Mark Steven Ptashne Encyclopedia Article

Mark Steven Ptashne

The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.

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The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.

The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.

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Mark Steven Ptashne

1940-

American molecular biologist who was the first to identify and describe the operation of repressor genes in an organism. This discovery, made simultaneously and independently of Walter Gilbert's work, helped to shed additional light on the workings of the genome. Ptashne demonstrated, for example, that an enzyme responsible for digesting lactose is turned off by a repressor gene when lactose is absent from the cell. This process is reversible when lactose exists in the cell.