THE ROLE OF REGULATED PHOSPHORYLATION IN THE BIOLOGICAL-ACTIVITY OF TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS SRF AND ELK-1 SAP-1

The promoters of many genes whose expression is rapidly and transientl y increased upon growth factor or mitogen stimulation of susceptible c ells harbor a common regulatory element, the serum response element (S RE). The transcription factors that interact with the SRE of these imm ediate-early genes are being intensively studied so as to elucidate th e signal transduction cascades that link cell surface receptors to the SRE, and to determine the mechanisms by which signal-dependent phosph orylation events modulate their function.