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

Recent Examples on the Web
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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 Indole is known to regulate the gut’s immune response by activating the transcription factor aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). New Atlas, 3 Aug. 2025 The original process involved a set of four genes that code for proteins called transcription factors. Michael Irving, New Atlas, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for transcription factor

Word History

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of transcription factor was in 1969

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Cite this Entry

“Transcription factor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transcription%20factor. Accessed 30 Aug. 2025.

Medical Definition

transcription factor

noun
: any of various proteins that bind to DNA and play a role in the regulation of gene expression by promoting transcription

More from Merriam-Webster on transcription factor

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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