Final answer:
Complex-stabilizing proteins like transcription factors are not considered catalysts or enzymes because they do not directly participate in the chemical reactions themselves or alter the reaction's free energy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Complex-stabilizing proteins like transcription factors are not considered catalysts or enzymes because they do not directly participate in the chemical reactions themselves or alter the reaction's free energy. Enzymes, on the other hand, lower the activation energy required for a reaction to occur, therefore speeding up the reaction. Transcription factors primarily regulate gene expression by binding to DNA enhancer sequences and facilitating or inhibiting the binding of RNA polymerase to the promoter region, which initiates transcription. While transcription factors are involved in the process of transcription, they are not directly catalyzing the chemical reactions involved.
The catalytic role of enzymes has been a significant part of molecular biology, evident from the award-winning research on the one-gene/one-enzyme hypothesis and the discovery of ribozymes. Biocatalytic mechanisms require enzymes and cofactors to act within specialized pockets, such as active sites, to be effective. This specificity and functionality differ from the operating mechanisms of transcription factors.