Promoter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

In genetics, a promoter is a DNA sequence that enables a gene to be transcribed. The promoter is recognized by RNA polymerase, which then initiates transcription.

Promoter sequences

Prokaryotic promoters

In prokaryotes, the promoter consists of two short sequences at -10 and -35 position upstream of the gene, that is, prior to the gene in the direction of transctiption.

   <-- upstream                                                          downstream -->
5'-XXXXXXXPPPPPXXXXXXPPPPPXXXXGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGXXXX-3'
           -35        -10     Gene to be transcribed

Eukaryotic promoters

See Michael Levine and Robert Tjian. Transcription regulation and animal diversity. Nature 424, 147 - 151 (10 July 2003)

The original article can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promoter.
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