[A REVIEW] Transcription factors/activators are a group of proteins that bind to specific consensus sequences in the promoter regions of downstream target/effector genes.The up-or downregulation of effector genes will ultimately lead to many biological changes such as proliferation,growth suppression,differentiation,or senescence.Transcription factors are subject to transcriptional and posttranslational regulation.This review will focus on the redox regulation of transcription factors/activators with emphasis on NF-kappa B,AP-1,SP-1,GR and P53.The redox regulation of transcriptional activators occurs through highly conserved cysteine residues in the DNA binding domains of these proteins.In vitro studies have shown that reducing environments increases,while oxidizing conditions inhibits sequence specific DNA binding of these transcriptional activators.Furthermore,redox-induced biochemical alterations sometimes lead to change in the biological functions of these proteins.Therefore,differential regulation of these transcriptional activators regulates many target/effector genes.The efficacy of different antioxidants to favorably influence the molecular mechanisms implicated in human disease should be a critical determinant of its selection for clinical studies and have an important impact on drug discovery for prevention and chemo therapy of human disease such as cancer,inflammation,atherosclerosis,aging and immunodeficiency diseases.
