Blocking the expression of a gene, usually by preventing its transcription or translation. Silencing helps researchers find out the function of a gene.
Genes can be switched off by activating a gene switch that codes for a repressor. The repressor molecule will prevent the activity of the target gene. Genes can also be silenced if the DNA of which they are made is subjected to special chemical changes that may prevent it from being read. A new process called RNA interference is also now known to silence or block individual genes.
The process(es) whereby certain genes in the genome are prevented from being expressed by chemical modifications and other means.
Preventing or suppressing genes being translated into proteins.
Interruption or suppression of the expression of a gene at transcriptional or translational levels.
the process of inactivating a gene that may cause disease or be defective in another way.
Targeting or interfering with a specific gene and preventing its expression (in other words, preventing it from leading to a protein)
gene inactivation through suppression or interruption of the gene expression at transcriptional or translational levels
Gene silencing is a general term describing epigenetic processes of gene regulation. The term gene silencing is generally used to describe the "switching off" of a gene by a mechanism other than genetic mutation. That is, a gene which would be expressed (turned on) under normal circumstances is switched off by machinery in the cell.