Transcription Factors and Regulation of Transcriptional Programs in Fungi

Regulation of gene expression underlies the coordination of cellular processes. In fungi, transcriptional gene regulation is the major level of control and is mediated by transcription factors (TFs) – transcription activator and repressor proteins – via interactions with promoters of the target genes they regulate, as well as interactions with other transcription factors, inducers, transcription regulators and co-factors, and the general transcription machinery. The importance of transcriptional control in fungi is evident in the wide expansion of transcription factor gene families in Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes for the regulation of transcriptional programs for development, metabolism, and response to environmental fluctuations.

This Research Topic will highlight current research on fungal transcription factors, regulation of transcription factor action in fungi, and the mechanisms whereby fungal transcription factors regulate the transcriptional programs that they control. We particularly welcome manuscripts that address:


- Molecular characterization of fungal transcription factors
- Genome-wide identification of genes that are regulated by specific TFs
- Reconstruction of transcriptional complexes
- Systems biology studies to characterize transcriptional pathways and regulatory networks in fungi
- The development of methods to characterize the function or the regulation of fungal transcription factors and their transcriptional programs
- Structure and conservation of fungal promoter regions