One promoter is found in all genes that produce proteins, the core or basal promoter. This is a sequence of 7 nucleotides, TATAAAA which are called the TATA or Hogness box. The TATA box binds to a transcription factor complex called IID (TFIID). The TATA-binding protein (TBP) of TFIID binds to the TATA sequence while additional proteins in the complex interact with each other.

Apart from the basal promoter, there are ubiquitous upstream promoter sequences which attract other sequence-specific transcription factors (e.g. TFIIB and TFIIA) and help construct the transcription complex. Different genes are thus regulated by different promoters and combinations of transcription factors even though transcription factors are shared among genes within the cell.

Enhancer DNA sequences bind transcription factors called enhancer-binding proteins which increase the rate of transcription. Enhancer sequences may be kilobases away from the gene they influence. An enhancer complex may interact with promoter complexes by bringing the sites into direct contact.

Silencer DNA sequences are the opposite to enhancer sequneces. They decrease or suppress the rate of transcription.

Insulator DNA sequences are located between enhancer and silencer sequences and, as there name suggests, they prvent a gene from being transcribed non-specifically by another gene's enhancer.