Theoretical mechanisms for synthesis of carcinogen-induced embryonic proteins: XXII. Key theory--a mechanism for enhancer function.

In summary the Key Theory states that certain planar molecules can act in latching together enhancer elements with promoter elements to create hypersensitive recognition for super-efficient initiation sites of RNA polymerase activity of a specific structural gene. Specificities of these key molecules are required because of transacting factor binding and minor groove steric relationships and/or alkylations that in turn forms relatively permanent "on" modes of gene activity. This presents an explanation for the mechanism of a great variety of biologically active molecules such as steroid hormones and carcinogens.