Molecular function

GO:0000130, GO:0001071, GO:0001130, GO:0001131, GO:0001151, GO:0001199, GO:0001204

DNA binding transcription factor activity, gene-specific transcription factor activity, sequence-specific DNA binding transcription factor activity

A transcription regulator activity that modulates transcription of gene sets via selective and non-covalent binding to a specific double-stranded genomic DNA sequence (sometimes referred to as a motif) within a cis-regulatory region. Regulatory regions include promoters (proximal and distal) and enhancers. Genes are transcriptional units, and include bacterial operons.

Usage guidance: Most DNA-binding transcription factors do not have enzymatic activity. The presence of specific DNA-binding domains known to be present in DNA-binding transcription factors (HOX, GATA etc) should be used to help decide whether a protein is a DNA binding transcription factor or a coregulator. If a protein has an enzymatic activity (for example, ubiquitin ligase, histone acetyl transferase) and no known DNA binding domain, consider annotating to GO:0003712 transcription coregulator activity. Special care should be taken with proteins containing zinc fingers, Myb/SANT and ARID domains, since only a subset of proteins containing these domains directly and selectively bind to regulatory DNA motifs in cis-regulatory regions.