Alternative titles; symbols
HGNC Approved Gene Symbol: GTF2E1
Cytogenetic location: 3q13.33 Genomic coordinates (GRCh38): 3:120,742,744-120,783,069 (from NCBI)
The GTF2E1 gene encodes the alpha (56-kD) subunit of the general transcription factor TFIIE. The structure of TFIIE appears to be a heterotetramer of 2 alpha and 2 beta (189964) subunits, both subunits being required for optimal reconstituted basal-level transcription (summary by Peterson et al., 1991).
Human TFIIE consists of 2 subunits of relative molecular masses 56,000 and 34,000. Peterson et al. (1991) isolated human cDNA clones for both subunits of the general transcription factor IIE. Using purified recombinant proteins they found that both subunits are essential to form a stable preinitiation complex and to reconstitute basal-level and Sp1-activated (189906) transcription in vitro. Ohkuma et al. (1991) also cloned the TF2E1 gene and pointed to sequence similarities to bacterial sigma factors, suggesting a direct involvement in the regulation of transcription initiation.
High levels of gene transcription by RNA polymerase II depend on high rates of transcription initiation and reinitiation. Initiation requires recruitment of the complete transcription machinery to a promoter, a process facilitated by activators and chromatin remodeling factors. Reinitiation is thought to occur through a different pathway. After initiation, a subset of the transcription machinery remains at the promoter, forming a platform for assembly of a second transcription complex. Yudkovsky et al. (2000) described the isolation of a reinitiation intermediate in yeast that includes transcription factors TFIID, TFIIA (see 600520), TFIIH, TFIIE, and Mediator (see 602984). This intermediate can act as a scaffold for formation of a functional reinitiation complex. Formation of this scaffold is dependent on ATP and TFIIH. In yeast, the scaffold is stabilized in the presence of the activator Gal4-VP16, but not Gal4-AH, suggesting a new role for some activators and Mediator in promoting high levels of transcription.
Initiation of transcription from eukaryotic protein-coding genes is a complex process requiring RNA polymerase II (PolII; see 180660) and a cadre of transcription factors. These factors can be divided into 2 classes on the basis of their function: the general factors that are required for transcription of all PolII genes, and sequence-specific factors that are required for regulating expression. The general transcription factors and PolII form a specific multiprotein complex near the transcription start site by interacting with core promoter elements. The most common core element is the TATA box, typically located 25-30 bp upstream of the transcriptional start site or initiator element. Sequence-specific transcription factors that bind to DNA-sequence elements located proximal and distal to the core promoter elements can dramatically enhance or repress transcription. The general transcription factors that have been identified are TFIIA, TFIIB (189963), TFIID (313650), TFIIE (see also 189964), TFIIF (189968, 189969), TFIIG/J, and TFIIH (189972).
Ohkuma, Y., Sumimoto, H., Hoffmann, A., Shimasaki, S., Horikoshi, M., Roeder, R. G. Structural motifs and potential sigma homologies in the large subunit of human general transcription factor TFIIE. Nature 354: 398-401, 1991. [PubMed: 1956403] [Full Text: https://doi.org/10.1038/354398a0]
Peterson, M. G., Inostroza, J., Maxon, M. E., Flores, O., Admon, A., Reinberg, D., Tjian, R. Structure and functional properties of human general transcription factor IIE. Nature 354: 369-373, 1991. [PubMed: 1956398] [Full Text: https://doi.org/10.1038/354369a0]
Yudkovsky, N., Ranish, J. A., Hahn, S. A transcription reinitiation intermediate that is stabilized by activator. Nature 408: 225-229, 2000. [PubMed: 11089979] [Full Text: https://doi.org/10.1038/35041603]