Regulation of Gene

Expression
 Intro
 Regulation of Gene Expression is a crucial
process.
 Survival of an organism depends on how it
responds to its metabolic needs and
environmental conditions.
 Ultimate aim of gene expression is to form
RNAs or Proteins
 At any given moment a cell requires
thousands of different proteins
 Proteins are synthesized from RNA which
in turn is synthesized from DNA.
 So Transcription and Translation must be
on to produce functional proteins, but not
for all proteins
 There are two types of genes exists in the
cell
 Inducible genes
 Constitutive genes or housekeeping genes

 Inducible Genes
 The gene activation requires small molecules
called inducers
 Constitutive Genes
 Does not require any inducer as these genes
are always active
 Types of Regulation
 Positive
 When the expression of gene is increased
 Negative
 When the expression of the gene is decreased
 The Lac Operon
 The concept is introduced by Jacob and
Monod
 Operon is a segment of DNA consists of
 Structuralgenes
 Operator gene
 Regulator gene
 Promoter site
 Mechanism of Regulation
 In the absence of Lactose
 Repressor binds to the operator region and
prevents the binding of RNA polymerase
 Inhibits the transcription of proteins involved
in lactose catabolism
 Repressor is synthesized by the laci gene
 In the presence of Lactose

 Lactoseenters the cell and few lactose

molecules are converted to allolactose.

 Allolactoseis positive regulator, it binds with

the repressor and changes its structure
 Repressor that binds with allolactose can no
longer stay in operator region

 Dissociation of repressor from operator

permits RNA polymerase to initiate
transcription

 The levels of proteins required for catabolism

of lactose increases.
 Role of CAP (Catabolite gene Activator
Protein)
A positive regulator of Lac Operon
 It helps in the binding of RNA polymerase to
promoter region
 CAP requires cAMP
 Binding of CAP-cAMP complex enhances the
activity of RNA polymerase
 cAMP concentration increases when glucose
level decreases

 When glucose level is increased cAMP cannot

bind CAP thus decreasing the transcription of
gene
 Regulation in Eukaryotes
 Regulation may occur in any one of the
following stages
 Transcription
 Post Transcriptional Modification
 Translation
 Post Translational Modification
 Apart from the above mentioned process
some other process also controls gene
expression in Eukaryotes
 They are
 Gene amplification
 Gene rearrangement
 Binding of DNA regulatory proteins
 Presence of Enhancers and Silencers
Tissue Specific Gene Expression