Pioneer transcription factors in chromatin remodeling: the kinetic proofreading view

Pioneer transcription factors are a recently defined class of transcription factors which can bind directly to nucleosomal DNA; they play a key role in gene activation in certain pathways. Here we quantify their role in the initiation of nucleosome displacement within the kinetic proofreading scenario of chromatin remodeling. The model allows to perform remodeling efficiency comparisons for scenarios involving different types of transcription factors and remodelers as a function of their binding and unbinding rates and concentrations. Our results demonstrate a novel way to fine-tune the specificity of processes that modify the chromatin structure in transcriptional initiation.