Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026

Analysis of the c-KIT Ligand Promoter Using Chromatin Immunoprecipitation
Published on: June 27, 2017
Transcriptional control in keratinocytes and fibroblasts using synthetic ligands
R A Freiberg1, S N Ho, P A Khavari
1Dermatology Service, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA.
Abstract:
The skin is an attractive tissue for regulated target gene expression by virtue of its accessibility to topical regulating stimuli. We have used synthetic ligand-driven intracellular oligomerization to accomplish specific target gene regulation in human skin keratinocytes and fibroblasts. GAL4 DNA binding domains and VP16 transactivation domains, each linked to the FK506 binding protein, were expressed in normal human skin keratinocytes and fibroblasts. These hybrid proteins underwent heterodimerization via the novel intracellular dimerizing agent FK1012 to generate a heterodimeric activator of target gene expression in vitro. Dimeric FK1012, but not monomeric FK506M induced target gene expression in a dose-dependent fashion. FK1012 exerted no detectable nonspecific effects on expression of cutaneous genes and did not alter cellular proliferation kinetics. Controlled oligomerization of hybrid transcription activators offers a potential approach to target gene regulation in cells of normal human skin.
Related Concept Videos
Co-activators and Co-repressors
Eukaryotic Transcription Inhibitors
Eukaryotic transcription inhibitors usually contain two distinct domains, a DNA...
Combinatorial Gene Control
The expression of more than 30,000 genes is controlled by approximately 2000-3000 transcription factors. This is possible because a single transcription factor can recognize more than one regulatory sequence. The specificity in gene...
Master Transcription Regulators
Signal Transduction: Overview
Typically, signal transduction involves three...
Transducer Mechanism: Nuclear Receptors
About 48 different soluble family members of nuclear receptors are identified that can be divided into two main classes:

