wrote in message
>
> What I want to know is, is it known for certain that every gene fits > the
"If - Then" mode described by the OP.
>
We know that regulation is extremely complex, and it is not well understood.
The "lac" operon in E coli, for example, is induced by lactose. However its
discovery didn't lead to a flood of anolgous systems in other species for
other sugars.
The upstream portion of the gene certainly plays a role in transcription
control. However in genetically engineered organisms the easiest way to
down-regulate protein expression is to add genes for antisense RNA. Homeobox
genes are arranged in a linear order which matches the part of the body in
which they are expressed, which must have something to do with the control
system, though no-one has solved the puzzle.
So yes, it is right to say that control is just as important as the sequence
of the protein coded for. However it is too early to be sure what mechanisms
are used.
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