Transcriptional regulation through Mediator-like coactivators in yeast andmetazoan cells

A novel multiprotein complex has recently been identified as a coactivator for transcriptional control of protein-encoding genes by RNA polymerase II in higher eukaryotic cells. This complex is evolutionarily related to the M ediator complex from yeast and, on the basis of its structural and function al characteristics, promises to be a key target of diverse regulatory circu its.