Functional dissection of the bHLH protein R

描述（由申请人提供）：众所周知，真核生物中的转录调节是通过称为组合控制的策略来实现的。只有在特殊情况下，才建立了多种转录因子的组合活性导致特定靶基因组表达的机制。本提案旨在了解 C1/R 复合物激活玉米花青素生物合成途径基因的机制。根据我们广泛的初步结果，正在提出一种涉及额外 R 相互作用因子的机制。该提案的具体目标是 I) 表征 C1/R 复合物的生化特征，以及 II) 表征分子上已鉴定的 C1/R 复合物成员，以确定它们如何促进 R 调节功能。对这种转录复合物的剖析无疑将有助于对组合基因调控以及所有真核生物中转录如何调控的一般理解，因为涉及的许多因子在包括动物在内的其他系统中共享具有相似结构域的蛋白质。花青素的可有可无的性质及其显着的色素沉着提供了其他系统中罕见的优势。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): It is well established that the regulation of transcription in eukaryotes is achieved by a strategy known as combinatorial control. Only exceptionally have the mechanisms been established by which the combined activities of multiple transcription factors result in the expression of specific sets of target genes. The present proposal aims at understanding the mechanism by which the C1/R complex is able to activate the genes of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway in maize. Based on our extensive preliminary results, a mechanism involving additional R-interacting factors is being proposed. The specific objectives of this proposal are aimed at I) characterizing the C1/R complex biochemically and II) characterizing molecularly already identified members of the C1/R complex to determine how they contribute to the R regulatory function. The dissection of this transcriptional complex will undoubtedly contribute to the general understanding of combinatorial gene regulation and on how transcription is regulated in all eukaryotes as many of the factors involved share proteins with similar domains in other systems including animals. The dispensable nature of anthocyanins and their conspicuous pigmentation provide advantages rarely found in other systems.