Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Repressing Gene Transcription by Redirecting Cellular Machinery with Chemical Epigenetic Modifiers
Published on: September 20, 2018
How tonicity regulates genes: story of TonEBP transcriptional activator
1Department of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Abstract:
TonEBP stimulates genes whose products drive cellular accumulation of organic osmolytes and HSP70, which protect cells from the deleterious effects of hypertonicity and urea, respectively. Mice deficient in the TonEBP gene display severe atrophy of the renal medulla because cells failed to adapt to the hyperosmolality. Emerging data suggest that TonEBP plays a key role in the urinary concentrating mechanism by stimulating the UT-A urea transporters and possibly AQP2 water channel. Thus, TonEBP is an essential regulator in the urinary concentrating mechanism. Studies on structural basis of TonEBP function have revealed the structure of the DNA binding domain, and defined the transactivation domains. Molecular mechanisms underlying the nucleocytoplasmic trafficking, transactivation, and phosphorylation in response to changes in tonicity need to be understood in molecular detail. Such knowledge is needed for the identification of the sensor that detects changes in ambient tonicity and signals to TonEBP.
Related Concept Videos
Transcription Factors
Transcription Factors
Co-activators and Co-repressors
Eukaryotic Transcription Activators
The binding domains are capable of recognizing and interacting with regulatory sequences on the DNA. These domains are...
General Transcription Factors
Co-activators and Co-repressors

