The invention is related to a fusion polypeptide involving transcription
regulation of a target gene. Said fusion polypeptide consists of (i) a
zinc finger domain that recognizes and binds to the corresponding nucleic
acid recognition sequence in the vicinity of a promoter of the target
gene; (ii) a dimerization domain of a tetracycline (tet) repressor which
contains a drug (e.g., tetracycline)-dependent switch, and (iii) an
accessory domain which alters the expression of the target gene (such as
an transcriptional activation or repression domain). This fusion
polypeptide can be administered to, or expressed in, a cell harboring the
target gene to be regulated.