Purification, Cloning and Biochemical Characterisation of TBP-related factor 2 (TRF2)associated factors and Identification of TRF2-specific target genes

• Applicant: Dr. Andreas Hochheimer
• Subject Area: Basic Research in Biology and Medicine
• Term: from 1998 to 2001
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5145193

Eucaryotic cells were thought to contain only a single TATA-binding protein [TBP], but recently a cell type-specific TBP-related factor 1 (TRF1) was reported in Drosophila that can substitute for TBP in directing correct initiation of transcription and support activator-specific activation [7, 8]. It was further discovered that in addition to TRF1, a second family of TBP-related proteins TRF2, is present in human, mouse, Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans and other metazoans [24]. Like TBP and TRF1, TRF2 binds transcription factors TFIIA and TFIIB and appears to be organized in a larger protein complex. Importantly, TRF2 is associated with developmentally important loci on the Drosophila chromosomes distinct from TRF1 and TBP suggesting that TRF2 or TRF2 in complex with associatedfactors has a different promoter specificity and regulates a select subset of genes. It is therefore tempting to speculate that like the TBP-associated factors [TAFs], TRF2-associated factors might help to direct TRF2 to specific promoters and mediate activation by a select subset of enhancer binding proteins. The characterisation of these TRF2-associated proteins and the identification of TRF2-specific target genes will be informative to determine the underlying mechanisms of promoter selectivity and regulation of gene expression.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA