Genetic and biochemical evidence shows that the basal transcription machinery of muscle cells invariably relies on TBP/TFIID because TBP2 is not expressed in muscle cells, and thus resolves a longstanding issue raised by previous conflicting data.
Integrative structural biology reveals a novel complex comprising the TATA-box-binding protein, TBP, and two subunits, TAF11 and TAF13, of General Transcription Factor TFIID, suggesting a new regulatory state in TFIID function in RNA polymerase II transcription initiation.
The transcription coactivators SAGA and TFIID have redundant function at a subset of yeast genes while SAGA also contributes to transcription of all genes through regulation of chromatin modifications.
The structure of human transcription factor IIH, a critical DNA repair and transcription initiation factor, has been determined by cryo-electron microscopy.
Analyses with genetically engineered mouse models in combination with biochemical approaches reveal a crucial role of the receptor tyrosine kinase Tie2 mediated signals in venogenesis via an Akt mediated regulation of COUP-TFII protein stabilization.
Yeast bromodomain-containing factors Bdf1/2 offer insights into the biological role of the BET family of transcriptional regulators, which is a promising target in cancer therapy.
An archaeal basal transcription factor containing an iron-sulphur cluster sheds light on the evolution of transcription machineries in archaea and eukaryotes.
An inorganic tin oxochloride cluster specifically binds to an intrinsically disordered, histidine-rich, low complexity protein region and arrests de novo transcription initiation without affecting reinitiation.
Physical and functional interactions between HNF4A and TAF4 coordinate HNF4A genomic occupancy with pre-initiation complex formation to activate post-natal hepatocyte gene expression.
Although the preinitiation complex for transcriptional initiation by RNA polymerase II contains highly conserved general transcription factors, there are kinetic and compositional differences in the initiation process among eukaryotic species.
