Imagine a cell expressing a gene (i.e., transcribing and translating) when it detects a change in the environment requiring the gene to be turned off immediately. Which molecular regulation mechanism would be the SLOWEST to turn the gene off but also result in the least waste for the cell? Repressing the initiation of transcription Stalling the ribosomes that are actively conducting translation Actually, all of these would be equally slow. Attenuation of the transcribed genes. Degrading the existing mRNA.