Enhancer (genetics)
Enhancer (genetics)
An Enhancer is a short region of DNA that can be bound by proteins, known as Transcription Factors, to increase the likelihood that transcription of a particular gene will occur.
Pronunciation
/en'hanser/
Etymology
The term "enhancer" was first used in the context of genetics in 1981 by a group of researchers led by Walter Schaffner. The term is derived from the English word "enhance," meaning to increase or improve the quality, value, or extent of something.
Function
Enhancers can be located upstream or downstream of the gene they regulate, and can be located in introns. They can be close to the gene they regulate, but they can also be located millions of base pairs away. Enhancers do not act on the gene closest to them, but on the gene that has the correct promoter.
Related Terms
- Promoter: A region of DNA that initiates transcription of a particular gene.
- Transcription Factors: Proteins that control the rate of transcription of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA.
- Gene: A unit of heredity that is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.
- DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid, a self-replicating material present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Enhancer (genetics)
- Wikipedia's article - Enhancer (genetics)
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