A new factor related to TATA-binding protein has highly restricted expression patterns in Drosophila.
The TATA-binding protein TBP is necessary for the transcription of eukaryotic genes. Multi-protein complexes formed by TBP and different TBP-associated factors are involved in the initiation of transcription by polymerases I and II, and probably III as well. During the formation of an active initiation complex, TBP makes specific contacts with other proteins, for example TFIIB and RNA polymerase II (refs 2-4). Here we describe the cloning and characterization of a Drosophila gene product with considerable sequence similarity to TBP and a highly restricted expression pattern in the embryo. This TBP-related factor is a DNA-binding protein but is not likely to be a basal transcription factor. Our results suggest that TBP-related factor is a sequence-specific transcription factor that shares the DNA-binding properties of TBP.
Crowley
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TE
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0724.
Hoey
T
T
Liu
J K
JK
Jan
Y N
YN
Jan
L Y
LY
Tjian
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R
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D016385:TATA Box; D035182:TATA Box Binding Protein-Like Proteins; D035181:TATA-Box Binding Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D035182:TATA Box Binding Protein-Like Proteins; D035181:TATA-Box Binding Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors