Cell cycle-regulated transcription in mammalian cells.

The periodic, phase-specific transcription of defined sets of genes is a hallmark of cell cycle progression in all organisms (1-3). In this article, we will summarise our current knowledge and views of the mechanisms governing the cross-coupling of cell cycle control and transcriptional regulation in mammalian cells, with particular emphasis on the transcription factor E2F and the retinoblastoma protein pRb (1-3). Excluded from this review will be the genomic response to mitogenic stimulation, which is part of the mitogen-triggered signal transduction cascades rather than a reflection of cell cycle regulation (4).