title: Non-canonical TAF complexes regulate active promoters in human embryonic stem cells.
abstract: The general transcription factor TFIID comprises the TATA-box-binding protein (TBP) and approximately 14 TBP-associated factors (TAFs). Here we find, unexpectedly, that undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) contain only six TAFs (TAFs 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 11), whereas following differentiation all TAFs are expressed. Directed and global chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses reveal an unprecedented promoter occupancy pattern: most active genes are bound by only TAFs 3 and 5 along with TBP, whereas the remaining active genes are bound by TBP and all six hESC TAFs. Consistent with these results, hESCs contain a previously undescribed complex comprising TAFs 2, 6, 7, 11 and TBP. Altering the composition of hESC TAFs, either by depleting TAFs that are present or ectopically expressing TAFs that are absent, results in misregulated expression of pluripotency genes and induction of differentiation. Thus, the selective expression and use of TAFs underlies the ability of hESCs to self-renew.DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00068.001.
authors.affiliation: Programs in Gene Function and Expression and Molecular Medicine ,  University of Massachusetts Medical School ,  Worcester ,  United States ; Howard Hughes Medical Institute ,  Chevy Chase ,  United States.
authors.forename: Glenn A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Maston
authors.forename: Lihua Julie
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chamberlain
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Minggang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D047369:Chromatin Immunoprecipitation; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D015398:Signal Transduction; D035381:TATA-Binding Protein Associated Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D035181:TATA-Box Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D035381:TATA-Binding Protein Associated Factors; D035181:TATA-Box Binding Protein