scholarly journals DNA sequence preferences of GAL4 and PPR1: how a subset of Zn2 Cys6 binuclear cluster proteins recognizes DNA.

1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 3773-3780 ◽  
Author(s):  
S D Liang ◽  
R Marmorstein ◽  
S C Harrison ◽  
M Ptashne
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structure ◽  
Dna Sequence ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Tight Binding ◽  
Recognition Sequence ◽  
Sequence Dependence ◽  
Network Of Hydrogen Bonds ◽  
Dna Binding Assay ◽  
Related Proteins

Biophysical and genetic experiments have defined how the Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein GAL4 and a subset of related proteins recognize specific DNA sequences. We assessed DNA sequence preferences of GAL4 and a related protein, PPR1, in an in vitro DNA binding assay. For GAL4, the palindromic CGG triplets at the ends of the 17-bp recognition site are essential for tight binding, whereas the identities of the internal 11 bp are much less important, results consistent with the GAL4-DNA crystal structure. Small reductions in affinity due to mutations at the center-most 5 bp are consistent with the idea that an observed constriction in the minor groove in the crystalline GAL4-DNA complex is sequence dependent. The crystal structure suggests that this sequence dependence is due to phosphate contacts mediated by arginine 51, as part of a network of hydrogen bonds. Here we show that the mutant protein GAL4(1-100)R51A fails to discriminate sites with alterations in the center of the site from the wild-type site. PPR1, a relative of GAL4, also recognizes palindromic CGG triplets at the ends of its 12-bp recognition sequence. The identities of the internal 6 bp do not influence the binding of PPR1. We also show that the PPR1 site consists of a 12-bp duplex rather than 16 bp as reported previously: the two T residues immediately 5' to the CGG sequence in each half site, although highly conserved, are not important for binding by PPR1. Thus, GAL4 and PPR1 share common CGG half sites, but they prefer DNA sequences with the palindromic CGG separated by the appropriate number of base pairs, 11 for GAL4 and 6 for PPR1.

Simian virus 40 major late promoter: an upstream DNA sequence required for efficient in vitro transcription

1984 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-141
Author(s):  
J Brady ◽  
M Radonovich ◽  
M Thoren ◽  
G Das ◽  
N P Salzman
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequence ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Simian Virus 40 ◽  
Promoter Sequence ◽  
In Vitro Transcription ◽  
Simian Virus ◽  
Upstream Promoter ◽  
Upstream Promoter Sequence

We have previously identified an 11-base DNA sequence, 5'-G-G-T-A-C-C-T-A-A-C-C-3' (simian virus 40 [SV40] map position 294 to 304), which is important in the control of SV40 late RNA expression in vitro and in vivo (Brady et al., Cell 31:625-633, 1982). We report here the identification of another domain of the SV40 late promoter. A series of mutants with deletions extending from SV40 map position 0 to 300 was prepared by nuclease BAL 31 treatment. The cloned templates were then analyzed for efficiency and accuracy of late SV40 RNA expression in the Manley in vitro transcription system. Our studies showed that, in addition to the promoter domain near map position 300, there are essential DNA sequences between nucleotide positions 74 and 95 that are required for efficient expression of late SV40 RNA. Included in this SV40 DNA sequence were two of the six GGGCGG SV40 repeat sequences and an 11-nucleotide segment which showed strong homology with the upstream sequences required for the efficient in vitro and in vivo expression of the histone H2A gene. This upstream promoter sequence supported transcription with the same efficiency even when it was moved 72 nucleotides closer to the major late cap site. In vitro promoter competition analysis demonstrated that the upstream promoter sequence, independent of the 294 to 304 promoter element, is capable of binding polymerase-transcription factors required for SV40 late gene transcription. Finally, we show that DNA sequences which control the specificity of RNA initiation at nucleotide 325 lie downstream of map position 294.

scholarly journals Nucleosome positioning on large tandem DNA repeats of the '601' sequence engineered in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Astrid Lancrey ◽  
Alexandra Joubert ◽  
Evelyne Duvernois-Berthet ◽  
Etienne Routhier ◽  
Saurabh Raj ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Dna Sequence ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Nucleosome Occupancy ◽  
Nucleosome Positioning ◽  
Dna Repeats ◽  
Repeat Array ◽  
Synthetic Dna

The so-called 601 DNA sequence is often used to constrain the position of nucleosomes on a DNA molecule in vitro. Although the ability of the 147 base pair sequence to precisely position a nucleosome in vitro is well documented, in vivo application of this property has been explored only in a few studies and yielded contradictory conclusions. Our goal in the present study was to test the ability of the 601 sequence to dictate nucleosome positioning in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the context of a long tandem repeat array inserted in a yeast chromosome. We engineered such arrays with three different repeat size, namely 167, 197 and 237 base pairs. Although our arrays are able to position nucleosomes in vitro as expected, analysis of nucleosome occupancy on these arrays in vivo revealed that nucleosomes are not preferentially positioned as expected on the 601-core sequence along the repeats and that the measured nucleosome repeat length does not correspond to the one expected by design. Altogether our results demonstrate that the rules defining nucleosome positions on this DNA sequence in vitro are not valid in vivo, at least in this chromosomal context, questioning the relevance of using the 601 sequence in vivo to achieve precise nucleosome positioning on designer synthetic DNA sequences.

