Skip to main content
Site contents

Multiple Transcription Factors

A diagram of multiple transcription factors indicating which ones are repressors and which ones are activators.
A diagram titled Multiple Transcription Factors. A red double helix forms a horizontal hair-pin shape. A series of irregular shapes with lumpy surfaces lines the inside edge of the hair pin. Starting from the top right, a small red shape appears with a red arrow below it pointing downward to a large yellow shape at the bottom right. To the left of the small red shape is a larger blue shape labeled Activators. A blue arrow below it points downward to the large yellow shape at the bottom right. To the left of the blue shape is a medium-sized red shape labeled Repressors. A red arrow below the red shape points downward diagonally and toward its lower right to a larger red shape. Below the medium-sized red shape along the bottom edge of the hair pin is another blue shape with a blue arrow pointing to its right at the large red shape. This large red shape is attached to the large yellow shape on its right side.

Different combinations of multiple transcription factors— including the activators and repressors—regulate the same gene in different types of cells. So, it is possible to have a gene on in one cell, such as an intestinal cell, but off in another cell, such as a skin cell.