Mediator - a universal complex in transcriptional regulation

The Mediator complex is essential for basal and regulated expression of nearly all RNA polymerase II-dependent genes in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome. Mediator acts as a bridge, conveying regulatory information from enhancers and other control elements to the promoter. It is now clear that Mediator-like complexes also exist in higher eukaryotic cells and that they have an important role in metazoan transcriptional regulation. However, the exact mechanism of Mediator-dependent transcriptional regulation remains unclear. We review here some recent advances in our understanding of Mediator structure and function. We also discuss a model to account for the functional and evolutionary relationship between yeast and metazoan Mediators. As an appendix to this review, we have created a database, MEDB, in which we have compiled information about all the S. cerevisiae Mediator subunits and their homologues in other eukaryotic cells.