Transcription factors find their targets by reading the epigenetic code

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This project aims to elucidate how transcription factors, proteins that regulate gene expression, find their target genes. The hypothesis is that non-DNA binding domains play an essential role in this process. This project expects to transform our understanding of transcription factor families, and how factors in families with the same DNA-binding domain manage to regulate different genes. Expected outcomes of this project include revealing how accessory proteins help transcription factors identify their targets in the genome by reading epigenetic marks. This should provide significant benefits including improved design of artificial transcription factors to up- or down-regulate specific genes in research and agriculture.