The regulation of gene expression in plants and animals

The control of gene expression in all cells involves an elaborate and dynamic interplay among what might best be described as regulatory molecules. These molecules include RNA polymerases, myriad transcription factors, the DNA template, the RNA produced by transcription, and the protein produced by translation with its attendant processing. To interfere with or in some way modify any of these critical elements is to potentially cause a profound change in the phenotypic manifestation of one or more genes or gene relays. It is clear that transcription is a consequence of a series of well-orchestrated, ordered events. Contemporary methods that examine this aspect of gene expression have revealed the dynamic nature of this biochemical process.