Silent gene

[m25]

What are silent genes? I know they are part of gene that are not transcribed, but can they be turned on/activated to actually produce functional proteins? Or do they not code for functional proteins in the first place?

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[amy_k]

They do code for proteins, but the cell silences or activates certain genes as a way of controlling protein production. When the gene is silent it is not expressed but this can be reversed, and is usually controlled by transcription factors.

 

[krukshanks]

Silent gene is actually not a very formally defined term. Sometimes they are mentioned as what @amy_k has described, but sometimes they could also refer to some protein-encoding genes that do not show any phenotype when knocked out. It will be helpful if you bring this term out in a context, but either way it should code for protein.

 

[amy_k]

@krukshanks, I'm assuming this is something you've encountered in practice? Are you saying that knocked-out genes are also referred to as silent genes? Because knocked-out genes are completely removed from the genome, thus being irreversible in a sense, where silencing is reversible. Do you mean "gene knock-down" in genetic research? This is the same as silencing since it reduces the expression of a gene., but knockout is definitely different.

 

[krukshanks]

@krukshanks, I'm assuming this is something you've encountered in practice? Are you saying that knocked-out genes are also referred to as silent genes? Because knocked-out genes are completely removed from the genome, thus being irreversible in a sense, where silencing is reversible. Do you mean "gene knock-down" in genetic research? This is the same as silencing since it reduces the expression of a gene., but knockout is definitely different.

No I'm not saying that knocked-out genes are referred to as silent genes. In the definition that I mentioned above (read about it in a class), it is rather saying that a gene is silent because knocking it out does not show any observable phenotype, even though it does code for protein.

 

[shefv]

I thought of silent genes this way - all cells in the body have the same set of genes but they are rearranged where some genes are activated and others are silenced based on the function and needs of the cell. These silent genes may produce protiens (to help with the growth and survival of the cell) or they may not make proteins.