ALLELE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does allele mean? 

• ALLELE (noun)
  The noun ALLELE has 1 sense:

1. (genetics) either of a pair (or series) of alternative forms of a gene that can occupy the same locus on a particular chromosome and that control the same character

  Familiarity information: ALLELE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ALLELE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(genetics) either of a pair (or series) of alternative forms of a gene that can occupy the same locus on a particular chromosome and that control the same character

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

allele; allelomorph

Context example:

some alleles are dominant over others

Hypernyms ("allele" is a kind of...):

cistron; factor; gene ((genetics) a segment of DNA that is involved in producing a polypeptide chain; it can include regions preceding and following the coding DNA as well as introns between the exons; it is considered a unit of heredity)

Domain category:

genetic science; genetics (the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "allele"):

dominant; dominant allele (an allele that produces the same phenotype whether its paired allele is identical or different)

recessive; recessive allele (an allele that produces its characteristic phenotype only when its paired allele is identical)

Derivation:

allelic (of or relating to alleles)

 Context examples 

This allele, which encodes myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2D protein, is involved in the modulation of transcription during muscle development and neuronal differentiation.

(MEF2D wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2C protein, is involved in the mediation of cardiac morphogenesis, muscle cell differentiation and vasculogenesis.

(MEF2C wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Human MEIS1 wild-type allele is located within 2p14-p13 and is approximately 137 kb in length.

(MEIS1 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes homeobox protein Meis2, plays a role in transcriptional regulation.

(MEIS2 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2B protein, plays a role in the modulation of transcription.

(MEF2B wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes multidrug resistance-associated protein 5, is involved in the transport of cyclic nucleotides.

(ABCC5 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Human ABCF2 wild-type allele is located in the vicinity of 7q36 and is approximately 19 kb in length.

(ABCF2 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Human MEF2A wild-type allele is located in the vicinity of 15q26 and is approximately 150 kb in length.

(MEF2A wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Human MEN wild-type allele is located in the vicinity of 11q13 and is approximately 8 kb in length.

(MEN1 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

MASL1 allele is a potential oncogene whose expression is enhanced in some malignant fibrous histiocytomas.

(MFHAS1 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)