Trans-acting

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In the field of molecular biology, trans-acting generally means "acting from a different molecule". It may be considered the opposite of cis-acting which generally means "acting from the same molecule".

In the context of transcription regulation, a trans-acting element is usually a DNA sequence that contains a gene. This gene codes for a protein (or microRNA or other diffusible molecule) that will be used in the regulation of another target gene.[1] The trans-acting gene may be on the same chromosome as 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.

[edit] References

  1. ^ 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, 57-58. ISBN 0-7167-2866-4. 
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