Biomedical subjects

A G Künne

Publications and source records attributed to A G Künne.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1999

Acquisition of myogenic specificity through replacement of one amino acid of MASH-1 and introduction of an additional alpha-helical turn.

The homologous transcription factors Myf-5, MyoD, myogenin, MRF-4, and MASH-1 bind with high affinity and modest sequence specificity to DNA containing an E-box (CANNTG). This similarity of the in vitro DNA binding specificity is in sharp contrast to the high physiological specificity displayed by these proteins. Myf-5, MyoD, myogenin, and MRF-4 induce cells to differentiate along a myogenic pathway, while MASH-1 promotes the differentiation of neuronal precursor cells. We show here that MASH-1 can be converted into a protein capable of inducing myogenesis in fibroblasts by replacing leucine (130) of MASH-1 with lysine and introducing an additional turn into its basic recognition helix. These changes do not significantly alter the DNA binding properties of the proteins in cell free conditions. Crystallographic data for the DNA complexes of MyoD and E12 suggest that Leu (130) points away from the DNA into the solvent. We postulate that the identity of the amino acid in position 130 is important for protein-protein interactions that might affect the DNA binding specificities displayed by BHLH-proteins in vivo and form the molecular basis of the different physiological properties of the myogenic and neurogenic BHLH-proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1997

Covalently linking BHLH subunits of MASH-1 increases specificity of DNA binding.

MASH-1, a member of the basic-helix-loop-helix (BHLH) family of transcription factors, promotes the differentiation of committed neuronal precursor cells. In vitro, MASH-1 displays only marginal DNA sequence specificity. We have produced a MASH-1 variant, MASH-GGC, by introducing the tripeptide Gly-Gly-Cys at the C-terminal end of the BHLH domain. Under reducing conditions the properties of MASH-GGC and of the BHLH domain of MASH-1 were very similar. Like MASH-1, reduced MASH-GGC showed little specificity of DNA binding. CD spectroscopy revealed that both proteins underwent a conformational change from a largely unfolded to a mainly alpha-helical conformation upon binding to DNA. When the subunits of MASH-GGC were linked through a disulfide bond, the folded conformation was stable over a wide concentration range (2.5 nM to 2 microM) even in the absence of DNA. Oxidized MASH-GGC bound to E-box-containing sequences half-maximally at 148 nM, compared to 458 nM for the reduced form. Therefore, even when the change from a monomeric to a dimeric species was taken into account, the affinity for E-box-containing DNA sequences was increased. Surprisingly, the apparent dissociation constant for the complex with DNA not containing E-box sequences was increased upon oxidation. Therefore, despite the large distance between the disulfide bridge and the protein-DNA interface, covalently linking the subunits of MASH-1 increased the specificity of DNA binding significantly. In vivo, such an increase of the intrinsic DNA binding specificity might be achieved through interactions with other proteins of the transcriptional machinery.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1996

Basic helix-loop-helix protein MyoD displays modest DNA binding specificity.

The expression of MyoD can activate muscle specific genes and myogenic differentiation in many cell types. The hypothesis that the DNA binding specificity of MyoD is responsible for its biological specificity was tested. Homodimers of MyoD bind to E-box containing DNA with high affinity, but do not form stable and well defined complexes with heterologous DNA sequences. The physiologically active heterodimer of MyoD and E12 binds an oligonucleotide containing an E-box sequence with an affinity only two orders of magnitude higher than a completely unrelated DNA sequence, stressing the importance of cooperative interactions with other proteins of the transcriptional machinery for specific gene activation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