Silencers

Definition

Silencers are regions on DNA that decrease or prevent the expression (transcription) of certain genes when binding with particular proteins known as repressors.

Related terms

Repressors:

Proteins that inhibit the expression of one or more genes by binding to the operator or associated silencers.

Downstream: Refers to the direction in which genetic information is transcribed from DNA to RNA.

Inhibitors:

Substances that slow down or stop a chemical reaction, in this case, they can prevent gene expression.