A
gene regulatory network or
genetic regulatory network (GRN) is a collection of regulators that interact with each other and with other substances in the cell to govern the gene expression levels of
mRNA and proteins. The regulator can be
DNA,
RNA,
protein and their complex. The interaction can be direct or indirect (through their transcribed RNA or translated protein). In general, each mRNA molecule goes on to make a specific protein (or set of proteins). In some cases this protein will be structural, and will accumulate at the cell membrane or within the cell to give it particular structural properties. In other cases the protein will be an
enzyme, i.e., a micro-machine that catalyses a certain reaction, such as the breakdown of a food source or toxin. Some proteins though serve only to activate other genes, and these are the
transcription factors that are the main players in regulatory networks or cascades. By binding to the
promoter region at the start of other genes they turn them on, initiating the production of another protein, and so on. Some transcription factors are inhibitory.