Article abstract


Nature Structural & Molecular Biology 15, 1192 - 1198 (2008)
Published online: 12 October 2008 | doi:10.1038/nsmb.1500

A quantitative model of transcription factor–activated gene expression

Harold D Kim1 & Erin K O'Shea1


A challenge facing biology is to develop quantitative, predictive models of gene regulation. Eukaryotic promoters contain transcription factor binding sites of differing affinity and accessibility, but we understand little about how these variables combine to generate a fine-tuned, quantitative transcriptional response. Here we used the PHO5 promoter in budding yeast to quantify the relationship between transcription factor input and gene expression output, termed the gene-regulation function (GRF). A model that captures variable interactions between transcription factors, nucleosomes and the promoter faithfully reproduced the observed quantitative changes in the GRF that occur upon altering the affinity of transcription factor binding sites, and implicates nucleosome-modulated accessibility of transcription factor binding sites in increasing the diversity of gene expression profiles. This work establishes a quantitative framework that can be applied to predict GRFs of other eukaryotic genes.

Top
  1. Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Departments of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Northwest Laboratories, 52 Oxford Street, Room 445.40, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.

Correspondence to: Erin K O'Shea1 e-mail: erin_oshea@harvard.edu



MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.

NEWS AND VIEWS

Research highlights

Nature Chemical Biology News and Views (01 Jun 2008)


Extra navigation

Subscribe to Nature Structural & Molecular Biology

Subscribe

Search PubMed for

Open Innovation Challenges

  • Mitigating Zinc Corrosion

    • Deadline: Aug 23 2009
    • Reward: $20,000 USD

    The Seeker is looking for novel methods to mitigate zinc corrosion/gassing in alkaline media. This ...

  • Corrosion Inhibitor

    • Deadline: Aug 19 2009
    • Reward: $10,000 USD

    The Seeker is looking for inhibitors of corrosion. This Challenge requires only a written descripti...

naturejobs

natureproducts


ADVERTISEMENT