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RP4 repressor protein KorB binds to the major groove of the operator DNA: a Raman study.

KorB is a member of the ParB family of bacterial partitioning proteins. The protein encoded by the conjugative plasmid RP4 is part of the global control circuit and regulates the expression of plasmid genes, the products of which are involved in replication, transfer, and stable inheritance. KorB is a homodimeric protein which binds to palindromic 13 bp DNA sequences [5'-TTTAGC((G)/(C))GCTAAA-3'] present 12 times in the 60 kb plasmid. Each KorB subunit is composed of two domains; the C-domain is responsible for the dimerization of the protein, whereas the N-terminal domain recognizes and binds to the operator sequence (O(B)). Here we describe results of a Raman spectroscopic study of the interaction of the N-domain with a double-stranded model oligonucleotide composed of the palindromic binding sequence and terminal 5'-A(Br)U and AG-3' bases. Comparison of the Raman spectra of the free KorB N-domain and O(B) DNA with the spectrum of the complex reveals large differences. KorB-N binds in the major groove of the O(B) DNA, and the interactions induce changes in the DNA backbone and in the secondary structure of the protein.

DNA Primase↗

Developmentally regulated mouse gene NK10 encodes a zinc finger repressor protein with differential DNA-binding domains.

Using oligonucleotides complementary to the conserved inter-finger region of a variety of previously described zinc finger-encoding genes, a novel mouse gene was cloned and characterized. The gene is localized on chromosome 8 and comprises five exons. Its corresponding mRNA is developmentally regulated in various tissues and includes an open reading frame encoding a protein of 72,422 daltons. It shares amino-terminal homologies with human KRAB (or FPB) boxes, and contains 13 zinc fingers of the C2-H2 type. The NK10 KRAB domains exhibit repressing activity when tested in GAL4 fusion protein assays. Cloning of putative target sequences revealed that the individual domains differentially contribute to zinc-dependent target DNA binding.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Iron regulation and pathogenicity in Erwinia chrysanthemi 3937: role of the Fur repressor protein.

Low iron availability is a triggering signal for coordinated expression of the genes encoding pectate lyases PelB, PelC, PelD, and PelE, and chrysobactin iron transport functions, which are two main determinants of phytopathogenicity of the Erwinia chrysanthemi strain 3937. The possible implication of the ferric uptake regulation (Fur) protein in this process was investigated. The E. chrysanthemi fur gene was cloned by functional complementation of an Escherichia coli fur mutant and sequenced. The 444-bp open reading frame identified was found to code for a protein highly similar to the E. coli Fur regulator. An E. chrysanthemi fur null mutant was constructed by reverse genetics. This mutant showed altered growth capacity and reduced pathogenicity on African violets. In a fur background, transcriptional lacZ fusions to genes belonging to the E. chrysanthemi high affinity iron transport systems were constitutively expressed. Transcription of the pelA, pelD, and pelE genes was analyzed, using fusions to the uidA reporter gene. Iron availability and a fur mutation did not influence the expression of pelA. In the presence of iron, pelD and pelE transcription levels were higher in the fur mutant than in the parental strain. Furthermore, iron deficiency stimulated the expression of both fusions in the fur mutant. These findings indicate that, in E. chrysanthemi 3937, (i) Fur negatively controls iron transport and genes encoding PelD and PelE, and (ii) additional factor(s) mediate iron regulation of the pel genes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Dra-nupC-pdp operon of Bacillus subtilis: nucleotide sequence, induction by deoxyribonucleosides, and transcriptional regulation by the deoR-encoded DeoR repressor protein.

The genes encoding deoxyriboaldolase (dra), nucleoside uptake protein (nupC), and pyrimidine nucleoside sequences were determined. Sequence analysis showed that the genes were localized immediately downstream of the hut operon. Insertional gene disruption studies indicated that the three genes constitute an operon with the gene order dra-nupC-pdp. A promoter mapping immediately upstream of the dra gene was identified, and downstream of the pdp gene the nucleotide sequence indicated the existence of a factor-independent transcription terminator structure. In wild-type cells growing in succinate minimal medium, the pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase and deoxyriboaldolase levels were five- to eightfold higher in the presence of thymidine and fourfold higher in the presence of deoxyadenosine. By the use of lacZ fusions, the regulation was found to be at the level of transcription. The operon expression was subject to glucose repression. Upstream of the dra gene an open reading frame of 313 amino acids was identified. Inactivation of this gene led to an approximately 10-fold increase in the levels of deoxyriboaldolase and pyrimidine nucleoside phosphorylase, and no further induction was seen upon the addition of deoxyribonucleosides. The upstream gene most likely encodes the regulator for the dra-nupC-pdp operon and was designated deoR (stands for deoxyribonucleoside regulator).

