title: The general transcription factor TAF7 is essential for embryonic development but not essential for the survival or differentiation of mature T cells.
abstract: TAF7, a component of the TFIID complex that nucleates the assembly of transcription preinitiation complexes, also independently interacts with and regulates the enzymatic activities of other transcription factors, including P-TEFb, TFIIH, and CIITA, ensuring an orderly progression in transcription initiation. Since not all TAFs are required in terminally differentiated cells, we examined the essentiality of TAF7 in cells at different developmental stages in vivo. Germ line disruption of the TAF7 gene is embryonic lethal between 3.5 and 5.5 days postcoitus. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts with TAF7 deleted cease transcription globally and stop proliferating. In contrast, whereas TAF7 is essential for the differentiation and proliferation of immature thymocytes, it is not required for subsequent, proliferation-independent differentiation of lineage committed thymocytes or for their egress into the periphery. TAF7 deletion in peripheral CD4 T cells affects only a small number of transcripts. However, T cells with TAF7 deleted are not able to undergo activation and expansion in response to antigenic stimuli. These findings suggest that TAF7 is essential for proliferation but not for proliferation-independent differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Immunology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gegonne
authors.forename: Xuguang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: Jinghui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jianjian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Aki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshimoto
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hanson
authors.forename: Constance
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cultraro
authors.forename: Qing-Rong
authors.initials: QR
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Guinter
authors.forename: Zhihui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hathcock
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Canales
authors.forename: Lino
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tessarollo
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mackem
authors.forename: Daoud
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Meerzaman
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Buetow
authors.forename: Dinah S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Singer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D035381:TATA-Binding Protein Associated Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D035362:Transcription Factor TFIID / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: C582066:TAF7 protein, mouse; D035381:TATA-Binding Protein Associated Factors; D035362:Transcription Factor TFIID