General Transcription Factor IIIC, Polypeptide 1 (GTF3C1)

Transcription factor IIIC (TF3C or GTF3C), a component of RNA polymerase III, is a multisubunit complex that binds B box promoter elements. Lagna et al. (1994) used oligonucleotides based on protein microsequencing results to clone rat GTF3C1 and a partial human GTF3C1 cDNA. Immunodepletion assays showed that TF3C-alpha is absolutely required for RNA polymerase III transcription of 5S RNA, tRNA, and VAI RNA genes. L'Etoile et al. (1994) cloned a full-length human cDNA encoding the approximately 230-kD TF3C-alpha subunit. The cDNA encodes a 2,109-amino acid polypeptide. Though functionally similar, the yeast and human TF3C-alpha subunit proteins have little sequence homology. L'Etoile et al. (1994) showed that TF3C-alpha binds to the box B promoter element.