Activator

Definition

An activator is a protein that binds to specific DNA sequences called enhancers, which are located near the promoter region of a gene. By binding to the enhancer, the activator helps initiate and increase the transcription of the gene.

Related terms

Enhancer: A DNA sequence located near the promoter region of a gene that binds with an activator protein to enhance or increase transcription.

Transcription:

The process where genetic information stored in DNA is copied into RNA molecules.

Promoter:

A specific region on DNA where RNA polymerase binds to initiate transcription.