Transcriptional regulation is of considerable importance in the expression of eukaryotic genes, and a considerable degree of regulation is controlled at the level of mRNA synthesis. As in prokaryotic organisms, transcriptional control in eukaryotes results from an interplay between regulatory DNA sequences and site-specific DNA-binding proteins. Transcription of eukaryotic genes is influenced by various regulatory elements, termed promoters, enhancers and silencers. These regulatory elements are composed of discrete DNA sequences, which constitute binding sites for sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins. These proteins bind DNA by some common structural motifs. The motifs that are utilized by eukaryotic regulatory proteins are helix-turn-helix, zinc finger and leucine zipper.

Transcriptional regulation is of considerable importance in the expression of eukaryotic genes, and a considerable degree of regulation is controlled at the level of mRNA synthesis. As in prokaryotic organisms, transcriptional control in eukaryotes results from an interplay between regulatory DNA sequences and site-specific DNA-binding proteins. Transcription of eukaryotic genes is influenced by various regulatory elements, termed promoters, enhancers and silencers. These regulatory elements are composed of discrete DNA sequences, which constitute binding sites for sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins. These proteins bind DNA by some common structural motifs. The motifs that are utilized by eukaryotic regulatory proteins are helix-turn-helix, zinc finger and leucine zipper.