Potential mechanisms for the chemical modulation of transcription factors.

<p>Transcription factors (TFs) are illustrated as a modular structure consisting of a DNA-binding domain (DBD) and regulatory domain (RD). MP indicates any modular protein (coactivator or masking protein). Although TFs are assumed to be homodimers here, they could have monomeric, multimeric, heterodimeric, or other structural configurations. In this overview, chromatin-remodeling enzymes, RNA polymerase and its multiple cofactors, all of which are required for general transcriptional induction of a gene, are not illustrated. The function of a TF can be perturbed by inhibiting TF dimerization (A), masking the DNA binding element (B), TF DNA binding domain (C), or inhibiting interaction between the TF and its modulator protein (D). Detailed reference information for each developing or developed TF inhibitor under each category can be obtained from the following review articles: [<a href="http://www.plospathogens.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.ppat.1004936#ppat.1004936.ref007" target="_blank">7</a>–<a href="http://www.plospathogens.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.ppat.1004936#ppat.1004936.ref009" target="_blank">9</a>].