Transcriptional coregulators in development

Small differences in the levels of an extracellular signaling molecule can specify cell fate during development. Threshold responses are often determined at the level of transcription. Cell-specific and spatially localized patterns of gene expression depend on combinations of sequence-specific activators and repressors that bind to extensive cis-regulatory regions. Different mechanisms for integrating this complex regulatory information are discussed, particularly the role of coregulatory proteins, which are recruited to the DNA template by sequence-specific transcription factors. Recent studies suggest that a growing set of coactivators and corepressors mediate communication between diverse upstream regulatory proteins and the core RNA polymerase II transcription complex.