National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore, India.
Nucleus. 2023 Dec;14(1):2205758. doi: 10.1080/19491034.2023.2205758.
Transcription Factor (TF) condensates are a heterogenous mix of RNA, DNA, and multiple co-factor proteins capable of modulating the transcriptional response of the cell. The dynamic nature and the spatial location of TF-condensates in the 3D nuclear space is believed to provide a fast response, which is on the same pace as the signaling cascade and yet ever-so-specific in the crowded environment of the nucleus. However, the current understanding of how TF-condensates can achieve these feet so quickly and efficiently is still unclear. In this review, we draw parallels with other protein condensates and share our speculations on how the nucleus uses these TF-condensates to achieve high transcriptional specificity and fidelity. We discuss the various constituents of TF-condensates, their properties, and the known and unknown functions of TF-condensates with a particular focus on steroid signaling-induced transcriptional programs.
转录因子 (TF) 凝聚物是 RNA、DNA 和多种辅助因子蛋白的混合物，能够调节细胞的转录反应。TF 凝聚物在 3D 核空间中的动态性质和空间位置被认为提供了快速响应，其与信号级联的速度相同，但在细胞核拥挤的环境中却具有极高的特异性。然而，目前对于 TF 凝聚物如何能够如此快速高效地实现这些功能的理解仍然不清楚。在这篇综述中，我们与其他蛋白质凝聚物进行类比，并分享我们对细胞核如何利用这些 TF 凝聚物来实现高转录特异性和保真度的推测。我们讨论了 TF 凝聚物的各种组成部分、它们的特性以及 TF 凝聚物的已知和未知功能，特别关注了甾体信号诱导的转录程序。
