Corre Sébastien, Galibert Marie-Dominique
CNRS UMR 6061 Laboratoire de Génétique et Développement, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Rennes-1, Rennes Cedex, France.
Pigment Cell Res. 2005 Oct;18(5):337-48. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0749.2005.00262.x.
Upstream stimulating factors (USF), USF-1 and USF-2, are members of the eucaryotic evolutionary conserved basic-Helix-Loop-Helix-Leucine Zipper transcription factor family. They interact with high affinity to cognate E-box regulatory elements (CANNTG), which are largely represented across the whole genome in eucaryotes. The ubiquitously expressed USF-transcription factors participate in distinct transcriptional processes, mediating recruitment of chromatin remodelling enzymes and interacting with co-activators and members of the transcription pre-initiation complex. Results obtained from both cell lines and knock-out mice indicates that USF factors are key regulators of a wide number of gene regulation networks, including the stress and immune responses, cell cycle and proliferation, lipid and glucid metabolism, and in melanocytes USF-1 has been implicated as a key UV-activated regulator of genes associated with pigmentation. This review will focus on general characteristics of the USF-transcription factors and their place in some regulatory networks.
上游刺激因子（USF），即USF-1和USF-2，是真核生物进化保守的碱性螺旋-环-螺旋-亮氨酸拉链转录因子家族的成员。它们与同源E-box调控元件（CANNTG）具有高亲和力相互作用，这些元件在真核生物的整个基因组中广泛存在。普遍表达的USF转录因子参与不同的转录过程，介导染色质重塑酶的募集，并与共激活因子和转录前起始复合物的成员相互作用。来自细胞系和基因敲除小鼠的结果表明，USF因子是众多基因调控网络的关键调节因子，包括应激和免疫反应、细胞周期和增殖、脂质和糖类代谢，并且在黑素细胞中，USF-1被认为是与色素沉着相关基因的关键紫外线激活调节因子。本综述将聚焦于USF转录因子的一般特征及其在一些调控网络中的地位。
