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At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

An analysis of subunit exchange in the dimeric DNA-binding and DNA-bending protein, TF1.

TF1 is the Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage-encoded dimeric type II DNA-binding protein. This relative of the eubacterial HU proteins and of the Escherichia coli integration host factor binds preferentially to 5-(hydroxymethyluracil)-containing DNA. We have examined the dynamics of exchange of monomer subunits between molecules of dimeric TF1. The analysis takes advantage of the fact that replacement of phenylalanine with arginine at amino acid 61 in the beta-loop 'arm' of TF1 alters DNA-bending and -binding properties, generating DNA complexes with distinctively different mobilities in gel electrophoresis. New species of DNA-protein complexes were formed by mixtures of wild type and mutant TF1, reflecting the formation of heterodimeric TF1, and making the dynamics of monomer exchange between TF1 dimers accessible to a simple gel retardation analysis. Exchange was rapid at high protein concentrations, even at 0 degrees C, and is proposed to be capable of proceeding through an interaction of molecules of TF1 dimer rather than exclusively through dissociation into monomer subunits. Evidence suggesting that DNA-bound TF1 dimers do not exchange subunits readily is also presented.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1993

Structures of DNA-binding mutant zinc finger domains: implications for DNA binding.

Studies of Cys2-His2 zinc finger domains have revealed that the structures of individual finger domains in solution determined by NMR spectroscopy are strikingly similar to the structure of fingers bound to DNA determined by X-ray diffraction. Therefore, detailed structural analyses of single finger domains that contain amino acid substitutions known to affect DNA binding in the whole protein can yield information concerning the structural ramifications of such mutations. We have used this approach to study two mutants in the N-terminal finger domain of ADR1, a yeast transcription factor that contains two Cys2-His2 zinc finger sequences spanning residues 102-159. Two point mutants at position 118 in the N-terminal zinc finger (ADR1b: 102-130) that adversely affect the DNA-binding activity of ADR1 have previously been identified: H118A and H118Y. The structures of wild-type ADR1b and the two mutant zinc finger domains were determined using two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and distance geometry and were refined using a complete relaxation matrix method approach (REPENT) to improve agreement between the models and the nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy data from which they were generated. The molecular architecture of the refined wild-type ADR1b domain is presented in detail. Comparisons of wild-type ADR1b and the two mutants revealed that neither mutation causes a significant structural perturbation. The structures indicate that the DNA binding properties of the His 118 mutants are dependent on the identity of the side chain at position 118, which has been postulated to make a direct DNA contact in the wild-type ADR1 protein. The results suggest that the identity of the side chain at the middle DNA contact position in Cys2-His2 zinc fingers may be changed with impunity regarding the domain structure and can affect the affinity of the protein-DNA interaction.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

A novel DNA-binding motif in the nuclear matrix attachment DNA-binding protein SATB1.

The nuclear matrix attachment DNA (MAR) binding protein SATB1 is a sequence context-specific binding protein that binds in the minor groove, making virtually no contact with the DNA bases. The SATB1 binding sites consist of a special AT-rich sequence context in which one strand is well-mixed A's, T's, and C's, excluding G's (ATC sequences), which is typically found in clusters within different MARs. To determine the extent of conservation of the SATB1 gene among different species, we cloned a mouse homolog of the human STAB1 cDNA from a cDNA expression library of the mouse thymus, the tissue in which this protein is predominantly expressed. This mouse cDNA encodes a 764-amino-acid protein with a 98% homology in amino acid sequence to the human SATB1 originally cloned from testis. To characterize the DNA binding domain of this novel class of protein, we used the mouse SATB1 cDNA and delineated a 150-amino-acid polypeptide as the binding domain. This region confers full DNA binding activity, recognizes the specific sequence context, and makes direct contact with DNA at the same nucleotides as the whole protein. This DNA binding domain contains a novel DNA binding motif: when no more than 21 amino acids at either the N- or C-terminal end of the binding domain are deleted, the majority of the DNA binding activity is lost. The concomitant presence of both terminal sequences is mandatory for binding. These two terminal regions consist of hydrophilic amino acids and share homologous sequences that are different from those of any known DNA binding motifs. We propose that the DNA binding region of SATB1 extends its two terminal regions toward DNA to make direct contact with DNA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2006

Selective inhibition of c-Myc/Max dimerization and DNA binding by small molecules.

bZip and bHLHZip protein family members comprise a large fraction of eukaryotic transcription factors and need to bind DNA in order to exert most of their fundamental biological roles. Their binding to DNA requires homo- or heterodimerization via alpha-helical domains, which generally do not contain obvious binding sites for small molecules. We have identified two small molecules, dubbed Mycro1 and Mycro2, which inhibit the protein-protein interactions between the bHLHZip proteins c-Myc and Max. Mycros are the first inhibitors of c-Myc/Max dimerization, which have been demonstrated to inhibit DNA binding of c-Myc with preference over other dimeric transcription factors in vitro. Mycros inhibit c-Myc-dependent proliferation, gene transcription, and oncogenic transformation in the low micromolar concentration range. Our data support the idea that dimeric transcription factors can be druggable even in the absence of obvious small-molecule binding pockets.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1985

Effects of DNA binding proteins on DNA methylation in vitro.

The inheritance of DNA methylation patterns may play an important role in the stability of the differentiated state. We have therefore studied the inhibitory effects of DNA binding proteins on DNA methylation in vitro. Mouse L1210 cells grown in the presence of 5-azacytidine acquire hemimethylated sites in their DNA. Purified hemimethylated DNA accepted methyl groups from S-adenosyl-L-methionine in the presence of a crude maintenance methylase more readily than purified DNA isolated from cells not exposed to 5-azacytidine. On the other hand, chromatin fractions isolated from cells grown in the presence or absence of 5-azacytidine were poor substrates for the maintenance methylase irrespective of the number of hemimethylated sites present in the DNA. Inhibition of DNA methylation was shown to be associated primarily with chromatin proteins bound to DNA, and trypsinization of nuclei increased their methyl accepting abilities. Methyl acceptance was increased by salt extraction of chromosomal proteins. These data suggest that association of histones with DNA may play a role in the modulation of methylation patterns.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Induction of apoptosis by overexpression of the DNA-binding and DNA-PK-activating protein C1D.

Apoptosis is induced in various tumor cell lines by vector-dependent overexpression of the conserved gene C1D that encodes a DNA-binding and DNA-PK-activating protein. C1D is physiologically expressed in 50 human tissues tested, which points to its basic cellular function. The expression of this gene must be tightly regulated because elevated levels of C1D protein, e.g. those induced by transient vector-dependent expression, result in apoptotic cell death. Cells transfected with C1D-expressing constructs show terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling of DNA ends. Transfections with constructs in which C1D is expressed in fusion with the (enhanced) green fluorescent protein from A. victoria (EGFP) allow the transfected cells to be identified and the morphological changes induced to be traced. Starting from intense nuclear spots, green fluorescence reflecting C1D expression increases dramatically at 12-24 hours post-transfection. Expression of C1D-EGFP protein is accompanied by morphological changes typical of apoptotic cell death, e.g. cytoplasmic vacuolation, membrane blebbing and nuclear disintegration. Cell shrinkage and detachment from extracellular matrix are observed in monolayer cultures while suspension cells become progressively flattened. The facility to differentiate between transfected and non-transfected cells reveals that non-transfected cells co-cultured with transfected cells also show the morphological changes of apoptosis, which points to a bystander effect. C1D-dependent apoptosis is not induced in cells with non-functional p53. Accordingly, C1D-induced apoptosis is discussed in relation to its potential to activate DNA-PK, which has been considered to act as an upstream activator of p53.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Determinants of high-affinity DNA binding by the glucocorticoid receptor: evaluation of receptor domains outside the DNA-binding domain.

In this study, we have investigated the influence of regions outside the DNA-binding domain of the human glucocorticoid receptor on high-affinity DNA binding. We find that the DNA-binding domain shows a 10-fold lower affinity for a palindromic DNA-binding site than the intact receptor. The N-terminal part of the receptor protein does not influence its DNA-binding affinity, while the C-terminal steroid-binding domain increases the DNA-binding affinity of the receptor molecule. It has previously been shown that both the intact glucocorticoid receptor and the glucocorticoid receptor DNA-binding domain bind to a palindromic glucocorticoid response element on DNA as dimers. It is likely that differences in DNA-binding affinity observed result from protein-protein interactions outside the DNA-binding domain between receptor monomers, as has been shown for the estrogen receptor. We have previously identified a segment involved in protein-protein interactions between DNA-binding domains of glucocorticoid receptors. This, in combination with results presented in this study, suggests that there are at least two sites of contact between receptor monomers bound to DNA. We suggest that the interaction between the DNA-binding domains may act primarily to restrict DNA binding to binding sites with appropriate half-site spacing and that additional stability of the receptor dimer is provided by the interactions between the steroid-binding domains.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

DNA-binding domain of GCN4 induces bending of both the ATF/CREB and AP-1 binding sites of DNA.

