Medical Biotechnology Master’s Programmes
at the University of Pécs and at the University of Debrecen
Identification number: TÁMOP-4.1.2-08/1/A-2009-0011
TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS
Tímea Berki and Ferenc Boldizsár Signal transduction
Medical Biotechnology Master’s Programmes
at the University of Pécs and at the University of Debrecen
Identification number: TÁMOP-4.1.2-08/1/A-2009-0011
Structural groups of transcription factors
• Helix-loop-helix eg. MyoD, c-Myc
• Leucin zippers eg. AP-1, CREB
• Zinc-coordinating DNA-binding domains eg. Zinc fingers: nuclear receptors for steroids, thyroid
hormone; GATA factors
• Helix-turn-helix eg. Homeobox; Forkhead / winged helix
• Beta-scaffold factors with minor groove contacts eg.
NFkB, NFAT, STAT, p53
• Others
Structural groups of transcription factors
C C
H H
C C
H H
DNA binding
Zinc finger transcription factors
Transactivation Transactivation
Zn Zn
Basic helix-loop-helix
Helix Helix
Helix Helix
DNA-binding domain DNA-binding
domain
Loop Loop
H
2N NH
2Basic leucine zipper
Functional domains of transcription factors
Ligand
A/B C D E F
N-terminal domain Hinge region C-terminal domain
DNA binding domain (DBD) Ligand binding domain (LBD) Dimerization
Transactivation
Nuclear receptor superfamily
GR GR
Steroid Recetors
Glucocorticoid Mineralocorticoid Progesterone Androgen GR
MR PR AR
Dimeric Orphan Receptors
RXR COUP HNF-4 TR2 TLX GCNF
9-cis RA
RXR RXR
Monomeric/Tethered Orphan Receptors
NGFI-B SF-1 Rev-erb ROR ERR
RXR T3R
RAR VDR PPAR
PPAR
EcR FXR CAR LXR PXR/SXR
RXR Heterodimers
Thyroid hormone All-trans RA 1,2,5-(OH)2-VD Fatty acids 15d-12,14-PGJ Ecdysone Bile acids Androstane Oxysterol Xenobiotics
RXR R
Mechanism of steroid receptor action
HSP GR GR
GR
HSP
GR
HRE
Co-activator RNA polymerase GR
GR
Co-activator
RNA polymerase
Co-activator RNA polymerase RXR R
HRE
Co-activator
RNA polymerase
Co-activator RNA polymerase
HRE RXR RXR
Co-repressor Hormone
Nucleus Plasma membrane
Cytoplasm
Co-repressor RXR R
HRE
Transcription Transcription Transcription
Functional groups of TFs
• General transcription factors: constitutively active, present in all cells at all times, bind TATA box, form preinitiation complex eg. TFIIA-H
• Specific transcription factors /upstream transcription factors are conditionally active
– Developmental (cell specific) eg. GATA, MyoD, Hox, Winged helix
– Signal-dependent
Signal-dependent TFs
• Extracellular ligand (eg. nuclear receptors)
• Intracellular ligand (eg. SREBP, p53)
• Cell-membrane receptor dependent
• Resident nuclear (eg. CREB, AP-1, Mef-2)
• Latent cytoplasmic (eg. STAT, NFAT, NFkB,
Notch)
TFs in T cell activation induce cytokine production
TCR
b
d e e z z
CD28
Plasma membrane
Calcium flux, NFAT activation
MAPK activation, AP1 formation GRB2
SOS
RAS
RAS GRP1
DAG
GTP
NFAT FOS JUN IL-12
Nucleus
ZAP70
AP1 CD3
Structure of STATs
NH
2Coiled coil DBD Lk SH
2Y TAD
P
0 200 400 600 800
Regulation of transcription
Transcriptional control
Transcription factors, chromatin state,
combinatorial control, co-factors, alternative promoters, etc.
Post-transcriptional control
MicroRNAs, alternative splicing, alternative polyadenylation, RNA-binding proteins, etc.
miRNAs
mRNAs
TF TF
Mechanism of gene regulation
• General transcription factors and the RNA
Polymerase interacts with numerous coregulators (specific transcription factors)
• Activators bind to enhancer elements
• Repressors bind to silencer elements of the DNA
upstream from the TATA box
Growth factor induced TFs and their biological effect
Cell survival Proliferation Apoptosis resistance
Metastasis Angiogenesis
SOS
GRB2 Ras Rac CDC42 Rho
MEK1/2
Erk Raf ERK pathway
MKK4/7
JNK MEKK JNK pathway
MKK3/6
p38 Tak p38 pathway
Akt
mTor PI3K
HER2
Some important transcription factors
Family Representative transcription factors Functions
Homeodomain
Hox Hoxa-1, Hoxb-2, etc. Axis formation
POU Pit-1, Unc-86, Oct-2 Pituitary development; neural fate
LIM Lim-1, Forkhead Head development
Pax Pax1, 2, 3, etc. Neural specification; eye development
Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) MyoD, achaete, daughterless Muscle and nerve specification; Drosophila sex determination
Basic leucine zipper (bZip) C/EBP, AP1 Liver differentiation; fat cell specification Zinc finger
Standard WT1, Krüppel, Engrailed Kidney, gonad, and macrophage
development; Drosophila segmentation Nuclear hormone receptors Glucocorticoid receptor, estrogen receptor,
testosterone receptor, retinoic acid receptors Secondary sex determination; craniofacial development;
limb development
Sry-Sox Sry, SoxD, Sox2 Bend DNA; mammalian primary sex determination;
ectoderm differentiation