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Iron-dependent transcription of the frpB gene of Helicobacter pylori is controlled by the Fur repressor protein.

We have overexpressed and purified the Helicobacter pylori Fur protein and analyzed its interaction with the intergenic regions of divergent genes involved in iron uptake (frpB and ceuE) and oxygen radical detoxification (katA and tsaA). DNase I footprint analysis showed that Fur binds specifically to a high-affinity site overlapping the P(frpB) promoter and to low-affinity sites located upstream from promoters within both the frpB-katA and ceuE-tsaA intergenic regions. Construction of an isogenic fur mutant indicated that Fur regulates transcription from the P(frpB) promoter in response to iron. In contrast, no effect by either Fur or iron was observed for the other promoters.

Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins↗

Comparison of the structures of cro and lambda repressor proteins from bacteriophage lambda.

The three-dimensional structures of cro repressor protein and of the amino-terminal domain of lambda repressor protein, both from bacteriophage lambda, are compared. The second and third alpha-helices, alpha 2 and alpha 3, are shown to have essentially identical conformations in the two proteins, confirming the significance of the amino acid sequence homology previously noted between these and other DNA binding proteins in the region corresponding to these helices. The correspondence between the two-helical units in cro and lambda repressor protein is better than the striking agreement noted previously between two-helical units in cro and catabolite gene-activator protein. Parts of the first alpha-helices of repressor and cro show a structural correspondence that suggests a revised sequence homology between the two proteins in their extreme amino-terminal regions. In particular, there is a short loop between the alpha 1 and alpha 2 helices of lambda repressor that is missing from cro. This structural difference may account for the observed differences found with different cros and repressors in the pattern of phosphates whose ethylation prevents the binding of these proteins to their specific recognition sites. Although the two proteins have strikingly similar alpha 2-alpha 3 helical units that are presumed to bind to DNA in an essentially similar manner, stereochemical restrictions prevent the alpha 2-alpha 3 units of the respective proteins aligning on the DNA in exactly the same way.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Structural similarity in the DNA-binding domains of catabolite gene activator and cro repressor proteins.

It is shown that there is a structural similarity between the presumed DNA-binding regions of the Escherichia coli catabolite gene activator protein ("CAP") and the cro repressor protein ("cro") from bacteriophage lambda. The correspondence between the two proteins is particularly striking for a structural unit consisting of two consecutive alpha-helices. The 24 alpha-carbon atoms that constitute the two-helical structural units in the two proteins can be superimposed with a root-mean-square disagreement of 1.1 A. It is shown that this agreement is very unlikely to be due to a chance correspondence. For both CAP activator and cro repressor proteins it is the second alpha-helix of the two-helical unit that has been proposed to bind within the major groove of left-handed or right-handed B DNA, respectively [McKay, D. B. & Steitz, T. A. (1981) Nature (London) 290, 744-749; Anderson, W. F., Ohlendorf, D. H., Takeda, Y. & Matthews, B. W. (1981) Nature (London) 290, 754-758]. The structural correspondence between CAP and cro seen here, together with other recent evidence of sequence homologies between cro, CAP, and other proteins that bind double-stranded DNA, suggests that the two-helical unit is likely to be a common feature of many DNA-binding proteins. The results also suggest that some principles of specific protein-double-stranded DNA interaction may be general and include recognition via alpha-helices fitting into the major groove of the DNA.

Bacteriophage lambda↗

The QUTA activator and QUTR repressor proteins of Aspergillus nidulans interact to regulate transcription of the quinate utilization pathway genese.

Genetic evidence suggests that the activity of the native QUTA transcription activator protein is negated by the action of the QUTR transcription repressor protein. When Aspergillus nidulans was transformed with plasmids containing the wild-type qutA gene, transformants that constitutively expressed the quinate pathway enzymes were isolated. The constitutive phenotype of these transformants was associated with an increased copy number of the transforming qutA gene and elevated qutA mRNA levels. Conversely, when A. nidulans was transformed with plasmids containing the qutR gene under the control of the constitutive pgk promoter, transformants with a super-repressed phenotype (unable to utilize quinate as a carbon source) were isolated. The super-repressed phenotype of these transformants was associated with an increased copy number of the transforming qutR gene and elevated qutR mRNA levels. These copy-number-dependent phenotypes argue that the levels of the QUTA and QUTR proteins were elevated in the high-copy-number transformants. When diploid strains were formed by combining haploid strains that contained high copy numbers of either the qutA gene (constitutive phenotype) or the qutR gene (super-repressing; non-inducible phenotype), the resulting diploid phenotype was one of quinate-inducible production of the quinate pathway enzymes, in a manner similar to wild-type. The simplest interpretation of these observations is that the QUTR repressor protein mediates its repressing activity through a direct interaction with the QUTA activator protein. Other possible interpretations are discussed in the text. Experiments in which truncated versions of the QUTA protein were produced in the presence of a wild-type QUTA protein indicate that the QUTR repressor protein recognizes and binds to the C-terminal half of the QUTA activator protein.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗

Identification of domains responsible for signal recognition and transduction within the QUTR transcription repressor protein.

