Cited by 182Protein Degradation and InhibitorsCRISPR and Genetic EngineeringRNA Interference and Gene Delivery

Targeted degradation of transcription factors by TRAFTACs: TRAnscription Factor TArgeting Chimeras

Open access
Samarasinghe, Kusal T.G., Jaime-Figueroa, Saul, Burgess, Michael, Nalawansha, Dhanusha A., Dai, Katherine, Hu, Zhenyi, Bebenek, Adrian, Holley, Scott A. +1 more·2021·Cell Chemical Biology

Published version of a preprint

Abstract

Many diseases, including cancer, stem from aberrant activation or overexpression of oncoproteins that are associated with multiple signaling pathways. Although proteins with catalytic activity can be successfully drugged, the majority of other protein families, such as transcription factors, remain intractable due to their lack of ligandable sites. In this study, we report the development of TRAnscription Factor TArgeting Chimeras (TRAFTACs) as a generalizable strategy for targeted transcription factor degradation. We show that TRAFTACs, which consist of a chimeric oligonucleotide that simultaneously binds to the transcription factor of interest (TOI) and to HaloTag-fused dCas9 protein, can induce degradation of the former via the proteasomal pathway. Application of TRAFTACs to two oncogenic TOIs, NF-κB and brachyury, suggests that TRAFTACs can be successfully employed for the targeted degradation of other DNA-binding proteins. Thus, TRAFTAC technology is potentially a generalizable strategy to induce degradation of other transcription factors both in vitro and in vivo.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.chembiol.2021.03.011

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  • The TRAFTAC system has been used to degrade NF-κB and brachyury (TBXT) in human cell lines in a UPS-dependent manner that was specific to the dsDNA sequence and E3 ligase.

    “The TRAFTAC system has been used to degrade NF-κB and brachyury (T-box transcription factor T; TBXT) in human cell lines in a UPS-dependent manner that was specific to the dsDNA sequence and E3 ligase43.”

    From PROTAC targeted protein degraders: the past is prologue (2022) · cites this paper as [43]

  • TRAFTACs consist of a HaloPROTAC that bridges an E3 ligase and a dCas9-HT7 fusion protein, then binds a bifunctional dsDNA-CRISPR-RNA to form a transcription factor-recruiting complex.

    “TRAFTACs consist of a HaloPROTAC that bridges an E3 ligase and a dCas9–HT7 fusion protein, then binds a bifunctional dsDNA–CRISPR-RNA to form a transcription factor-recruiting complex.”

    From PROTAC targeted protein degraders: the past is prologue (2022) · cites this paper as [43]

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Authors
Samarasinghe, K. T. G., Jaime-Figueroa, S., Burgess, M., Nalawansha, D. A., Dai, K., Hu, Z., Bebenek, A., Holley, S. A., & Crews, C. M.
Affiliations
Yale University (US)
Corresponding author
Crews, Craig M.
Venue
Cell Chemical Biology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-05
Volume
28
Issue
5
Pages
648-661.e5
ISSN
  • 2451-9448 (ISSN-L)
  • 2451-9456
OpenAlex
W3144996175
Cited by
182
References
71
Citations by year
2026: 26 · 2025: 35 · 2024: 35 · 2023: 37 · 2022: 33 · 2021: 15
FWCI
9.49
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell chemical biology (publishedVersion)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
Yale University
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Protein Degradation and Inhibitors
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA Interference and Gene Delivery
Keywords
transcription factor degradation, targeted protein degradation, chimeric oligonucleotides, dCas9, HaloTag, proteasomal degradation, NF-κB, Brachyury, oncoprotein, DNA-binding proteins
MeSH terms
Animals, Binding Sites, Cells, Cultured, DNA-Binding Proteins, Humans, Oligonucleotides, Transcription Factors, Zebrafish, HEK293 Cells

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