The interaction of proteins with DNA results, in some cases, in DNA bending, and this might have functional importance. However, when the protein-induced bending of DNA is small, its measurement presents a problem. It is shown that the fluorescence resonance energy transfer between fluorophores placed on the ends of the specially designed U-shaped DNA, which contains the DNA-binding sites at its central part, can be successfully used for this purpose. The lever effect of the arms of such U-shaped DNA ensures that the distance between the fluorophores is very sensitive to bending of the central part. Using this technique, it was shown that (i) the AP-1 and ATF/CREB binding sites of GCN4 transcription factor are pre-bent to the same extent (approximately 12 degrees toward the major groove) and (ii) binding of the GCN4 DNA-binding domain (GCN4-bZIP) results in additional bending of both these target sites but to a greater extent at the ATF/CREB site. In total, in the complex with GCN4-bZIP, the ATF/CREB site is bent by (25 +/- 2) degrees and the AP-1 site by (20 +/- 2) degrees toward the minor groove.

Activating Transcription Factors↗
PubMed2001

Crystal packing interaction that blocks crystallization of a site-specific DNA binding protein-DNA complex.

We present here three high-resolution crystal structures of complexes between the DNA-binding domain of the heat-shock transcription factor (HSF) and DNA oligomers. Although the DNA oligomers contain HSF's specific binding sequence, called a heat-shock element, the crystal structures do not contain the specific protein-DNA complex. In one crystal structure, the 10 base pair DNA oligomer is statically disordered. In the other two related structures, the 12 base pair DNA oligomers are in unique positions, but the protein-DNA contacts in these two crystals are not sequence specific. In all three structures, the DNA appears to act as a rigid, polyanion scaffold to support columns of proteins in a crystalline lattice. A robust crystal packing interface between protein monomers obscures the true DNA-binding surface, known from previous genetic and biochemical studies. By redesigning the protein to interfere with the crystal lattice contacts, we were able to obtain physiologically relevant crystals in a specific protein-DNA complex. Thus, a crystal-packing interface was able to prevent the weak, but physiological relevant interactions between a protein and DNA.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed2004

The androgen receptor ligand-binding domain stabilizes DNA binding in living cells.

The androgen receptor (AR) is a member of the steroid receptor family, a group of transcription factors that activate steroid-regulated genes. Live cell studies of several steroid receptors have shown that the mobility of the liganded receptor is strongly reduced compared to the unliganded receptor. To investigate the nature of this reduced mobility, we generated Hep3B cells stably expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP)-AR at physiological levels. Computer-aided analysis of photobleaching experiments showed that in the presence of ligand on average one out of five ARs is immobilized, each individual AR being immobile for 1-2 min. This immobilization depended on DNA binding since GFP-ARs mutated in the DNA-binding domain were not immobilized. Interestingly, a truncated AR lacking the ligand-binding domain (LBD) displayed substantially shorter immobilizations, in the order of seconds, although its transcriptional activation function was stronger. Our data suggest the LBD has a role in maintaining the stability of AR-DNA complexes.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗
PubMed1998

A single amino acid in the DNA binding regions of STAT5A and STAT5B confers distinct DNA binding specificities.

STAT5A and STAT5B are two highly related transcription factors encoded by two distinct genes. STAT5A and STAT5B are activated by a broad range of cytokines and growth factors. Although they can be differentially activated, the functional difference between these two molecules relative to their structure is not known. Here we demonstrated that STAT5A and STAT5B homodimers have distinct DNA binding preferences. Chimeric STAT5 molecules allowed us to identify a region between amino acid 420 and 545 responsible for the DNA binding specificity. This region is located in the previously characterized DNA binding region of STAT proteins. Sequence comparison between STAT5A and STAT5B from different species showed a difference of 5 amino acids in the region 420-545 between STAT5A and STAT5B. Substitution of these amino acids demonstrated that a glycine residue at position 433 in STAT5B and a glutamic residue at a similar position in STAT5A determined the DNA binding specificity. These data indicate that STAT5A and STAT5B homodimers may have distinct function and probably regulate the expression of common as well as distinct genes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Thyroid hormone receptor variant alpha2. Role of the ninth heptad in dna binding, heterodimerization with retinoid X receptors, and dominant negative activity.

