title: p300/CBP proteins: HATs for transcriptional bridges and scaffolds.
abstract: p300/CBP transcriptional co-activator proteins play a central role in co-ordinating and integrating multiple signal-dependent events with the transcription apparatus, allowing the appropriate level of gene activity to occur in response to diverse physiological cues that influence, for example, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. p300/CBP activity can be under aberrant control in human disease, particularly in cancer, which may inactivate a p300/CBP tumour-suppressor-like activity. The transcription regulating-properties of p300 and CBP appear to be exerted through multiple mechanisms. They act as protein bridges, thereby connecting different sequence-specific transcription factors to the transcription apparatus. Providing a protein scaffold upon which to build a multicomponent transcriptional regulatory complex is likely to be an important feature of p300/CBP control. Another key property is the presence of histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity, which endows p300/CBP with the capacity to influence chromatin activity by modulating nucleosomal histones. Other proteins, including the p53 tumour suppressor, are targets for acetylation by p300/CBP. With the current intense level of research activity, p300/CBP will continue to be in the limelight and, we can be confident, yield new and important information on fundamental processes involved in transcriptional control.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Davidson Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: N B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: La Thangue
mesh_terms: D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002843:Chromatin / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D051548:Histone Acetyltransferases; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D000123:Acetyltransferases; D051548:Histone Acetyltransferases