alleryStart learning →A transcription factor binding site located on the same chromosome, right next to the gene it regulates, is described using a specific term. What is that term?
- A cis-acting element
- A trans-acting element
- An operator sequence
- A poly-A tail marker
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Correct answer: A. A cis-acting element
1. Transcription factors can bind to the promoter just upstream of the gene they regulate.
2. When this binding site is on the same chromosome just next to the gene, it is called a cis-acting element.
3. A trans-acting element instead describes a binding site found outside the promoter or on another chromosome.
4. An operator is a prokaryotic structure, and a poly-A tail is an RNA modification, so neither term fits this description.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 16 "Gene Expression", section The Promoter and the Transcription Machinery_