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Regulation of the Lactase Gene

Mechanism for Turning Off LCT

If you thought of (a) blocking an activator or (b) turning up a repressor, you had a good idea.

Although many transcription factors have been found that affect the expression of the lactase gene, not all of the details for exactly how lactase gene expression is reduced are known.

A two-panel diagram with one panel labeled Block activator and the other panel labeled Increase repressor.
A two-panel diagram with one panel marked with the letter A and the other with a B. The top panel is labeled Block activator and shows an irregular blue-green mass with a red circle with a diagonal slash mark across the middle superimposed on it. The bottom panel is labeled Increase repressor and shows an irregular red mass with an arrow next to it pointing upward.