Functional dissection of the bHLH protein R

描述(申请人提供)：众所周知，真核生物转录调控是通过一种称为组合控制的策略来实现的。只有在例外的情况下，多个转录因子的联合活动才能建立起导致特定目标基因表达的机制。本研究旨在了解C1/R复合体能够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，提出了一种涉及额外R-相互作用因子的机制。这项建议的具体目标是：i)从生化角度表征C1/R复合体，以及ii)表征已经从分子上识别的C1/R复合体的成员，以确定它们如何对R调节功能做出贡献。对这种转录复合体的解剖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总体理解，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明显的色素沉着提供了其他系统中难得的优势。

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.