How do transcription factors come together for transcription? - Stochastic process? or Diffusion? When / How is this regulated?!! (Sep/11/2007 )

Hellllowww allll!
How do transcription factors come together for transcription?
Stochastic process? or Diffusion? When / How is this regulated?!! Esp in cases where it is well-regulated, even when a regulator / inhibitor is involved!

Have really beeeen thinking on this!!

surely diffusion is a stochastic process, unless it is down a concentration gradient. A lot of transcription factors are chaperoned by other molecules, but I don't know much about it.

Well, most transcription factors have nuclear targetting sequences. I suppose that, upon being in the nucleus, they just stochastically "bump" into each other and to the target sequences (which may be in more accessible areas of the nucleus - euchromatic for instance).

But yeah, the problem of how proteins and so on find their targets in the cell is a very interesting one. Ok, they can be targeted, chapperoned, transported by cytoskeleton, etc. But even though it's like finding a specific person in the middle of New York or something...

Maybe they have each other's cell phone numbers!
"Hey, how are you? Wanna meet me and the guys at ER intersection number 71, next to the calcium pump?"
"Sure, sound great, but what microtubule fiber should I catch to get there?"
"Oh, just try to hitchhike with some ER-targeted dude."
"Ok, will do. Don't start catalysing without me!"