Developmental regulation of transcription initiation: more than just changing the actors.
The traditional model of transcription initiation nucleated by the TFIID complex has suffered significant erosion in the last decade. The discovery of cell-specific paralogs of TFIID subunits and a variety of complexes that replace TFIID in transcription initiation of protein coding genes have been paralleled by the description of diverse core promoter sequences. These observations suggest an additional level of regulation of developmental and tissue-specific gene expression at the core promoter level. Recent work suggests that this regulation may function through specific roles of distinct TBP-type factors and TBP-associated factors (TAFs), however the picture emerging is still far from complete. Here we summarize the proposed models of transcription initiation by alternative initiation complexes in distinct stages of developmental specialization during vertebrate ontogeny.
Müller
Ferenc
F
Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Division of Reproductive and Child Health, Institute of Biomedical Research, University of Birmingham, B15 2TT Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
Zaucker
Andreas
A
Tora
Làszlò
L
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D035381:TATA-Binding Protein Associated Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D035181:TATA-Box Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D035362:Transcription Factor TFIID / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
D035381:TATA-Binding Protein Associated Factors; D035181:TATA-Box Binding Protein; D035362:Transcription Factor TFIID