Question

What are the two types of eukaryotic transcription regulation? Discuss the elements of each.

Answer 1

Regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes:

1. Epigenetic modifications: These modifications alter the recruitment of RNA polymerase to the gene locus by changing the compactness of the chromatin. Ex: Histone modifications and DNA methylation.

PRC components are involved in epigenetic modifications.

2. Transcriptional gene regulation: Activators and repressors regulate the recruitment of RNA polymerase to the target gene loci. These proteins bind to enhancer or silencer elements to mediate the regulation of gene expression.

Both the above mentioned regulatory mechanisms operate at the level of transcription.