ABSTRACT
Elements which regulate the rate of gene transcription are often gene specific and include the enhancers and silencers. An essential component of the transcriptional apparatus is the interaction between protein and DNA and also protein—protein associations, whether between general transcription factors in the initiation complex, or other regulatory proteins. Regulation at the transcriptional level is considerably more complex when a gene contains multiple possible start sites for transcription, that is, several promoter elements. In early studies of gene regulation, changes in mRNA levels were often assumed to be due simply to transcriptional effects. The subsequent rapid expansion of molecular biology has led to the identification and characterization of many of the genes involved. It has also provided an insight into the mechanisms by which these genes are regulated. The primary goal of this chapter has been to give an overview of some of the mechanisms which are important in the regulation of protein synthesis.
