scholarly journals DNA Bending by AraC: a Negative Mutant

1998 ◽  
Vol 180 (16) ◽  
pp. 4227-4232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatrice Saviola ◽  
Robert R. Seabold ◽  
Robert F. Schleif

ABSTRACT We sought a mutation in the DNA binding domain of the arabinose operon regulatory protein, AraC, of Escherichia coli that allows the protein to bind DNA normally but not activate transcription. The mutation was isolated by mutagenizing a plasmid overproducing a chimeric leucine zipper-AraC DNA binding domain and screening for proteins that were trans dominant negative with regard to wild-type AraC protein. The mutant with the lowest transcription activation of the araBAD promoter was studied further. It proved to alter a residue that had previously been demonstrated to contact DNA. Because the overproduced mutant protein still bound DNA in vivo, it is deficient in transcription activation for some reason other than absence of DNA binding. Using the phase-sensitive DNA bending assay, we found that wild-type AraC bends DNA about 90° whereas the mutant bends DNA by a smaller amount.

2003 ◽  
Vol 374 (2) ◽  
pp. 423-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher D. DEPPMANN ◽  
Tina M. THORNTON ◽  
Fransiscus E. UTAMA ◽  
Elizabeth J. TAPAROWSKY

BATF is a member of the AP-1 (activator protein-1) family of bZIP (basic leucine zipper) transcription factors that form transcriptionally inhibitory, DNA binding heterodimers with Jun proteins. In the present study, we demonstrate that BATF is phosphorylated in vivo on multiple serine and threonine residues and at least one tyrosine residue. Reverse-polarity PAGE revealed that serine-43 and threonine-48 within the DNA binding domain of BATF are phosphorylated. To model phosphorylation of the BATF DNA binding domain, serine-43 was replaced by an aspartate residue. BATF(S43D) retains the ability to dimerize with Jun proteins in vitro and in vivo, and the BATF(S43D):Jun heterodimer localizes properly to the nucleus of cells. Interestingly, BATF(S43D) functions like wild-type BATF to reduce AP-1-mediated gene transcription, despite the observed inability of the BATF(S43D):Jun heterodimer to bind DNA. These data demonstrate that phosphorylation of serine-43 converts BATF from a DNA binding into a non-DNA binding inhibitor of AP-1 activity. Given that 40% of mammalian bZIP transcription factors contain a residue analogous to serine-43 of BATF in their DNA binding domains, the phosphorylation event described here represents a mechanism that is potentially applicable to the regulation of many bZIP proteins.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3782-3791 ◽  
Author(s):  
T K Kerppola ◽  
D Luk ◽  
T Curran

Several regulatory interactions between the AP-1 and the nuclear hormone receptor families of transcription factors have been reported. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie these interactions remain unknown, and models derived from transient-transfection experiments are contradictory. We have investigated the effect of the purified glucocorticoid receptor (GR) DNA-binding domain (GR residues 440 to 533 [GR440-533]) on DNA binding and transcription activation by Fos-Jun heterodimers and Jun homodimers. GR440-533 differentially inhibited DNA binding and transcription activation by Fos-Jun heterodimers. Inhibition of Jun homodimers required a 10-fold-higher concentration of GR440-533. An excess of Fos monomers protected Fos-Jun heterodimers from inhibition by GR440-533. Surprisingly, regions outside the leucine zipper and basic region were required for GR inhibition of Fos and Jun DNA binding. The region of GR440-533 required for inhibition of Fos-Jun DNA binding was localized to the zinc finger DNA-binding domain. However, inhibition of Fos-Jun DNA binding was independent of DNA binding by GR440-533. GR440-533 also differentially inhibited Fos-Jun heterodimer binding to the proliferin plfG element. Differential inhibition of DNA binding by different AP-1 family complexes provides a potential mechanism for the diverse interactions between nuclear hormone receptors and AP-1 family proteins at different promoters and in different cell types.


