transcription factor
noun
: any of various proteins that bind to DNA and play a role in the regulation of gene expression by promoting transcription
Examples of transcription factor in a Sentence
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Many cancer-driving transcription factors, which are proteins that bind to specific DNA sequences to control gene activity, need to be in the right chemical (redox) state to work.
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New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2025
In his lab, McKnight’s studies of gene regulation led to the identification of the leucine zipper, a transcription factor that regulates how the expression of cellular genes is turned on and off.
—Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Puri and the team see their findings as an opportunity to expand ideas about how transcription factors operate.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
The team evolved a transcription factor—a protein that activates the expression of a gene target—with mutations only beneficial in mammalian cells, not bacteria.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 July 2025
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New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2025
In his lab, McKnight’s studies of gene regulation led to the identification of the leucine zipper, a transcription factor that regulates how the expression of cellular genes is turned on and off.
—Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Puri and the team see their findings as an opportunity to expand ideas about how transcription factors operate.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
The team evolved a transcription factor—a protein that activates the expression of a gene target—with mutations only beneficial in mammalian cells, not bacteria.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for transcription factor
Cite this Entry
“Transcription factor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transcription%20factor. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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