transcriptional repression

Transcriptional repression is a process that decreases or stops the production of specific proteins in a cell. It involves molecules called repressors that attach to certain regions of DNA near a gene. When these repressors are in place, they block the cellular machinery responsible for copying the gene's instructions into RNA, preventing the gene from being expressed. This regulation helps cells control which proteins are made and when, maintaining proper function and response to signals. Essentially, transcriptional repression acts as a switch to turn off gene activity when needed.