What is the Difference Between Transcriptional and Posttranscriptional Gene Silencing?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene silencing are two different mechanisms by which gene expression can be regulated. Here are the main differences between them:
- Definition: Transcriptional gene silencing refers to the silencing of genes at the transcriptional level, where RNA synthesis is decreased due to the methylation of the promoter. In contrast, post-transcriptional gene silencing refers to the silencing of genes at translational levels, where the silencing is carried out through methods such as RNA interference (RNAi) and nonsense-mediated decay (NMD).
- Mechanism: Transcriptional gene silencing involves the methylation of the promoter, leading to a decrease in RNA synthesis. Post-transcriptional gene silencing, on the other hand, involves sequence-specific RNA degradation by the formation of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA).
- Location: Transcriptional gene silencing occurs in the nucleus, while post-transcriptional gene silencing takes place in the cytoplasm.
- Promoter Activity: In transcriptional gene silencing, the promoter is silenced, whereas the promoter remains active in post-transcriptional gene silencing.
- Target: Transcriptional gene silencing targets the transcription of genes, while post-transcriptional gene silencing focuses on the translation of genes.
In summary, transcriptional gene silencing regulates gene expression at the transcriptional level by decreasing RNA synthesis, while post-transcriptional gene silencing controls gene expression at the translational level through methods such as RNAi and NMD.
Comparative Table: Transcriptional vs Posttranscriptional Gene Silencing
The main difference between transcriptional and posttranscriptional gene silencing lies in the stage of gene expression at which they occur. Here is a table comparing the two types of gene silencing:
Feature | Transcriptional Gene Silencing | Posttranscriptional Gene Silencing |
---|---|---|
Description | Decreases RNA synthesis through the methylation of promoter sequences and histone modifications in the nuclei | Degrades mRNA through the cleavage of mRNA in the cytoplasm |
Location | Occurs in the nuclei | Occurs in the cytoplasm |
Key Process | Gene silencing occurs during the transcription stage of gene expression | Gene silencing occurs during the translation stage of gene expression |
Mechanism | Methylation of promoter sequences and histone modifications | Cleavage of mRNA by small RNA molecules |
In summary, transcriptional gene silencing occurs in the nuclei and reduces RNA synthesis, while posttranscriptional gene silencing takes place in the cytoplasm and degrades mRNA.
- Post Transcriptional vs Post Translational Modification
- Transcription vs Translation
- Transcription vs Reverse Transcription
- Replication vs Transcription
- shRNA vs siRNA
- Transcription vs Translation in DNA
- RNA Interference vs Antisense Oligonucleotide
- CRISPR vs RNAi
- siRNA vs miRNA
- DNA Replication vs Transcription
- Transcription vs Translation in Language
- Proteomics vs Transcriptomics
- Gene Expression vs Gene Regulation
- Prokaryotic vs Eukaryotic Transcription
- Transposon vs Retrotransposon
- Cisgenesis vs Transgenesis
- DNA Transposons vs Retrotransposons
- RNA vs mRNA
- mRNA vs tRNA