Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30449618›Full record

ArticleCell2018

Transcription Factors Activate Genes through the Phase-Separation Capacity of Their Activation Domains.

Ann Boija, Isaac A Klein, Benjamin R Sabari, Alessandra Dall'Agnese, Eliot L Coffey, Alicia V Zamudio, Charles H Li, Krishna Shrinivas, John C Manteiga, Nancy M Hannett and 9 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cell, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1,071 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1,071citing papers in PubMed
64.8field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1,071 citing papers in PubMed, 1,879 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
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  8. Article
  9. The CTNNB1-TRIM28 complex governs hormone-induced RNA polymerase II dynamics in kidney epithelial cells.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026
    Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. The molecular basis of transcription initiation by RNA polymerase II.Nature reviews. Molecular cell biology · 2026
    Review
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Review
  16. Review
  17. Article
  18. Article
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  20. Article

1,011 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Ann BoijaWhitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
Isaac A KleinWhitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Benjamin R SabariWhitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
Alessandra Dall'AgneseWhitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
Eliot L CoffeyWhitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Alicia V ZamudioWhitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Charles H LiWhitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Krishna ShrinivasDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Institute of Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
John C ManteigaWhitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Nancy M HannettWhitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
Brian J AbrahamWhitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
Lena K AfeyanWhitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Yang E GuoWhitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
Jenna K RimelDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA.
Charli B FantDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA.
Jurian SchuijersWhitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
Tong Ihn LeeWhitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
Dylan J TaatjesDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA.
Richard A YoungWhitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. Electronic address: young@wi.mit.edu.
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research · USMassachusetts Institute of Technology · USUniversity of Colorado Boulder · US

Funding

PRE-DOCTORAL TRAINING IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCEST32GM007287 · NIGMS · MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · PI BELL, STEPHEN P., KEATING, AMY E · 1985 to 2019
$40.8M
Physician Scientist Training in Cancer ResearchT32CA009172 · NCI · DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE · PI Jennifer R Brown, James A. DeCaprio · 1985 to 2026
$17.1M
TRAINING IN SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION &CELL CYCLE REGULATIONT32GM008759 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOULDER · PI AHN, NATALIE G. · 2000 to 2020
$5.9M
Graduate Training in Computational and Systems BiologyT32GM087237 · NIGMS · MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · PI BURGE, CHRISTOPHER B · 2009 to 2023
$4.6M
Transcriptional regulatory networks in living cellsR01GM123511 · NIGMS · WHITEHEAD INSTITUTE FOR BIOMEDICAL RES · PI YOUNG, RICHARD · 2017 to 2020
$3.6M
Mediator Kinases and Transcription RegulationR01GM117370 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO · PI TAATJES, DYLAN J · 2016 to 2019
$1.5M
NCI NIH HHS T32 CA009172NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM117370NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM123511NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM007287NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM008759NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM087237
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Gene expression is controlled by transcription factors (TFs) that consist of DNA-binding domains (DBDs) and activation domains (ADs). The DBDs have been well characterized, but little is known about the mechanisms by which ADs effect gene activation. Here, we report that diverse ADs form phase-separated condensates with the Mediator coactivator. For the OCT4 and GCN4 TFs, we show that the ability to form phase-separated droplets with Mediator in vitro and the ability to activate genes in vivo are dependent on the same amino acid residues. For the estrogen receptor (ER), a ligand-dependent activator, we show that estrogen enhances phase separation with Mediator, again linking phase separation with gene activation. These results suggest that diverse TFs can interact with Mediator through the phase-separating capacity of their ADs and that formation of condensates with Mediator is involved in gene activation.

Indexed as

AnimalsHEK293 CellsHumansMiceMouse Embryonic Stem CellsOctamer Transcription Factor-3Protein DomainsReceptors, EstrogenTranscriptional ActivationOctamer Transcription Factor-3Pou5f1 protein, mouseReceptors, Estrogenactivation domaingene activationmediatorphase separationtranscriptiontranscription factor

Identifiers

PMID30449618
PMCPMC6295254
OpenAlexW2901209536

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.