Thyroid hormone receptors bind DNA with highest affinity as heterodimers with retinoid X receptors, and such heterodimers generally are thought to be the biological mediators of thyroid hormone action. An alternative splice product of the thyroid hormone receptor alpha gene, thyroid hormone receptor variant alpha2, does not bind thyroid hormone and functions as a weak dominant negative inhibitor of thyroid hormone action. Thyroid hormone receptor variant alpha2 is missing one-half of the ninth heptad, a region of the bona fide receptor thought to be important for heterodimerization with retinoid X receptors. The role of the ninth heptad in heterodimerization has been evaluated further. Thyroid hormone receptor variant alpha2-retinoid X receptor heterodimers form on a subset of direct repeat response elements but not on palindromic or inverted palindromic elements. Restoration of the missing ninth heptad sequence is critical for restoring heterodimerization on the palindromic DNA, but either the ninth heptad amino acids or a stretch of alanines is equally able to restore heterodimerization on the inverted palindrome. Thus, the role of the ninth heptad in heterodimerization differs on direct repeat, palindromic, and inverted palindromic response elements, suggesting that the protein-protein interactions differ on each of these elements. The dominant negative activity of thyroid hormone receptor variant alpha2 requires DNA binding, but the relatively weak nature of the dominant negative activity is only partially explained by the weak DNA binding.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Single strand DNA binding and annealing activities in the yeast recombination factor Rad59.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae RAD59 gene is required for homologous recombination processes and normal level of resistance to ionizing radiation. To study the biochemical functions of Rad59, it was overproduced in yeast and purified to near homogeneity. Rad59 binds DNA, showing much higher affinity for ssDNA than dsDNA. Rad59 also anneals complementary DNA strands, and order of addition experiments indicate that maximal annealing efficiency is achieved when both complementary DNA strands are present upon addition of Rad59. Thus, Rad59 resembles its homolog Rad52 in being able to bind ssDNA and anneal complementary DNA strands. However, unlike Rad52, DNA annealing by Rad59 is not accelerated by the ssDNA binding factor RPA. DNA binding and strand annealing are likely to be important for the biological functions of Rad59 in general recombination and in the single-strand annealing pathway of recombination.

Binding, Competitive↗
PubMed1993

Identification of residues in the human DNA repair enzyme HAP1 (Ref-1) that are essential for redox regulation of Jun DNA binding.

The DNA binding activity of the c-jun proto-oncogene product is inhibited by oxidation of a specific cysteine residue (Cys-252) in the DNA binding domain. Jun protein inactivated by oxidation of this residue can be efficiently reactivated by a factor from human cell nuclei, recently identified as a DNA repair enzyme (termed HAP1 or Ref-1). The HAP1 protein consists of a core domain, which is highly conserved in a family of prokaryotic and eukaryotic DNA repair enzymes, and a 61-amino-acid N-terminal domain absent from bacterial homologs such as Escherichia coli exonuclease III. The eukaryote-specific N-terminal domain was dispensable for the DNA repair functions of the HAP1 protein but was essential for reactivation of the DNA binding activity of oxidized Jun protein. Consistent with this finding, exonuclease III protein could not reactive Jun. A minimal 26-residue region of the N-terminal domain proximal to the core of the HAP1 enzyme was required for redox activity. By site-directed mutagenesis, cysteine 65 was identified as the redox active site in the HAP1 enzyme. In addition, it is proposed that cysteine 93 interacts with the redox active site, probably via disulfide bridge formation. It is concluded that the HAP1 protein has evolved a novel redox activation domain capable of regulating the DNA binding activity of a proto-oncogene product which is not essential for its DNA repair functions. Identification of a putative active site cysteine residue should facilitate analysis of the mechanism by which the HAP1 protein may alter the redox state of a wide range of transcription factors.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1984

Characterization of the Escherichia coli SSB-113 mutant single-stranded DNA-binding protein. Cloning of the gene, DNA and protein sequence analysis, high pressure liquid chromatography peptide mapping, and DNA-binding studies.

