Unstructured transcription factor interactions enable emergent specificity - PubMed
2 hours ago
- #transcription factors
- #chromatin binding
- #intrinsically disordered regions
- Intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) influence transcription factor (TF) interactions and chromatin binding.
- Proximity-assisted photoactivation (PAPA) was used to study TF interactions in live cells.
- The Sp1 DNA binding domain (DBD) showed poor chromatin interaction and did not colocalize with Sp1.
- Fusion of IDRs to unrelated DBDs enhanced weak interactions with full-length Sp1.
- Live imaging in Drosophila polytene chromosomes showed IDRs confer locus specificity on nonspecific DBDs.
- TF specificity emerges from diverse, unstructured interactions scaffolded by transient DNA contacts.