What is the role of TATA box in transcriptional regulation?

Question

I know what is the TATA box, but I wish to know whether it has specific roles in transcriptional regulation.

what have you searched? there's a lot out there - even on non-scientific sites like wikipedia... — Vance L Albaugh, May 02 '16 at 00:36
@VanceLAlbaugh, I have searched, but I've not found the specific role of TATA box in transcriptional regulation. — InfZero, May 02 '16 at 01:01

WYSIWYG · Answer 1 · 2016-05-02T06:47:47.420

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TATA box serves as a binding site for the TATA-binding protein (TBP; and its associated factors, together comprising the TFIID).

TATA-box is one of the basic promoters present in many genes and therefore TBP is a general transcription factor i.e. TATA-box and TBP do not have specific roles. TATA-box is like a minimal promoter.

edited May 02 '16 at 06:47

answered May 02 '16 at 05:39

WYSIWYG

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Failed Scientist · Answer 2 · 2016-05-02T01:05:58.233

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TATA box simply is a type of promoter sequence, which specifies to Transcription Factors where transcription begins - which is usually 30bp downstream of TATA Box. Transcription factors can bind to the TATA box and recruit the RNA polymerase enzyme to synthesize RNA.

edited May 02 '16 at 01:05

answered May 02 '16 at 01:00

Failed Scientist

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Specific transcription factors don't bind to TATA box. TBP does, and it is a general transcription factor. – WYSIWYG May 02 '16 at 05:21
@WYSIWYG Thanks but I am sorry I didn't get you. Where is my answer stating about Specific TFs? – Failed Scientist May 02 '16 at 13:06
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TATA box is bound by the TBP. You said "Transcription factors bind to TATA box", which may imply any transcription factor. – WYSIWYG May 02 '16 at 13:33
@WYSIWYG Thanks! I got you now. What do you mean when you say "TBP is a general TF"? – Failed Scientist May 02 '16 at 13:40
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See http://biology.stackexchange.com/a/44732/3340. Basically, it means that is required by a lot of genes to carry out transcription and it is constitutively expressed. – WYSIWYG May 02 '16 at 13:48
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@WYSIWYG Thanks man! Opened a new thing for me. – Failed Scientist May 02 '16 at 14:18

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered May 02 '16 at 07:33

From Nature:

A TATA box is a DNA sequence that indicates where a genetic sequence can be read and decoded. It is a type of promoter sequence, which specifies to other molecules where transcription begins. [...]. The TATA box is named for its conserved DNA sequence, which is most commonly TATAAA. Many eukaryotic genes have a conserved TATA box located 25-35 base pairs before the transcription start site of a gene. The TATA box is able to define the direction of transcription and also indicates the DNA strand to be read. Proteins called transcription factors can bind to the TATA box and recruit an enzyme called RNA polymerase, which synthesizes RNA from DNA.

What is the role of TATA box in transcriptional regulation?

3 Answers3