Molecular cloning of the olfactory neuronal transcription factor Olf-1 by genetic selection in yeast

Abstract
A novel genetic selection in yeast has been used to isolate a complementary DNA for the transcriptional activator, Olf-1, which binds to the regulatory sequences of several olfactory-specific genes. The Olf-1 protein, expressed exclusively in the olfactory receptor neurons and their precursors, contains a new helix–loop–helix motif and functions as an apparent homodimer. Olf-1 may be the first member of a family of related proteins that may direct cellular differentiation in a variety of neuronal tissues.