Abstract

Transcriptional regulation is a critical mechanism that is used by all organisms to control complex developmental pathways. In most cases where the regulatory mechanism has been elucidated, it has been found that sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins play pivotal roles in this process. These regulatory factors are thought to bind to specific sequences in the target gene(s) and subsequently influence the transcriptional activity of the particular promoter through interaction with other proteins. Thus, study of the structural and functional properties of trans-acting factors are critical for a comprehensive model of gene regulation.