• Question: What does transcriptional misregulation mean?

    Asked by anon-241531 to Ross on 18 Mar 2020.
    • Photo: Ross Alexander

      Ross Alexander answered on 18 Mar 2020:

      Hey excellent question.

      Basically all genes in the body and cell undergo transcriptional regulation. This is to enable cells to switch them on and off at certain times so that they can make protein / enzymes that are required to carry out a specific function. For example under stress a cell will switch on genes that will protect it. Most of this control is exerted at promoters of genes and is controlled through transcription facotrs and modification of the chromatin environment (this is how DNA is packaged in cells)

      In the case of misregulation the normal controls on these genes go completely haywire. If this is in a cancer cell for example and genes are misregulated then important processes that protect the cell from damage can be switched off.

      Other diseases like Alzheimers also have faulty misregulation

      Its fairly complex to undertstand but hopefully this brief overview has helped?

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