2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (14) ◽  
pp. 4984-4993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason R. Wickstrum ◽  
Jeff M. Skredenske ◽  
Ana Kolin ◽  
Ding J. Jin ◽  
Jianwen Fang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The Escherichia coli l-rhamnose-responsive transcription activators RhaS and RhaR both consist of two domains, a C-terminal DNA-binding domain and an N-terminal dimerization domain. Both function as dimers and only activate transcription in the presence of l-rhamnose. Here, we examined the ability of the DNA-binding domains of RhaS (RhaS-CTD) and RhaR (RhaR-CTD) to bind to DNA and activate transcription. RhaS-CTD and RhaR-CTD were both shown by DNase I footprinting to be capable of binding specifically to the appropriate DNA sites. In vivo as well as in vitro transcription assays showed that RhaS-CTD could activate transcription to high levels, whereas RhaR-CTD was capable of only very low levels of transcription activation. As expected, RhaS-CTD did not require the presence of l-rhamnose to activate transcription. The upstream half-site at rhaBAD and the downstream half-site at rhaT were found to be the strongest of the known RhaS half-sites, and a new putative RhaS half-site with comparable strength to known sites was identified. Given that cyclic AMP receptor protein (CRP), the second activator required for full rhaBAD expression, cannot activate rhaBAD expression in a ΔrhaS strain, it was of interest to test whether CRP could activate transcription in combination with RhaS-CTD. We found that RhaS-CTD allowed significant activation by CRP, both in vivo and in vitro, although full-length RhaS allowed somewhat greater CRP activation. We conclude that RhaS-CTD contains all of the determinants necessary for transcription activation by RhaS.


1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 1203-1211 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Takebayashi ◽  
K Chida ◽  
I Tsukamoto ◽  
E Morii ◽  
H Munakata ◽  
...  

In the DNA binding domain of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), four mutations are reported: mi, Mi wh, mi ew, and mi or. MITFs encoded by the mi, Mi wh, mi ew, and Mi or mutant alleles (mi-MITF, Mi wh-MITF, Mi ew-MITF, and Mi or-MITF, respectively) interfered with the DNA binding of wild-type MITF, TFE3, and another basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper protein in vitro. Polyclonal antibody against MITF was produced and used for investigating the subcellular localization of mutant MITFs. Immunocytochemistry and immunoblotting revealed that more than 99% of wild-type MITF and Mi wh-MITF located in nuclei of transfected NIH 3T3 and 293T cells. In contrast, mi-MITF predominantly located in the cytoplasm of cells transfected with the corresponding plasmid. When the immunoglobulin G (IgG)-conjugated peptides representing a part of the DNA binding domain containing mi and Mi wh mutations were microinjected into the cytoplasm of NRK49F cells, wild-type peptide and Mi wh-type peptide-IgG conjugate localized in nuclei but mi-type peptide-IgG conjugate was detectable only in the cytoplasm. It was also demonstrated that the nuclear translocation potential of Mi or-MITF was normal but that Mi ew-MITF was impaired as well as mi-MITF. In cotransfection assay, a strong dominant negative effect of Mi wh-MITF against wild-type MITF-dependent transactivation system on tyrosinase promoter was observed, but mi-MITF had a small effect. However, by the conjugation of simian virus 40 large-T-antigen-derived nuclear localization signal to mi-MITF, the dominant negative effect was enhanced. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the interaction between wild-type MITF and mi-MITF occurred in the cytoplasm and that mi-MITF had an inhibitory effect on nuclear localization potential of wild-type MITF.


