The role of general initiation factors in transcription by RNA polymerase II.

Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021, USA.

Transcription initiation on protein-encoding genes represents a major control point for gene expression in eukaryotes, and is mediated by RNA polymerase II and a surprisingly complex array of general initiation factors (TFIIA, -B, -D, -E, -F and -H) that are highly conserved from yeast to man. Elucidation of structural and functional features of these factors on model promoters has revealed insights into biochemical mechanisms and provides a basis for understanding their regulation on diverse promoters by gene- and cell-specific activators.

PMID: 8870495 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]