The DNA binding domain of the rat liver nuclear protein C/EBP is bipartite

C/EBP is a rat liver nuclear protein capable of sequence-specific interaction with DNA. The DNA sequences to which C/EBP binds in vitro have been implicated in the control of messenger RNA synthesis. It has therefore been predicted that C/EBP will play a role in regulating gene expression in mammalian cells. The region of the C/EBP polypeptide required for direct interaction with DNA has been identified and shown to bear amino acid sequence relatedness with the product of the myc, fos, and jun proto-oncogenes. The arrangement of these related amino acid sequences led to the prediction of a new structural motif, termed the "leucine zipper," that plays a role in facilitating sequence-specific interaction between protein and DNA. Experimental tests now provide support for the leucine zipper hypothesis.     

The leucine zipper: a hypothetical structure common to a new class of DNA binding proteins

A 30-amino-acid segment of C/EBP, a newly discovered enhancer binding protein, shares notable sequence similarity with a segment of the cellular Myc transforming protein. Display of these respective amino acid sequences on an idealized alpha helix revealed a periodic repetition of leucine residues at every seventh position over a distance covering eight helical turns. The periodic array of at least four leucines was also noted in the sequences of the Fos and Jun transforming proteins, as well as that of the yeast gene regulatory protein, GCN4. The polypeptide segments containing these periodic arrays of leucine residues are proposed to exist in an alpha-helical conformation, and the leucine side chains extending from one alpha helix interdigitate with those displayed from a similar alpha helix of a second polypeptide, facilitating dimerization. This hypothetical structure is referred to as the "leucine zipper," and it may represent a characteristic property of a new category of DNA binding proteins.     

Methylation-sensitive sequence-specific DNA binding by the c-Myc basic region

The function of the c-Myc oncoprotein and its role in cell growth control is unclear. A basic region of c-Myc is structurally related to the basic motifs of helix-loop-helix (HLH) and leucine zipper proteins, which provide sequence-specific DNA binding function. The c-Myc basic region was tested for its ability to bind DNA by attaching it to the HLH dimerization interface of the E12 enhancer binding factor. Dimers of the chimeric protein, termed E6, specifically bound an E box element (GGCCACGTGACC) recognized by other HLH proteins in a manner dependent on the integrity of the c-Myc basic motif. Methylation of the core CpG in the E box recognition site specifically inhibited binding by E6, but not by two other HLH proteins. Expression of E6 (but not an E6 DNA binding mutant) suppressed the ability of c-myc to cooperate with H-ras in a rat embryo fibroblast transformation assay, suggesting that the DNA recognition specificity of E6 is related to that of c-Myc in vivo.     

Parallel association of Fos and Jun leucine zippers juxtaposes DNA binding domains

The protein products of the fos and jun proto-oncogenes form a heterodimeric complex that participates in a stable high affinity interaction with DNA elements containing AP-1 binding sites. The effects of deletions and point mutations in Fos and Jun on protein complex formation and DNA binding have been examined. The data suggest that Fos and Jun dimerize via a parallel interaction of helical domains containing a heptad repeat of leucine residues (the leucine zipper). Dimerization is required for DNA binding and results in the appropriate juxtaposition of basic amino acid regions from Fos and Jun, both of which are required for association with DNA.     

牙鲆Mx基因的克隆及序列分析

对牙鲆(Paralichthys lethostigma)总RNA经反转录得到的cDNA测序。结果表明,获得的cDNA片段全长1 980 bp,其中编码区长1 890 bp,编码629个氨基酸残基,推测蛋白质分子量大小为71.7 kDa。Blast比较以及Megalign软件分析的结果表明,此cDNA片段具有脊椎动物Mx蛋白共有的结构特征:一个三联体GTP结合区域;一个发动蛋白家族的典型结构特征序列及C端高度保守的Leu拉链结构区。进一步的序列比较与进化分析结果表明,牙鲆Mx基因与日本比目鱼等鱼类的同源性较高,同源性达75.1%-98.7%;而与哺乳动物的同源性相对较低,同源性达50.3%-55.1%。     

有关序列特异性DNA结合蛋白的一些最新研究进展

本文对有关序列特异性DNA结合蛋白的最新研究情况作了叙述。在其结构研究中 ,介绍了同源结构域的拓扑学结构 ,同源结构域上的氨基酸基序 ,共价和非共价二聚结构域。在其作用研究中 ,介绍了非放射标记的凝胶阻滞分析法 ,C/EBP调节启动子活性的机制 ,雌激素受体在前转录起始复合物形成中的作用以及一种新的人SPI激活转录必需的共激活因子———CRSP复合物。在编码基因与其DNA序列上的结合位点研究中 ,介绍了荧光原位杂交技术进行染色体定位 ,C/EBP家族在小鼠的乳腺泌乳期和回复期的表达 ,HNF— 1结合位点对SI基因启动子上葡萄糖阻遏作用的操纵 ,看家基因人S6核糖体蛋白基因的转录调节元件的功能