Transcription Factors

Transcription factors are the molecules that the cell uses to interpret the genome: they possess sequence-specific DNA-binding activity, and either directly or indirectly influence the transcription of genes. In aggregate, transcription factors control gene expression and genome organization, and play a pivotal role in many aspects of physiology and evolution. This book provides a reference for major aspects of transcription factor function, encompassing a general catalogue of known transcription factor classes, origins and evolution of specific transcription factor types, methods for studying transcription factor binding sites in vitro, in vivo, and in silico, and mechanisms of interaction with chromatin and RNA polymerase.

Plant Transcription Factors: Evolutionary, Structural and Functional Aspects is the only publication that provides a comprehensive compilation of plant transcription factor families and their complex roles in plant biology. While the majority of information about transcription factors is based on mammalian systems, this publication discusses plant transcription factors, including the important aspects and unifying themes to understanding transcription factors and the important roles of particular families in specific processes. Provides an entry point for transcription factor literature Offers compilation of information into one single resource for rapid consultation on different plant transcription factor features Integrates the knowledge about different transcription factors, along with cross-referencing Provides information on the unique aspects surrounding plant transcription factors

Several general principles have emerged from the study of human transcription factors. First, germline mutations in genes encoding transcription factors result in malformation syndromes in which the development of multiple body structures is affected. Second, somatic mutations involving many of the same genes contribute to tumorigenesis. Third, transcriptional regulatory mechanisms demonstrate remarkable evolutionary conservation. Fourth, prenatal development and postnatal physiology are unified by the demonstration that a single transription factor can control the proliferation of progenitor cells during development and the expression within the differentiated cells of gene products that participate in specific physiologic responses. Transcription Factors and Human Disease presents the basic science of transcriptional regulation and then describes inherited human diseases attributable to mutations in DNA sequences encoding transcription factors or their cognate binding sites. The involvement of transcription factors in somatic cell genetic diseases (cancer) and epigenetic disease (teratogenesis) is briefly discussed. The effect of specific mutations on transcription factor activity and the relationship between transcriptional dysregulation, dominant or recessive inheritance patterns, and disease pathogenesis are also explored. This book thus provides a direct connection between molecular defects in transcriptional regulation and human pathophysiology.

Transcription, or the process by which DNA produces RNA, is a central aspect of gene expression. Transcription factors regulate transcription during development and in disease states. As such, it is critical for researchers to gain a good understanding of the relationship between the structure of various families of transcription factors and their function, as well as roles in human disease. Since publication of the Fourth Edition, there have been major advances, notably in the areas of chromatin remodeling and genome-scale analyses. This complete update includes all new coverage of the latest developments, from enabling genomic technologies to studies on the importance of post-translational modifications beyond phosphorylation events. Potential of transcription factors as therapeutic targets in human disease Importance of histone modifications Use of genome-based sequence analysis and high-throughput methods Applications of the chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay Transcriptional elongation Regulation by post-translational modifications Regulatory networks and bioinformatics

Transcription factors are important in regulating gene expression, and their analysis is of paramount interest to molecular biologists studying this area. This book looks at the basic machinery of the cell involved in transcription in eukaryotes and factors that control transcription in eukaryotic cells. It examines the regulatory systems that modulate gene expression in all cells,a s well as the more specialized systems that regulate localized gene expression throughout the mammalian organism. Transcription Factors updates classical knowledge with recent advances to provide a full and comprehensive coverage of the field for postgraduates and researchers in molecular biology involved in the study of gene regulation.

This SpringerBrief explores unconventional functions of eight different transcription factors and concludes with a discussion of their biological significance and impact, including effects on processes within the cell nucleaus during development and in adult organisms. Chapter One details unconventional functions of the transcription factors GAGA, HP1, Rb, STAT, ATF-2 and NF-kB. Surprisingly, all of these transcription factors can be found in association with heterochromatin as well as euchromatin, and in some cases unconventional functions have been demonstrated for these heterochromatin-associated factors. Chapter Two focuses on the unconventional functions of STAT and HP1 and discusses their roles in the promotion of longevity, and in protection from cancer and DNA damage. Chapter Three explores the biological significance of the findings presented in the first two chapters and considers how global changes in the epigenome brought about by factors such as STAT and HP1 might affect processes within the cell nucleus during development and in adult organisms. This succinct yet thorough SpringerBrief is essential for researchers studying epigenetics, and to instructors of the subject. It should also appeal to people interested in the control of gene transcription and other processes in the cell nucleus, and to those interested in development.