scholarly journals Mutational analysis of the DNA-binding domain of the CYS3 regulatory protein of Neurospora crassa.

1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 4356-4362 ◽  
Author(s):  
M N Kanaan ◽  
G A Marzluf
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Neurospora Crassa ◽  
Mutational Analysis ◽  
Regulatory Gene ◽  
Regulatory Protein ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Dna Binding Activity

cys-3, the major sulfur regulatory gene of Neurospora crassa, activates the expression of a set of unlinked structural genes which encode sulfur catabolic-related enzymes during conditions of sulfur limitation. The cys-3 gene encodes a regulatory protein of 236 amino acid residues with a leucine zipper and an upstream basic region (the b-zip region) which together may constitute a DNA-binding domain. The b-zip region was expressed in Escherichia coli to examine its DNA-binding activity. The b-zip domain protein binds to the promoter region of the cys-3 gene itself and of cys-14, the sulfate permease II structural gene. A series of CYS3 mutant proteins obtained by site-directed mutagenesis were expressed and tested for function, dimer formation, and DNA-binding activity. The results demonstrate that the b-zip region of cys-3 is critical for both its function in vivo and specific DNA-binding in vitro.

Mutational analysis of the DNA-binding domain of the CYS3 regulatory protein of Neurospora crassa

1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 4356-4362
Author(s):  
M N Kanaan ◽  
G A Marzluf
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Neurospora Crassa ◽  
Mutational Analysis ◽  
Regulatory Gene ◽  
Regulatory Protein ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Dna Binding Activity

cys-3, the major sulfur regulatory gene of Neurospora crassa, activates the expression of a set of unlinked structural genes which encode sulfur catabolic-related enzymes during conditions of sulfur limitation. The cys-3 gene encodes a regulatory protein of 236 amino acid residues with a leucine zipper and an upstream basic region (the b-zip region) which together may constitute a DNA-binding domain. The b-zip region was expressed in Escherichia coli to examine its DNA-binding activity. The b-zip domain protein binds to the promoter region of the cys-3 gene itself and of cys-14, the sulfate permease II structural gene. A series of CYS3 mutant proteins obtained by site-directed mutagenesis were expressed and tested for function, dimer formation, and DNA-binding activity. The results demonstrate that the b-zip region of cys-3 is critical for both its function in vivo and specific DNA-binding in vitro.

scholarly journals nit-4, a pathway-specific regulatory gene of Neurospora crassa, encodes a protein with a putative binuclear zinc DNA-binding domain.

1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 5735-5745 ◽  
Author(s):  
G F Yuan ◽  
Y H Fu ◽  
G A Marzluf
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Neurospora Crassa ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Regulatory Gene ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Rich Domain

nit-4, a pathway-specific regulatory gene in the nitrogen circuit of Neurospora crassa, is required for the expression of nit-3 and nit-6, the structural genes which encode nitrate and nitrite reductase, respectively. The complete nucleotide sequence of the nit-4 gene has been determined. The predicted NIT4 protein contains 1,090 amino acids and appears to possess a single Zn(II)2Cys6 binuclear-type zinc finger, which may mediate DNA binding. Site-directed mutagenesis studies demonstrated that cysteine and other conserved amino acid residues in this possible DNA-binding domain are necessary for nit-4 function. A stretch of 27 glutamines, encoded by a CAGCAA repeating sequence, occurs in the C terminus of the NIT4 protein, and a second glutamine-rich domain occurs further upstream. A NIT4 protein deleted for the polyglutamine region was still functional in vivo. However, nit-4 function was abolished when both the polyglutamine region and the glutamine-rich domain were deleted, suggesting that the glutamine-rich domain might function in transcriptional activation. The homologous regulatory gene from Aspergillus nidulans, nirA, encodes a protein whose amino-terminal half has approximately 60% amino acid identity with NIT4 but whose carboxy terminus is completely different. A hybrid nit-4-nirA gene was constructed and found to function in N. crassa.

scholarly journals cpc-1, the general regulatory gene for genes of amino acid biosynthesis in Neurospora crassa, is differentially expressed during the asexual life cycle

1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 928-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
D J Ebbole ◽  
J L Paluh ◽  
M Plamann ◽  
M S Sachs ◽  
C Yanofsky
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Neurospora Crassa ◽  
Regulatory Gene ◽  
Regulatory Protein ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Recognition Sequence ◽  
Dna Binding Activity ◽  
Cell Extracts

CPCI, the principal regulatory protein required for cross-pathway control of amino acid biosynthetic genes in Neurospora crassa, contains a domain similar to the DNA-binding domain of GCN4, the corresponding general regulator in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We examined binding by CPC1 synthesized in vitro and by CPC1 present in N. crassa whole-cell extracts. CPCI from both sources was shown to bind to the DNA sequence 5'-ATGACTCAT-3', which is also the preferred recognition sequence of GCN4, CPC1 was confirmed as the source of DNA-binding activity in extracts by immunoblotting. Slightly mobility differences between DNA complexes containing CPCI synthesized in vitro and CPC1 in mycelial extracts were observed. Analyses of N. crassa extracts from different stages of asexual development revealed that CPC1 was abundant immediately following spore germination and through early mycelial growth but was scarce subsequently. CPC1 levels could be increased at any time by imposing amino acid starvation. Copies of the CPC1 response element are located upstream of several genes regulated by cross-pathway control, including cpc-1 itself.

Cysteine residues in the zinc finger and amino acids adjacent to the finger are necessary for DNA binding by the LAC9 regulatory protein of Kluyveromyces lactis

1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 3726-3733
Author(s):  
M M Witte ◽  
R C Dickson
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Zinc Finger ◽  
Kluyveromyces Lactis ◽  
Regulatory Protein ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Dna Binding Activity ◽  
Carboxyl Terminal

LAC9 is a positive regulatory protein that controls transcription of the lactose-galactose regulon in Kluyveromyces lactis. LAC9 is homologous to the GAL4 protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Both proteins have a single "zinc finger" which plays a role in DNA binding. We previously hypothesized (L. V. Wray, M. M. Witte, R. C. Dickson, and M. I. Riley, Mol. Cell. Biol. 7:1111-1121, 1987) that the DNA-binding domain of the LAC9 protein consisted of the zinc finger as well as a region of amino acids on the carboxyl-terminal side of the zinc finger. In this study we used oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis to introduce 13 single-amino-acid changes into the proposed DNA-binding domain of the LAC9 protein. Variant LAC9 proteins carrying an amino acid substitution in any one of the four highly conserved Cys residues of the zinc finger had reduced DNA-binding activity, suggesting that each Cys is necessary for DNA binding. Three of four variant LAC9 proteins with amino acid substitutions located on the carboxyl-terminal side of the zinc finger had reduced DNA-binding activity. These results support our hypothesis that the DNA-binding domain of the LAC9 protein is composed of the zinc finger and the adjacent region on the carboxyl side of the zinc finger, a region that has the potential to form an alpha-helix. Finally, LAC9 proteins containing His residues substituted for the conserved Cys residues also had reduced DNA-binding activity, indicating that His residues are not equivalent to Cys residues, as had been previously thought.

scholarly journals cpc-1, the general regulatory gene for genes of amino acid biosynthesis in Neurospora crassa, is differentially expressed during the asexual life cycle.