The ssb-113 (formerly lexC113) gene encoding a mutant single-stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) has been cloned into plasmid pSC101 resulting in 5- to 10-fold more mutant protein than strains carrying only one (chromosomal) copy of the gene. Analysis of tryptic and chymotryptic peptides of the mutant protein by high pressure liquid chromatography and solid phase protein sequencing has shown that the ssb-113 mutation results in the substitution of serine for proline at residue 176 of SSB. This change could only occur in one step by a C leads to T transition in the DNA sequence. Physicochemical studies of the homogeneous mutant protein have shown that it binds as well as wild type SSB to single-stranded DNA and that it is a slightly better helix-destabilizing protein than wild type SSB as measured by its ability to lower the thermal melting transition of poly[d(A-T)]. In vivo studies of ssb-113 strains carrying the cloned ssb-113 gene in pSC101 have shown that overproduction of the mutant protein does not complement the temperature-sensitive conditional lethality caused by the ssb-113 mutation when present in single gene copy in contrast to effects recently observed in ssb-1 strains overproducing the ssb-1 encoded protein (Chase, J. W., Murphy, J. B., Whittier, R. F., Lorensen, E., and Sninsky, J. J. (1983) J. Mol. Biol. 164, 193-211). Also noted in this report are two corrections to the DNA sequence of wild type SSB, one of which places glycine (codon GGC) at residue 133 rather than serine as previously reported (Sancar, A., Williams, K. R., Chase, J. W., and Rupp, W. D. (1981) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 78, 4274-4278). The second correction to the DNA sequence is in the serine 39 codon, previously reported to be TCA and now correctly shown to be TCC.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

The mitochondrial p55 accessory subunit of human DNA polymerase gamma enhances DNA binding, promotes processive DNA synthesis, and confers N-ethylmaleimide resistance.

Human DNA polymerase gamma is composed of a 140-kDa catalytic subunit and a smaller accessory protein variously reported to be 43-54 kDa. Immunoblot analysis of the purified, heterodimeric native human polymerase gamma complex identified the accessory subunit as 55 kDa. We isolated the full-length cDNA encoding a 55-kDa polypeptide, expressed the cDNA in Escherichia coli and purified the 55-kDa protein to homogeneity. Recombinant Hp55 forms a high affinity, salt-stable complex with Hp140 during protein affinity chromatography. Immunoprecipitation, gel filtration, and sedimentation analyses revealed a 190-kDa complex indicative of a native heterodimer. Reconstitution of Hp140.Hp55 raises the salt optimum of Hp140, stimulates the polymerase and exonuclease activities, and increases the processivity of the enzyme by several 100-fold. Similar to Hp140, isolated Hp55 binds DNA with moderate strength and was a specificity for double-stranded primer-template DNA. However, Hp140.Hp55 has a surprisingly high affinity for DNA, and kinetic analyses indicate Hp55 enhances the affinity of Hp140 for primer termini by 2 orders of magnitude. Thus the enhanced DNA binding caused by Hp55 is the basis for the salt tolerance and high processivity characteristic of DNA polymerase gamma. Observation of native DNA polymerase gamma both as an Hp140 monomer and as a heterodimer with Hp55 supports the notion that the two forms act in mitochondrial DNA repair and replication. Additionally, association of Hp55 with Hp140 protects the polymerase from inhibition by N-ethylmaleimide.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2006

Autoregulator protein PhaR for biosynthesis of polyhydroxybutyrate [P(3HB)] possibly has two separate domains that bind to the target DNA and P(3HB): Functional mapping of amino acid residues responsible for DNA binding.

PhaR from Paracoccus denitrificans functions as a repressor or autoregulator of the expression of genes encoding phasin protein (PhaP) and PhaR itself, both of which are components of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) granules (A. Maehara, S. Taguchi, T. Nishiyama, T. Yamane, and Y. Doi, J. Bacteriol. 184:3992-4002, 2002). PhaR is a unique regulatory protein in that it also has the ability to bind tightly to an effector molecule, PHA polyester. In this study, by using a quartz crystal microbalance, we obtained direct evidence that PhaR binds to the target DNA and poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] [P(3HB)], one of the PHAs, at the same time. To identify the PhaR amino acid residues responsible for DNA binding, deletion and PCR-mediated random point mutation experiments were carried out with the gene encoding the PhaR protein. PhaR point mutants with decreased DNA-binding abilities were efficiently screened by an in vivo monitoring assay system coupled with gene expression of green fluorescent protein in Escherichia coli. DNA-binding abilities of the wild-type and mutants of recombinant PhaR expressed in E. coli were evaluated using a gel shift assay and a surface plasmon resonance analysis. These experiments revealed that basic amino acids and a tyrosine in the N-terminal region, which is highly conserved among PhaR homologs, are responsible for DNA binding. However, most of the mutants with decreased DNA-binding abilities were unaffected in their ability to bind P(3HB), strongly suggesting that PhaR has two separate domains capable of binding to the target DNA and P(3HB).

Amino Acid Motifs↗