Transcription Factor Networks in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Differential gene expression is an essential component of the programs that give rise to specific cellular fates and functions. This differential regulation occurs primarily at the transcriptional level and is controlled by complex regulatory networks governed by the action of transcription factors at specific DNA regulatory elements. Transcription factors rarely act alone, often functioning through combinatorial interactions with other transcription factors, co-factors and chromatin-remodeling proteins. Defining these protein-protein interactions is an essential component to understanding transcription factor function and consequently, the cell as an integrated network.