Transforming ligands into transcriptional regulators: Building blocks for bifunctional molecules

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2011

Abstract

The human body is comprised of several hundred distinct cell types that all share a common genomic template. This diversity arises from regulated expression of individual genes. The first critical step in this process is transcription and is governed by a large number of transcription factors. Small molecules that can alter transcription hold tremendous utility as chemical probes and therapeutics. To fully realize their potential, however, artificial transcription factors must be able to orchestrate protein recruitment at gene promoters just like their natural counterparts. This tutorial review surveys the discovery of small ligands (drug-like molecules and short peptides) that bind transcriptional coregulatory proteins, and thus comprise one of the two essential characteristics of a transcription factor. By joining these ligands to DNA-targeting moieties, one can construct a bifunctional molecule that recruits its protein target to specific genes and controls gene transcription.

Comments

Copyright 2011 Royal Society of Chemistry

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Publication Title

Chemical Society Reviews

Published Citation

Højfeldt, J. W.; Van Dyke, A. R.; Mapp, A. K. "Transforming ligands into transcriptional regulators: Building blocks for bifunctional molecules". Chemical Society Reviews 40 (2011) pp. 4286–4294. DOI: 10.1039/C1CS15050B

DOI

DOI: 10.1039/C1CS15050B

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