title: Transcriptional regulation by trithorax-group proteins.
abstract: The trithorax group of genes (trxG) was identified in mutational screens that examined developmental phenotypes and suppression of Polycomb mutant phenotypes. The protein products of these genes are primarily involved in gene activation, although some can also have repressive effects. There is no central function for these proteins. Some move nucleosomes about on the genome in an ATP-dependent manner, some covalently modify histones such as methylating lysine 4 of histone H3, and some directly interact with the transcription machinery or are a part of that machinery. It is interesting to consider why these specific members of large families of functionally related proteins have strong developmental phenotypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114.
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Kingston
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064.
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Tamkun
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D022661:RNA, Untranslated