Functional dissection of the bHLH protein R

描述（由申请人提供）：众所周知，真核生物的转录调控是通过一种称为组合控制的策略实现的。只有在特殊情况下，才建立了多种转录因子联合活动导致特定靶基因表达的机制。本研究旨在了解C1/R复合物激活玉米花青素生物合成途径基因的机制。基于我们广泛的初步结果，我们提出了一种涉及其他r相互作用因素的机制。本提案的具体目标是：1)生物化学表征C1/R复合物；2)表征分子上已鉴定的C1/R复合物成员，以确定它们如何参与R调节功能。这种转录复合体的解剖无疑将有助于对组合基因调控的总体理解，以及对所有真核生物中转录是如何调控的，因为许多相关因素在包括动物在内的其他系统中具有相似结构域的共享蛋白质。花青素的可有可无的性质及其明显的色素沉着提供了在其他系统中很少发现的优势。

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.