1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 928-934 ◽  
Author(s):  
D J Ebbole ◽  
J L Paluh ◽  
M Plamann ◽  
M S Sachs ◽  
C Yanofsky
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Neurospora Crassa ◽  
Regulatory Gene ◽  
Regulatory Protein ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Recognition Sequence ◽  
Dna Binding Activity ◽  
Cell Extracts

CPCI, the principal regulatory protein required for cross-pathway control of amino acid biosynthetic genes in Neurospora crassa, contains a domain similar to the DNA-binding domain of GCN4, the corresponding general regulator in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We examined binding by CPC1 synthesized in vitro and by CPC1 present in N. crassa whole-cell extracts. CPCI from both sources was shown to bind to the DNA sequence 5'-ATGACTCAT-3', which is also the preferred recognition sequence of GCN4, CPC1 was confirmed as the source of DNA-binding activity in extracts by immunoblotting. Slightly mobility differences between DNA complexes containing CPCI synthesized in vitro and CPC1 in mycelial extracts were observed. Analyses of N. crassa extracts from different stages of asexual development revealed that CPC1 was abundant immediately following spore germination and through early mycelial growth but was scarce subsequently. CPC1 levels could be increased at any time by imposing amino acid starvation. Copies of the CPC1 response element are located upstream of several genes regulated by cross-pathway control, including cpc-1 itself.

nit-4, a pathway-specific regulatory gene of Neurospora crassa, encodes a protein with a putative binuclear zinc DNA-binding domain

1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 5735-5745
Author(s):  
G F Yuan ◽  
Y H Fu ◽  
G A Marzluf
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Neurospora Crassa ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Regulatory Gene ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Amino Terminal ◽  
Rich Domain

nit-4, a pathway-specific regulatory gene in the nitrogen circuit of Neurospora crassa, is required for the expression of nit-3 and nit-6, the structural genes which encode nitrate and nitrite reductase, respectively. The complete nucleotide sequence of the nit-4 gene has been determined. The predicted NIT4 protein contains 1,090 amino acids and appears to possess a single Zn(II)2Cys6 binuclear-type zinc finger, which may mediate DNA binding. Site-directed mutagenesis studies demonstrated that cysteine and other conserved amino acid residues in this possible DNA-binding domain are necessary for nit-4 function. A stretch of 27 glutamines, encoded by a CAGCAA repeating sequence, occurs in the C terminus of the NIT4 protein, and a second glutamine-rich domain occurs further upstream. A NIT4 protein deleted for the polyglutamine region was still functional in vivo. However, nit-4 function was abolished when both the polyglutamine region and the glutamine-rich domain were deleted, suggesting that the glutamine-rich domain might function in transcriptional activation. The homologous regulatory gene from Aspergillus nidulans, nirA, encodes a protein whose amino-terminal half has approximately 60% amino acid identity with NIT4 but whose carboxy terminus is completely different. A hybrid nit-4-nirA gene was constructed and found to function in N. crassa.

scholarly journals Cysteine residues in the zinc finger and amino acids adjacent to the finger are necessary for DNA binding by the LAC9 regulatory protein of Kluyveromyces lactis.

1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 3726-3733 ◽  
Author(s):  
M M Witte ◽  
R C Dickson
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Zinc Finger ◽  
Kluyveromyces Lactis ◽  
Regulatory Protein ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Dna Binding Activity ◽  
Carboxyl Terminal

LAC9 is a positive regulatory protein that controls transcription of the lactose-galactose regulon in Kluyveromyces lactis. LAC9 is homologous to the GAL4 protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Both proteins have a single "zinc finger" which plays a role in DNA binding. We previously hypothesized (L. V. Wray, M. M. Witte, R. C. Dickson, and M. I. Riley, Mol. Cell. Biol. 7:1111-1121, 1987) that the DNA-binding domain of the LAC9 protein consisted of the zinc finger as well as a region of amino acids on the carboxyl-terminal side of the zinc finger. In this study we used oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis to introduce 13 single-amino-acid changes into the proposed DNA-binding domain of the LAC9 protein. Variant LAC9 proteins carrying an amino acid substitution in any one of the four highly conserved Cys residues of the zinc finger had reduced DNA-binding activity, suggesting that each Cys is necessary for DNA binding. Three of four variant LAC9 proteins with amino acid substitutions located on the carboxyl-terminal side of the zinc finger had reduced DNA-binding activity. These results support our hypothesis that the DNA-binding domain of the LAC9 protein is composed of the zinc finger and the adjacent region on the carboxyl side of the zinc finger, a region that has the potential to form an alpha-helix. Finally, LAC9 proteins containing His residues substituted for the conserved Cys residues also had reduced DNA-binding activity, indicating that His residues are not equivalent to Cys residues, as had been previously thought.

