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What Makes a Transcriptional Master Regulator? A Systems Biology Approach

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Physical Biology of Proteins and Peptides

Abstract

Gene regulatory networks present a wide variety of dynamical responses to intrinsic and extrinsic perturbations. An outstanding case of such coordinated responses is that of transcriptional amplification cascades, in which activation of a few key-responsive transcription factors (termed master regulators) leads to a large series of transcriptional activation events. Recent studies have pointed to the protein called myocyte enhancing factor 2C (MEF2C) as being one of such master regulators involved in the pathogenesis of primary breast cancer. A systems biology analysis of the transcriptional regulation activity of MEF2C and its target genes, has revealed that this molecule induces collective responses leading to system-level gene expression deregulation and carcinogenesis. We found extensive evidence for this. Being this the case, one may wonder what set of physicochemical, structural and thermodynamic constrains need to be satisfied if a protein is to become a transcription factor, and moreover a master regulator? Some hints will be discussed.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by CONACyT (Grant 179431/2012) as well as federal funding from the National Institute of Genomic Medicine (Mexico). Additional support from the National Laboratory of Complexity Sciences is also acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Complexity Sciences, National Autonomous University of México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, México, México

    Enrique Hernández-Lemus

  2. National Institute of Genomic Medicine, Periferico Sur 4809, Arenal Tepepan, 14610, México, México

    Enrique Hernández-Lemus & Hugo Tovar

  3. Tianguistenco Higher Studies Institute of Technology, Carretera Tenango - La Marquesa Km 22 Santiago Tilapa, Santiago Tianguistenco, México

    Karol Baca-López

Authors
  1. Enrique Hernández-Lemus
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  2. Karol Baca-López
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  3. Hugo Tovar
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Enrique Hernández-Lemus .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Autonomous University of Mexico City, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

    Luis Olivares-Quiroz

  2. (Iztapalapa), Autonomous Metropolitan University, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

    Orlando Guzmán-López

  3. (Lerma), Lerma de Villada, Autonomous Metropolitan University, Mexico City, Estado de México, Mexico

    Hector Eduardo Jardón-Valadez

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Hernández-Lemus, E., Baca-López, K., Tovar, H. (2015). What Makes a Transcriptional Master Regulator? A Systems Biology Approach. In: Olivares-Quiroz, L., Guzmán-López, O., Jardón-Valadez, H. (eds) Physical Biology of Proteins and Peptides. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21687-4_10

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