title: The human general co-factors.
abstract: The human general co-factors were discovered during biochemical fractionation of mammalian nuclear extracts in functional in vitro assays. They appear to act in concert with other co-activators that bind tightly to the TATA-binding protein and RNA polymerase II. Several co-factors have been shown to interact with general transcription factors, leading either to activation or repression of transcription. At least one subgroup of co-factors that enhance the effects of activators on transcription are DNA-binding proteins located in the chromatin. In fact, one co-factor, the repressor NC2, is structurally related to histones. The understanding of the molecular interplay of such components of the initiation complex in the chromatin-including general co-factors, other co-factors, general factors and activators-will be a major challenge in the future.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorium für Molekulare Biologie-Genzentrum, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meisterernst
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D025782:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA-Reductases, NADP-dependent; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D008322:Mammals; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000378:metabolism; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D035181:TATA-Box Binding Protein; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D035581:Transcription Factor TFIIB; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C490043:IFRD2 protein, human; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D035181:TATA-Box Binding Protein; D015534:Trans-Activators; D035581:Transcription Factor TFIIB; D014157:Transcription Factors; C075995:down-regulator of transcription 1; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases; D025782:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA-Reductases, NADP-dependent; D012319:RNA Polymerase II