Gene function, regulation

Hormone Site of Secretion Chemistry Location of Gene Function Regulation of Secretin... 

Jones, N., and Shenk, T., 1979, An adenovirus type 5 early gene function regulates expression of other early genes, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 76 3665. 

Originally described in the immune system, NFAT proteins comprise a family of transcriptional factors that play key roles in many cellular processes that control not only immune responses but also the development, regulation, and differentiation of many other tissues. Activation of NFAT proteins results in the expression of specific sets of genes that regulate multiple cell functions [1,2]. 

Regulatory regions are transcriptional control sequences, which consist of promoters, response elements, enhancers and possibly silencers, located upstream of the start site of transcription. The overall effect on gene transcription is a sum of the contributions of these elements and the activities of proteins recruited to these sites. Promoters are located immediately upstream of the start site and initiate transcription. They often contain tissue- or cell-specific elements if the gene is not ubiquitously expressed. Enhancers are positive regulatory elements which function independently of orientation and distance from the genes they regulate. 

Section IV describes the structures and functions of the nucleotides and nucleic acids, and covers many major topics such as DNA replication and repair, RNA synthesis and modification, and protein synthesis. It also discusses new findings on how genes are regulated and presents the principles of recombinant DNA technology. 

The expansion of our knowledge of the structure and function of Na,K-ATPase is reflected in a rapid succession of reviews on Na,K-ATPase genes and regulation of expression [17], subunit assembly and functional maturation [20], the isozymes of Na,K-ATPase [18], and the stability of a subunit isoforms during evolution [21], physiological aspects and regulation of Na,K-ATPase [22], reconstitution and cation exchange [23], chemical modification [24], and occlusion of cations [25]. Other valuable sources are the review articles [26] and recent developments [27] reported at the International Na,K-pump Conference in September 1990. 

Whetstine, J.R., Witt, T.L., and Matherly, L.H. (2002) The human reduced folate carrier gene is regulated by the AP2 and spl transcription factor families and a functional 61-base pair polymorphism. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 277, 43873-43880. 

In eukaryotes, DNA methylation is important in regulation of gene function. The predominant prodnct of methylation in the DNA of vertebrates is 5-methylcytosine. This methylated base is found largely in CG dinucleotides in palindromic sequences. These may occur in control regions upstream of transcribed DNA sequences. There is considerable evidence to strongly suggest that DNA methylation in vertebrates turns off gene expression. 

Certain bases in DNAmay be altered chemically, by methylation for example. These alterations may have important consequences for regulation of gene function. 

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