QUTR (qutR-encoded transcription-repressing protein) is a multi-domain repressor protein active in the signal-transduction pathway that regulates transcription of the quinic acid utilization (qut) gene cluster in Aspergillus nidulans. In the presence of quinate, production of mRNA from the eight genes of the qut pathway is stimulated by the activator protein QUTA (qutA-encoded transcription-activating protein). Mutations in the qutR gene alter QUTR function such that the transcription of the qut gene cluster is permanently on (constitutive phenotype) or is insensitive to the presence of quinate (super-repressed phenotype). These mutant phenotypes imply that the QUTR protein plays a key role in signal recognition and transduction, and we have used deletion analysis to determine which regions of the QUTR protein are involved in these functions. We show that the QUTR protein recognizes and binds to the QUTA protein in vitro and that the N-terminal 88 amino acids of QUTR are sufficient to inactivate QUTA function in vivo. Deletion analysis and domain-swap experiments imply that the two C-terminal domains of QUTR are mainly involved in signal recognition.

Base Sequence↗

Phosphorylation modulates the function of the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide receptor transcriptional repressor protein.

The transcriptional repressor for rat vasoactive intestinal polypeptide receptor 1 (VIPR-RP) is a recently isolated transcription factor. In this study, we have characterized the functional domains of VIPR-RP and the importance of phosphorylation on VIPR-RP function. Using various regions of VIPR-RP in gel mobility shift assays, we show that the amino acid sequences between positions 367 and 475 play an essential role for VIPR-RP DNA binding. Transient transfection of fusion constructs containing GAL4 DNA binding domain and different parts of VIPR-RP indicated that there are two separate transcriptional repression domains in VIPR-RP, located between amino acids 50 and 101 and between 469 and 527. We demonstrated that VIPR-RP is phosphorylated in vitro by casein kinase II on Ser-69/71 and Thr-110, and by cAMP-dependent kinase on Ser-245/361. Furthermore, by site-directed mutagenesis, we show that phosphorylation of the casein kinase II sites potentiates VIPR-RP transcriptional repression activity by enhancing its nuclear translocation, and that phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent kinase inhibits VIPR- RP transcriptional repression function without affecting its subcellular localization. These observations suggest that phosphorylation plays an important role in regulating VIPR-RP function.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Characterization and modification of a monomeric mutant of the lactose repressor protein.

A monomeric mutant lactose repressor protein (T-41), containing serine at position 282 in place of tyrosine [Schmitz, A., Schmeissner, U., Miller, J. H., & Lu, P. (1976) J. Biol. Chem. 251, 3359-3366], has been purified by a series of chromatographic and precipitation methods. The molecular weight of the mutant as determined by gel filtration was approximately 40,000. The inducer equilibrium binding constant for the mutant was comparable to that of the tetrameric wild-type repressor at pH 7.5, whereas operator DNA binding was not detectable. In contrast to wild-type repressor, equilibrium and kinetic rate constants for inducer binding to the monomer were largely independent of pH; thus, the quaternary structure of the wild-type repressor is required for the pH-associated effects on inducer binding. Although ultraviolet absorbance difference spectra indicated that inducer binding to T-41 protein elicited different changes in the environment of aromatic residues from those generated in wild-type repressor, the shift in the fluorescence emission maximum in response to inducer binding was similar for T-41 and wild-type repressors. Similarity in 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid binding to monomer and tetramer suggests that this fluorophore does not bind at subunit interfaces. Modification of Cys-281 with methyl methanethiosulfonate was observed at low molar ratios of reagent per T-41 monomer (4-fold). This result is in contrast to data observed for tetrameric wild-type repressor which requires high molar ratios for this cysteine to react. We conclude that Cys-281, adjacent to the site of the T-41 mutation, is located on the surface of the monomer in this region crucial for subunit interaction.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Characterization of mutations in oligomerization domain of Lac repressor protein.

