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	J. Biol. Chem. Jan (2006); 281(1):80-9
Mediator as a general transcription factor-
Takagi Y, Kornberg RD
Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305-5400, USA-
Abstract: Others have shown that yeast strains bearing a ts mutation in the Srb4 subunit of Mediator cease transcription of all mRNA at the restrictive temperature, in a manner virtually indistinguishable from a strain bearing a ts mutation in the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II- We find that srb4ts Mediator is defective for the stimulation of basal RNA polymerase II transcription at the restrictive temperature in vitro- Taken together, these findings lead to the suggestion that Mediator is required for basal RNA polymerase II transcription in vivo- On this basis, Mediator is identified as a general transcription factor, comparable in importance to RNA polymerase II and other general factors for the initiation of transcription- The possibility that Mediator serves as an anti-inhibitor, opposing the effects of global negative regulators, is largely excluded-
[PUBMED: 16263706]