Régulants

Régulants, or regulators, are substances or factors that modulate the speed, magnitude, or outcome of biological processes. They operate at various levels and may be produced within an organism (endogenous) or introduced from outside (exogenous). Régulants function through diverse mechanisms, including altering enzyme activity, modifying receptor signaling, changing gene expression, or influencing post-translational processes. They are essential for maintaining homeostasis and for adaptive responses to internal and external changes.

Categories of régulants include chemical regulators such as hormones and small molecules, proteins and RNAs that regulate transcription or translation (transcription factors, microRNAs), and physical or environmental factors (pH, temperature, osmotic conditions). In agriculture, plant growth regulators (PGRs) are widely used to steer developmental processes such as rooting, flowering, fruit set, ripening, and abscission.

In medicine and biology, régulants coordinate development, metabolism, immunity, and stress responses. Examples include insulin, glucocorticoids, and cytokines in animals; and auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins, ethylene, and abscisic acid in plants. Transcription factors and regulatory RNAs orchestrate gene expression programs, often via feedback and feedforward loops within signaling networks.

Safety, specificity, and dosage considerations govern the use of régulants in practical applications, along with regulatory oversight in agriculture and medicine. See also regulation, signaling pathways, transcription factors, and plant growth regulators.