Regulatory elements/regulatory genes

Abstract

Gene expression is regulated at several points along the pathway from DNA to protein. A crucial point of regulation is transcription, which is responsible for a large proportion of the variation in expression profiles. Changes in gene expression may be triggered by mutation in cis ‐regulatory elements (CREs) and trans ‐regulatory elements (TREs). It is induced by environmental stress, which plays a major role in the evolution of living organisms. These regulators control transcription of genes and are located in the same chromosome and/or in both homologous chromosomes, respectively. The transcription of genes may explain phenotypic differences in morphology, physiology, and behavior.