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Main Authors: Ji, Wencheng, Hachmo, Ori, Barkai, Naama, Amir, Ariel
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.11180
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author Ji, Wencheng
Hachmo, Ori
Barkai, Naama
Amir, Ariel
author_facet Ji, Wencheng
Hachmo, Ori
Barkai, Naama
Amir, Ariel
contents Transcription Factors (TFs) are proteins crucial for regulating gene expression. Effective regulation requires the TFs to rapidly bind to their correct target, enabling the cell to respond efficiently to stimuli such as nutrient availability or the presence of toxins. However, the search process is hindered by slow diffusive movement and the presence of `false' targets --DNA segments that are similar to the true target. In eukaryotic cells, most TFs contain an Intrinsically Disordered Region (IDR), which is commonly assumed to behave as a long, flexible polymeric tail composed of hundreds of amino acids. Recent experimental findings indicate that the IDR of certain TFs plays a pivotal role in the search process. However, the principles underlying the IDR's role remain unclear. Here, we reveal key design principles of the IDR related to TF binding affinity and search time. Our results demonstrate that the IDR significantly enhances both of these aspects. Furthermore, our model shows good agreement with experimental results, and we propose further experiments to validate the model's predictions.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2307_11180
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Design principles of transcription factors with intrinsically disordered regions
Ji, Wencheng
Hachmo, Ori
Barkai, Naama
Amir, Ariel
Biological Physics
Transcription Factors (TFs) are proteins crucial for regulating gene expression. Effective regulation requires the TFs to rapidly bind to their correct target, enabling the cell to respond efficiently to stimuli such as nutrient availability or the presence of toxins. However, the search process is hindered by slow diffusive movement and the presence of `false' targets --DNA segments that are similar to the true target. In eukaryotic cells, most TFs contain an Intrinsically Disordered Region (IDR), which is commonly assumed to behave as a long, flexible polymeric tail composed of hundreds of amino acids. Recent experimental findings indicate that the IDR of certain TFs plays a pivotal role in the search process. However, the principles underlying the IDR's role remain unclear. Here, we reveal key design principles of the IDR related to TF binding affinity and search time. Our results demonstrate that the IDR significantly enhances both of these aspects. Furthermore, our model shows good agreement with experimental results, and we propose further experiments to validate the model's predictions.
title Design principles of transcription factors with intrinsically disordered regions
topic Biological Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.11180