Genome ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 849-859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leola Chow ◽  
Joel Berube ◽  
Alice Fromont ◽  
John B Bell

Scalloped (SD) and Vestigial (VG) proteins physically interact to form a selector complex that activates genes involved in wing development in Drosophila melanogaster. SD belongs to a conserved family of transcription factors containing the TEA/ATTS DNA-binding motif. VG is also a nuclear protein providing the activator function for the SD VG complex. The TEA DNA-binding domain and the VG interacting domain (VID) of SD have been previously identified and described. However, they, and possibly other functional domains of SD, have not been thoroughly characterized in vivo. Herein, transgenic constructs encoding various truncations of SD were used to assess their respective ability to rescue the mutant wing phenotype of two viable sd recessive mutations (sdETX4 and sd58d). The transgenic strains produced were also tested for the ability to induce further sd expression, an ability possessed by full length SD. The functional dissection of SD confirms that specific regions are necessary for wing development and provides further information as to how the SD VG complex functions to promote wing fate. Previous experiments have shown that expression of full length SD can cause a dominant negative wing phenotype. We show that expression of constructs that delete the SD DNA-binding domain can also cause a dominant negative phenotype in a background with either of the two tester sd strains. In contrast, SD constructs that delete the VID have no effect on the wing phenotype in either tester background. Finally, a significant portion of SD at the N-terminal end appears to be dispensable with respect to normal wing development, as this construct behaves the same as full length SD in our assays.Key words: Drosophila melanogaster, wing, scalloped, vestigial, nuclear protein.


2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (13) ◽  
pp. 4814-4825 ◽  
Author(s):  
James V. Falvo ◽  
Bhavin S. Parekh ◽  
Charles H. Lin ◽  
Ernest Fraenkel ◽  
Tom Maniatis

ABSTRACT Heterodimeric transcription factors, including the basic region-leucine zipper (bZIP) protein ATF-2–c-jun, are well-characterized components of an enhanceosome that mediates virus induction of the human beta interferon (IFN-β) gene. Here we report that within the IFN-β enhanceosome the ATF-2–c-jun heterodimer binds in a specific orientation, which is required for assembly of a complex between ATF-2–c-jun and interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF-3). We demonstrate that correct orientation of the ATF-2–c-jun binding site is required for virus induction of the IFN-β gene and for IRF-3-dependent activation of a composite ATF-2– c-jun–IRF site in the IFN-β promoter. We also show that in vitro the DNA-bound ATF-2–c-jun heterodimer adopts a fixed orientation upon the binding of IRF-3 at an adjacent site in the IFN-β enhancer and that the DNA-binding domain of IRF-3 is sufficient to mediate this effect. In addition, we show that the DNA-binding domain of ATF-2 is necessary and sufficient for selective protein-protein interactions with IRF-3. Strikingly, in vivo chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments with IFN-β reporter constructs reveal that recruitment of IRF-3 to the IFN-β promoter upon virus infection is dependent on the orientation of the ATF-2–c-jun heterodimer binding site. These observations demonstrate functional and physical cooperativity between the bZIP and IRF transcription factor families and illustrate the critical role of heterodimeric transcription factors in formation of the IFN-β enhanceosome.


2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (13) ◽  
pp. 5694-5709 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nirmala Rajaram ◽  
Tom K. Kerppola

ABSTRACT Crystallin genes are selectively expressed during lens development. Maf and Sox family proteins synergistically enhanced γF-crystallin promoter activity in a lens cell line. Mutational analysis of the γF-crystallin promoter identified a composite regulatory element containing nonconsensus Maf and Sox recognition sequences. Mutations in these recognition sequences or changes in their spacing eliminated synergistic transcription activation. The transcriptional synergy was also affected by changes in the orientation of the Maf recognition sequence that had no detectable effect on binding affinity. The interaction between Maf and Sox proteins was visualized in living cells by bimolecular fluorescence complementation analysis. The N-terminal region of Maf mediated the interaction with Sox proteins in cells. Synergistic transcription activation required the N-terminal region of Maf as well as the ancillary DNA binding domain and the unique portion of the basic region that mediate specific recognition of the γF-crystallin promoter element. A mutation in the ancillary DNA binding domain of Maf (R288P) that has been shown to cause cataract eliminated the transcriptional activity of Maf but had no detectable effect on DNA binding in vitro. Whereas wild-type Maf was uniformly distributed in the nucleoplasm, R288P Maf was enriched in nuclear foci. Cajal bodies and gemini of coiled bodies were closely associated with the foci occupied by R288P Maf. Wild-type Maf formed complexes with Sox proteins in the nucleoplasm, whereas R288P Maf recruited Sox proteins as well as other interaction partners to the nuclear foci. The mislocalization of normal cellular proteins to these foci provides a potential explanation for the dominant disease phenotype of the R288P mutation in Maf.


