Master regulator gene
In genetics, a master regulator gene is a regulator gene at the top of a gene regulation hierarchy, particularly in regulatory pathways related to cell fate and differentiation.
Examples
[edit | edit source]Most genes considered master regulators code for transcription factor proteins, which in turn alter the expression of downstream genes in the pathway.[1] Canonical examples of master regulators include Oct-4 (also called POU5F1), SOX2, and NANOG, all transcription factors involved in maintaining pluripotency in stem cells.[1] Master regulators involved in development and morphogenesis can also appear as oncogenes relevant to tumorigenesis and metastasis, as with the Twist transcription factor.[2]
Other genes reported as master regulators code for SR proteins, which function as splicing factors,[3] and some noncoding RNAs.[4]
Criticism
[edit | edit source]The master regulator concept has been criticized for being a "simplified paradigm" that fails to account for the multifactorial influences on some cell fates.[5]
References
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