The TATA box-binding protein (TBP) is required by all three eukaryotic RNA polymerases for correct initiation of transcription of ribosomal, messenger, small nuclear, and transfer RNAs. The cocrystal structure of the C-terminal/core region of human TBP complexed with the TATA element of the adenovirus major late promoter has been determined at 1.9 angstroms resolution. Structural and functional...

The nucleoside analog 2-chloro-2'-deoxyadenosine (CldAdo; cladribine) is effective in the treatment of hairy cell leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. CldAdo is phosphorylated and incorporated into cellular DNA but is not an absolute chain terminator. We demonstrated by in vitro gel-shift assays that binding interactions of the human TATA box-binding protein (TBP) were disrupted on 2-chlo...

The p53 tumor-suppressor gene product, a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein, has been shown to act both as a transcriptional activator and repressor in vivo and in vitro. Consistent with its roles in regulating transcription are recent observations that p53 binds directly to the TATA box-binding protein (TBP) subunit of the basal transcription factor TFIID. Here, we show that p53 cooperates ...

BACKGROUND In bacteria, transcription units can be insulated by placing a terminator in front of a promoter. In this way promoter leakage due to the read-through from an upstream gene or RNA polymerase unspecific binding to the DNA is, in principle, removed. Differently from bacterial terminators, yeast S. cerevisiae terminators contain a hexamer sequence, the efficiency element, that strongly ...

The ability of the upstream activation sites (UASs) of the yeast CYCI gene to function when inverted or when positioned downstream of the "TATA box" is investigated. Inversion of a 130-base-pair DNA fragment bearing the UASs leaves the activity of the sites almost completely intact. In contrast, positioning the sites downstream of the TATA box or in the intron of a CYCI-ribosomal protein 51-iac...

In previous studies to characterize basal and activated transcription from the early promoter of the gp64 envelope fusion protein (efp) gene of the Orgyia pseudotsugata multicapsid nuclear polyhedrosis virus, the TATA box was identified as a functional element, essential for basal transcription from a minimal promoter construct. In the current study, we used discrete deletions and multiple poin...

By selective attachment of a DNA cleavage agent to specific residues in the yeast TATA box binding protein (yTBP), we demonstrate that, in solution, yTBP binds to the TATA boxes of both the adenovirus major late promoter and the yeast CYC1 promoter with only a modest preference in orientation and binds well to several overlapping binding sites. The general factors TFIIA and TFIIB each increase ...

We have previously shown that a T to G transversion at the second T of the conalbumin "TATA" box drastically decreases specific initiation of transcription by RNA polymerase B (1). We now report that a T to A transcription at the same nucleotide also drastically decreases transcription, suggesting that these mutations influence transcription mainly by altering nucleotide recognition rather than...

A critical regulatory element in many promoters transcribed by RNA polymerase II is the "TATA" box, which is located 25-30 nucleotides upstream of the transcription initiation site. TFIID is a biochemically defined HeLa cell nuclear fraction containing a transcription factor activity that binds specifically to the TATA box and is critical in determining both basal and regulated promoter activit...

Experiments are described which probe the relationship between three sequence elements which make up the eukaryotic RNA polymerase II promoter. A cloned eukaryotic gene, from which the TATA-box and 400 base pairs of 5'-flanking sequence has been deleted, is still transcriptionally active in vivo (following its transfection into cultured mammalian cells) and in vitro. Deletion has appropriately ...