1993 ◽  
Vol 209 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cécile Gauthier-Rouvière ◽  
Caı̈ Qiu-Qiong ◽  
Nicole Lautredou ◽  
Anne Fernandez ◽  
Jean-Marie Blanchard ◽  
...  

1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 6945-6956 ◽  
Author(s):  
R W Johnstone ◽  
R H See ◽  
S F Sells ◽  
J Wang ◽  
S Muthukkumar ◽  
...  

The tumor suppressor WT1 represses and activates transcription. The loss and/or imbalance of the dual transcriptional activity of WT1 may contribute to Wilms' tumor. In this study, we identified par-4 (for prostate apoptosis response) as a WT1-interacting protein that itself functions as a transcriptional repressor. par-4 contains a putative leucine zipper domain and is specifically upregulated during apoptosis of prostate cells (S. F. Sells, D. P. Wood, Jr., S. S. Joshi-Barve, S. Muthukkumar, R. J. Jacob, S. A. Crist, S. Humphreys, and V. M. Rangnekar, Cell Growth Differ. 5:457-466, 1994). The leucine repeat domain of par-4 was shown to interact with the zinc finger DNA binding domain of WT1. Immunoprecipitation-Western blot (immunoblot) analyses demonstrated in vivo WT1-par-4 interactions. par-4 was ubiquitously expressed, and the protein was found in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Functionally, par-4 inhibited transcription activated by WT1, but not by the related protein EGR1. Inhibition of WT1-mediated transcription was dependent on the domain of par-4 that mediates its physical association with WT1. In addition, par-4 augmented WT1-mediated repression, possibly by contributing an additional repression domain. Consistent with these results, par-4 functioned as a transcriptional repressor when brought to a promoter via a heterologous DNA binding domain. Significantly, par-4, but not a mutant unable to interact with WT1, rescued growth suppression caused by WT1. Thus, we identified a novel repressor that modulates transcription as well as growth suppression functions of WT1.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3782-3791 ◽  
Author(s):  
T K Kerppola ◽  
D Luk ◽  
T Curran

Several regulatory interactions between the AP-1 and the nuclear hormone receptor families of transcription factors have been reported. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie these interactions remain unknown, and models derived from transient-transfection experiments are contradictory. We have investigated the effect of the purified glucocorticoid receptor (GR) DNA-binding domain (GR residues 440 to 533 [GR440-533]) on DNA binding and transcription activation by Fos-Jun heterodimers and Jun homodimers. GR440-533 differentially inhibited DNA binding and transcription activation by Fos-Jun heterodimers. Inhibition of Jun homodimers required a 10-fold-higher concentration of GR440-533. An excess of Fos monomers protected Fos-Jun heterodimers from inhibition by GR440-533. Surprisingly, regions outside the leucine zipper and basic region were required for GR inhibition of Fos and Jun DNA binding. The region of GR440-533 required for inhibition of Fos-Jun DNA binding was localized to the zinc finger DNA-binding domain. However, inhibition of Fos-Jun DNA binding was independent of DNA binding by GR440-533. GR440-533 also differentially inhibited Fos-Jun heterodimer binding to the proliferin plfG element. Differential inhibition of DNA binding by different AP-1 family complexes provides a potential mechanism for the diverse interactions between nuclear hormone receptors and AP-1 family proteins at different promoters and in different cell types.


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