins that can influence genes across different chromosomes, cis-acting elements remain immobile and provide localized control over nearby genes.[7][6] The distinctions between trans-acting and cis-acting elements can be summarized in the following table:| Aspect | Trans-acting Elements | Cis-acting Elements |
|---|---|---|
| Mobility | Diffusible (e.g., proteins that move freely within the cell) | Immobile (fixed DNA sequences bound to the chromosome) |
| Genetic Test (Complementation) | Mutations can be complemented by a wild-type copy on a separate chromosome, as the factor diffuses | Mutations affect only the linked gene and cannot be rescued by a wild-type copy elsewhere |
| Examples | Transcription factors (e.g., PAX6 binding to distant enhancers) | Promoters (e.g., TATA box), enhancers (e.g., E4 enhancer of Fezf2) |
| Evolutionary Implications | Enable coordinated regulation of multiple genes across the genome, evolving through changes in protein specificity | Facilitate local, gene-specific adaptations, evolving via sequence mutations in conserved regions |
