THE SERUM RESPONSE ELEMENT

The promoters of many genes whose transcription is rapidly and transiently induced following growth factor or mitogen stimulation of susceptible cells contain a common regulatory element, the serum response element (SRE). As the transcription factors that bind the SRE and the signalling molecules that affect its activity are characterized in more detail, the major challenge is to elucidate the signalling pathways that link cell-surface receptors to the SRE, and to determine the mechanism by which signalling events modulate transcription factor activity.