Extragenisch

Extragenisch is a German term used in genetics and molecular biology to describe elements, mutations, or effects that originate outside the coding sequence of a given gene. The word blends extra- “outside” with genisch, forming a counterpart to intragenisch, which would denote something contained within a gene. In practical use, extragenisch most often refers to genetic features located in noncoding regions of the genome that can influence a gene’s expression or function, such as promoters, enhancers, insulators, or other regulatory elements situated upstream, downstream, or at a distance from the gene they regulate.

The term can also describe mutations or variations in extragenic regions that alter gene expression, as well as trans-acting factors encoded elsewhere in the genome that regulate a target gene in trans. Extragenische influences are therefore not part of the gene’s coding sequence itself but can have meaningful phenotypic consequences by modulating when, where, or how much a gene is expressed.

Usage and equivalents vary by language and discipline. In German-language literature, extragenisch is commonly used, while English-language texts more often employ extragenic or similar formulations. Some authors distinguish clearly between extragenische regulatory elements and intragenische elements within a gene, reflecting the location relative to the gene rather than a functional category.

See also: intragenisch, regulatory elements, noncoding DNA, trans-acting factors.