New functions for DNA binding domains.
How the same transcription factor can be both an activator and a repressor of transcription is a biological mystery. Rao describes work that shows that the structure of the transcription factor may actually change depending on the DNA sequence bound by the factor. This change in structure may influence the binding of activators or repressors of transcription, thus allowing a single transcription factor to have two different activities.
Rao
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Center for Blood Research and the Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Warren Alpert Building, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. arao@cbr.med.harvard.edu
D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D050809:POU Domain Factors; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D050809:POU Domain Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors