Pocket proteins (Rb, p107, and p130) and E2F transcription factors regulate cell-cycle-dependent gene expression.
Specific interactions between these proteins are due to affinity differences between the E2F transactivation domain and the pocket domain.
Mutating key interacting residues in the pocket domain of p107 results in a protein that binds E2F2-like Rb and regulates its transcription activity in cells.
Although phosphorylation of p107 is inefficient in vitro compared to Rb, analogous modifications inhibit E2F binding.