A series of mutant lac repressor proteins at positions 281 or 282 was isolated for detailed characterization. Although Cys281 modification by sulfhydryl reagents abrogates pH effects on inducer binding and diminishes operator binding (Daly, T. J., Olson, J. S., and Matthews, K. S. (1986) Biochemistry 25, 5468-5474), substitution at this site by alanine, serine, phenylalanine, isoleucine, or methionine did not abolish completely the pH shift nor affect operator affinity. Thus, ionization of the sulfhydryl residue does not account fully for the alterations in inducer affinity and cooperativity of binding observed with elevated pH. Substitution for Cys281 did, however, alter the kinetic parameters for inducer association with the protein. The polarity of the side chain at 281 influenced the rates of sugar binding, presumably by altering the rate of opening/closing of the binding site. Furthermore, the presence of the branched side chain of isoleucine at position 281 disrupted oligomerization of the repressor. In contrast to the tolerance for substitution at 281, the only amino acid side chain exchanges for Tyr282 which yielded tetrameric protein with near normal operator binding characteristics were phenylalanine and leucine; this result is consistent with studies of suppressed nonsense mutations at position 282 which indicated repression occurred only for the corresponding substitutions (Kleina, L. G., and Miller, J. H. (1990) J. Mol. Biol. 221, 295-318). Despite the tetrameric character of the Y282F mutant protein, the pH dependence and cooperativity of inducer binding for this mutant protein were altered. All amino acid substitutions other than phenylalanine and leucine at this position resulted in either monomeric protein or no detectable repressor in the cell. Thus, the hydrophobic character of the side chain at position 282 is essential for tetramer formation, and the phenyl ring alone alters inducer binding parameters. The monomeric mutant proteins with substitutions for Tyr282 exhibited lower stability than their tetrameric counterparts, and the absence of dimer formation suggests alterations at this site affect both dimer and tetramer interfaces. Based on previous genetic studies and our detailed mutant characterization, the region encompassing 281 and 282, indicated by secondary structure prediction to be a turn or coil, is essential for oligomer formation and additionally exerts a strong influence on the dynamic properties of the protein, presumably mediated by interactions at the subunit interface which regulate the rate of opening and closing of the inducer binding cleft.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Human carbon catabolite repressor protein (CCR4)-associative factor 1: cloning, expression and characterization of its interaction with the B-cell translocation protein BTG1.

The human BTG1 protein is thought to be a potential tumour suppressor because its overexpression inhibits NIH 3T3 cell proliferation. However, little is known about how BTG1 exerts its anti-proliferative activity. In this study, we used the yeast 'two-hybrid' system to screen for interacting protein partners and identified human carbon catabolite repressor protein (CCR4)-associative factor 1 (hCAF-1), a homologue of mouse CAF-1 (mCAF-1) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae yCAF-1/POP2. In vitro the hCAF-1/BTG1 complex formation was dependent on the phosphorylation of a putative p34cdc2 kinase site on BTG1 (Ser-159). In yeast, the Ala-159 mutant did not interact with hCAF-1. In addition, phosphorylation of Ser-159 in vitro showed specificity for the cell cycle kinases p34CDK2/cyclin E and p34CDK2/cyclin A, but not for p34CDK4/cyclin D1 or p34cdc2/cyclin B. Cell synchrony experiments with primary cultures of rat aortic smooth-muscle cells (RSMCs) demonstrated that message and protein levels of rat CAF-1 (rCAF-1) were up-regulated under conditions of cell contact, as previously reported for BTG1 [Wilcox, Scott, Subramanian, Ross, Adams-Burton, Stoltenborg and Corjay (1995) Circulation 92, I34-I35]. Western blot and immunohistochemical analysis showed that rCAF-1 localizes to the nucleus of contact-inhibited RSMCs, where it was physically associated with BTG1, as determined by co-immunoprecipitation with anti-hCAF-1 antisera. Overexpression of hCAF-1 in NIH 3T3 and osteosarcoma (U-2-OS) cells was itself anti-proliferative with colony formation reduced by 67% and 90% respectively. Taken together, these results indicate that formation of the hCAF-1/BTG1 complex is driven by phosphorylation at BTG1 (Ser-159) and implicates this complex in the signalling events of cell division that lead to changes in cellular proliferation associated with cell-cell contact.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Nonspecific hydrophobic interactions of a repressor protein, PhaR, with poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] film studied with a quartz crystal microbalance.

