TBP binds the transcriptionally inactive TA5 sequence but the resulting complex is not efficiently recognised by TFIIB and TFIIA.

The binding of TBP (TFIID) to the TATA box has been considered to direct promoter recognition and pre-initiation complex formation because it is the first event leading to basal transcription by RNA polymerase II. Here, we analyse the binding of yeast TBP to a consensus TATAAA box and two point mutations, TAAAAA (inactive) and TATATA (active). Despite the fact that the TAAAAA sequence does not support transcription in vitro, yeast TBP binds the three sequences showing, in this sense, only a limited sequence specificity. However, the TBP-TAAAAA complex cannot be recognised by other basal transcription factors, in particular by TFIIB. DNase I footprinting patterns of the TBP-TAAAAA complex are different from those observed in functional TBP-TATA box complexes, indicating that, most likely, it is a different spatial arrangement of the TBP-DNA complex that prevents formation of the TFIIB-TBP-TAAAAA complex, also seriously impairing entry of TFIIA to the complex. DNA deformability of the A/T-rich sequences appears to be an important determinant in the formation of a productive TBP-TATA complex. These results indicate that the transcriptional competence of A/T-rich sequences is determined not only by TBP binding, but also by the ability of other basal transcription factors to recognise the preformed TBP-DNA complexes.