High impact information on Taf2

• Interestingly, TAFII150 enhances Sp1 activation even though this subunit does not bind directly to Sp1 [1].
• The deduced primary amino acid sequence of dTAFII150 reveals a striking similarity to the essential yeast gene, TSM-1 [2].
• The data demonstrate that at least one of the TAFs is a sequence-specific DNA binding protein and that dTAFII150 together with TBP are responsible for TFIID interactions with an extended region of the core promoter [2].
• Surprisingly, DNA binding studies indicate that purified recombinant dTAFII150 binds specifically to DNA sequences overlapping the start site of transcription [2].
• Activator-dependent reinitiation of transcription, obviating the slow assembly of the TFIID-TFIIA complex on a promoter, may be especially crucial for genes requiring a fast response to inducers [3].

Biological context of Taf2

• The heat shock genes provide an example for transcriptional regulation at a later step: in nuclei TFIID can be detected at the TATA box prior to heat induction [3].
• Well-documented transcription activation mechanisms, such as the recruitment of TFIID and TFIIB, control the early phases of preinitiation complex formation [3].
• TFIIA-TAF regulatory interplay: NMR evidence for overlapping binding sites on TBP [4].

Physical interactions of Taf2

• Here we demonstrate that Drosophila TAF1 protein isoforms TAF1-2 and TAF1-4 directly bind DNA independently of TAF2 [5].

References