Cell cycle-regulated transcription in mammalian cells

Abstract
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).