The gene expression for phasins (PhaP), which are predominantly polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) granule-associated proteins, is regulated by a repressor protein of PhaR through the dual binding abilities of PhaR to the target DNAs and the granules. In this study, the binding functions of PhaR to poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (P(3HB)) were investigated quantitatively by using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique. Adsorption of PhaR onto a melt-crystallized film of P(3HB) (cr-P(3HB)) was detected as a negative frequency shift of the QCM. The time course of the frequency changes observed for PhaR adsorption was composed of a quick frequency decrease at an initial stage and a subsequent slower frequency decrease for several hours, indicating multilayered adsorption of PhaR molecules onto cr-P(3HB). The initial rapid adsorption, which corresponds to direct adsorption of PhaR molecules onto a bare surface of cr-P(3HB), was a diffusion-controlled process. Strong interactions between PhaR and cr-P(3HB) were also observed as apparently irreversible adsorption. The comparative QCM measurement of PhaR adsorption onto various types of polymers with different aliphatic chemical structures revealed that PhaR was adsorbed onto the surfaces of polymers, including cr-P(3HB), mainly by nonspecific hydrophobic interactions. These results illustrate the high affinity and low specificity for adsorption of PhaR to P(3HB).

Adsorption↗

RNA-protein interactions of the bacteriophage RB69 RegA translational repressor protein.

We report the RNA-protein interactions of phage RB69 RegA and RegA691 proteins. In RNase protection assays, RB69 RegA protects from 10 (44 mRNA) to >70 (rpbA) nucleotides; for rpbA in particular, the length of the protected region is RegA-concentration dependent. Quantitative fluorescence quenching measurements with RB69 wildtype RegA and RegA691 show that both proteins bind poly(U) similarly, but RegA691 binds with lower affinity to both 44 and rpbA RNA. The results indicate that both RB69 RegA RNA-protein and protein-protein interactions contribute to a translational repression hierarchy.

Bacteriophage T4↗

The Drosophila P-element KP repressor protein dimerizes and interacts with multiple sites on P-element DNA.

Drosophila P elements are mobile DNA elements that encode an 87-kDa transposase enzyme and transpositional repressor proteins. One of these repressor proteins is the 207-amino-acid KP protein which is encoded by a naturally occurring P element with an internal deletion. To study the molecular mechanisms by which KP represses transposition, the protein was expressed, purified, and characterized. We show that the KP protein binds to multiple sites on the ends of P-element DNA, unlike the full-length transposase protein. These sites include the high-affinity transposase binding site, an 11-bp transpositional enhancer, and, at the highest concentrations tested, the terminal 31-hp inverted repeats. The DNA binding domain was localized to the N-terminal 98 amino acids and contains a CCHC sequence, a potential metal binding motif. We also demonstrate that the KP repressor protein can dimerize and contains two protein-protein interaction regions and that this dimerization is essential for high-affinity DNA binding.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Specificity of the interaction between lambda cro repressor protein and operator DNA fragments.

Cro repressor protein is known to interact with specific sites in the operator DNA. The cro protein of lambda phage was isolated and the mode of its interaction with three different DNA fragment, lambda-OR3 17mer, phi 80-OR2 19mer and CAP binding site 22-mer, were examined by the use of proton NMR. Some of the imino proton resonances of lambda-OR3 shifted and were broadened remarkably on addition of lambda-cro protein, which indicated the induction of conformational change with complexation. In the spectrum of phi 80-OR2 which has a six base pair sequence common to lambda-OR3 the signals of the common base pairs revealed slight shifts on addition of lambda-cro protein. The imino proton signals of the CAP site DNA, however, did not show any change at all on mixing with lambda-cro. Combining the data of photo CIDNP of lambda-cro, we could postulate the mode of interaction between lambda-cro repressor and operator DNA.

Bacteriophage lambda↗

Molecular characterization of the VIP receptor transcriptional repressor protein.

The rat type 1 VIP receptor transcriptional repressor protein (VIPR-RP) is a recently isolated novel transcription factor. In the study reported here, the functional domains of VIPR-RP were characterized. To map the DNA binding domain, various regions of VIPR-RP were either transcribed and translated in vitro or expressed in and purified from E. Coli as a glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion. The ability of the truncated proteins to bind to VIPR-RP specific binding sequence was tested by gel mobility shift assays. The results indicated that the amino acid sequences between 367 and 475 play an essential role for VIPR-RP DNA binding. To determine the amino acid sequences required for transcriptional repression, fusion proteins containing the GAL4 DNA binding domain and various parts of VIPR-RP were constructed, and their ability to repress transcription of the reporter gene containing GAL4 DNA binding sequences were tested in transiently transfected COS7 cells. The results showed that VIPR-RP contains two separate transcriptional repression domains located between amino acids 50 to 101 and 470 to 527.

Animals↗