Function of a yeast TATA element-binding protein in a mammalian transcription system

• DOI: 10.1038/334037a0
• Publication Date: 2003-08-11T21:33:38Z
• Authors: Stephen Buratowski; Steven Hahn; Phillip A. Sharp; Leonard Guarente
• Keywords: TATA box; TATA-binding protein; TAF4; Transcription preinitiation complex; RNA polymerase II; General transcription factor; TATA-Box Binding Protein

Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains a protein which is functionally similar to the mammalian TATA element-binding transcription factor, TFIID. The yeast factor substitutes for TFIID in a mammalian RNA polymerase II in vitro transcription system, forms a stable preinitiation complex on the Adenovirus-2 major late promoter, and binds specifically to the TATA boxes of the viral promoter and the yeast CYC1 promoter. Interestingly, the yeast factor promotes initiation at a distance from the TATA element typical of a mammalian system.