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

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 1852-1860
Author(s):  
K Nakagomi ◽  
Y Kohwi ◽  
L A Dickinson ◽  
T Kohwi-Shigematsu
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Direct Contact ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Sequence Context ◽  
Dna Binding Activity

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.

Characterization of a dominant negativeC. elegansTwist mutant protein with implications for human Saethre-Chotzen syndrome

Development ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 129 (11) ◽  
pp. 2761-2772
Author(s):  
Ann K. Corsi ◽  
Thomas M. Brodigan ◽  
Erik M. Jorgensen ◽  
Michael Krause
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Dominant Negative ◽  
Mutant Protein ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Mesodermal Cell ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Dna Binding Activity ◽  
A Charge

Twist is a transcription factor that is required for mesodermal cell fates in all animals studied to date. Mutations of this locus in humans have been identified as the cause of the craniofacial disorder Saethre-Chotzen syndrome. The Caenorhabditis elegans Twist homolog is required for the development of a subset of the mesoderm. A semidominant allele of the gene that codes for CeTwist, hlh-8, has defects that occur earlier in the mesodermal lineage than a previously studied null allele of the gene. The semidominant allele has a charge change (E29K) in the basic DNA-binding domain of CeTwist. Surprisingly, the mutant protein retains DNA-binding activity as both a homodimer and a heterodimer with its partner E/Daughterless (CeE/DA). However, the mutant protein blocks the activation of the promoter of a target gene. Therefore, the mutant CeTwist may cause cellular defects as a dominant negative protein by binding to target promoters as a homo- or heterodimer and then blocking transcription. Similar phenotypes as those caused by the E29K mutation were observed when amino acid substitutions in the DNA-binding domain that are associated with the human Saethre-Chotzen syndrome were engineered into the C. elegans protein. These data suggest that Saethre-Chotzen syndrome may be caused, in some cases, by dominant negative proteins, rather than by haploinsufficiency of the locus.

scholarly journals Mutational Analysis of Conserved Residues in the Putative DNA-Binding Domain of the Response Regulator Spo0A ofBacillus subtilis

2000 ◽  
Vol 182 (24) ◽  
pp. 6975-6982 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet K. Hatt ◽  
Philip Youngman
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Mutational Analysis ◽  
Response Regulator ◽  
Gene Activation ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Conserved Residues

ABSTRACT The Spo0A protein of Bacillus subtilis is a DNA-binding protein that is required for the expression of genes involved in the initiation of sporulation. Spo0A binds directly to and both activates and represses transcription from the promoters of several genes required during the onset of endospore formation. The C-terminal 113 residues are known to contain the DNA-binding activity of Spo0A. Previous studies identified a region of the C-terminal half of Spo0A that is highly conserved among species of endospore-formingBacillus and Clostridium and which encodes a putative helix-turn-helix DNA-binding domain. To test the functional significance of this region and determine if this motif is involved in DNA binding, we changed three conserved residues, S210, E213, and R214, to Gly and/or Ala by site-directed mutagenesis. We then isolated and analyzed the five substitution-containing Spo0A proteins for DNA binding and sporulation-specific gene activation. The S210A Spo0A mutant exhibited no change from wild-type binding, although it was defective in spoIIA and spoIIE promoter activation. In contrast, both the E213G and E213A Spo0A variants showed decreased binding and completely abolished transcriptional activation of spoIIA and spoIIE, while the R214G and R214A variants completely abolished both DNA binding and transcriptional activation. These data suggest that these conserved residues are important for transcriptional activation and that the E213 residue is involved in DNA binding.

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