scholarly journals Function of a viral genome packaging motor from bacteriophage T4 is insensitive to DNA sequence

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (20) ◽  
pp. 11602-11614
Author(s):  
Youbin Mo ◽  
Nicholas Keller ◽  
Damian delToro ◽  
Neeti Ananthaswamy ◽  
Stephen C Harvey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequence ◽  
Motor Function ◽  
Optical Tweezers ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Viral Genome ◽  
Bacteriophage T4 ◽  
Repeated Measurements ◽  
Genome Packaging ◽  
Sequence Dependence

Abstract Many viruses employ ATP-powered motors during assembly to translocate DNA into procapsid shells. Previous reports raise the question if motor function is modulated by substrate DNA sequence: (i) the phage T4 motor exhibits large translocation rate fluctuations and pauses and slips; (ii) evidence suggests that the phage phi29 motor contacts DNA bases during translocation; and (iii) one theoretical model, the ‘B-A scrunchworm’, predicts that ‘A-philic’ sequences that transition more easily to A-form would alter motor function. Here, we use single-molecule optical tweezers measurements to compare translocation of phage, plasmid, and synthetic A-philic, GC rich sequences by the T4 motor. We observed no significant differences in motor velocities, even with A-philic sequences predicted to show higher translocation rate at high applied force. We also observed no significant changes in motor pausing and only modest changes in slipping. To more generally test for sequence dependence, we conducted correlation analyses across pairs of packaging events. No significant correlations in packaging rate, pausing or slipping versus sequence position were detected across repeated measurements with several different DNA sequences. These studies suggest that viral genome packaging is insensitive to DNA sequence and fluctuations in packaging motor velocity, pausing and slipping are primarily stochastic temporal events.

scholarly journals X-ray structure of the MMTV-A nucleosome core

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (5) ◽  
pp. 1214-1219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy D. Frouws ◽  
Sylwia C. Duda ◽  
Timothy J. Richmond
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequence ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Promoter Sequence ◽  
Core Particle ◽  
Nucleosome Core Particle ◽  
Particle Structure ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Nucleosome Core ◽  
Sequence Dependent

The conformation of DNA bound in nucleosomes depends on the DNA sequence. Questions such as how nucleosomes are positioned and how they potentially bind sequence-dependent nuclear factors require near-atomic resolution structures of the nucleosome core containing different DNA sequences; despite this, only the DNA for two similar α-satellite sequences and a sequence (601) selected in vitro have been visualized bound in the nucleosome core. Here we report the 2.6-Å resolution X-ray structure of a nucleosome core particle containing the DNA sequence of nucleosome A of the 3′-LTR of the mouse mammary tumor virus (147 bp MMTV-A). To our knowledge, this is the first nucleosome core particle structure containing a promoter sequence and crystallized from Mg2+ ions. It reveals sequence-dependent DNA conformations not seen previously, including kinking into the DNA major groove.

scholarly journals Binding of matrix attachment regions to lamin polymers involves single-stranded regions and the minor groove

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 6297-6305
Author(s):  
M E Ludérus ◽  
J L den Blaauwen ◽  
O J de Smit ◽  
D A Compton ◽  
R van Driel
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Nuclear Matrix ◽  
Minor Groove ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Matrix Attachment Regions ◽  
Nuclear Matrix Proteins ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
Related Proteins ◽  
Loop Domains

Chromatin in eukaryotic nuclei is thought to be partitioned into functional loop domains that are generated by the binding of defined DNA sequences, named MARs (matrix attachment regions), to the nuclear matrix. We have previously identified B-type lamins as MAR-binding matrix components (M. E. E. Ludérus, A. de Graaf, E. Mattia, J. L. den Blaauwen, M. A. Grande, L. de Jong, and R. van Driel, Cell 70:949-959, 1992). Here we show that A-type lamins and the structurally related proteins desmin and NuMA also specifically bind MARs in vitro. We studied the interaction between MARs and lamin polymers in molecular detail and found that the interaction is saturable, of high affinity, and evolutionarily conserved. Competition studies revealed the existence of two different types of interaction related to different structural features of MARs: one involving the minor groove of double-stranded MAR DNA and one involving single-stranded regions. We obtained similar results for the interaction of MARs with intact nuclear matrices from rat liver. A model in which the interaction of nuclear matrix proteins with single-stranded MAR regions serves to stabilize the transcriptionally active state of chromatin is discussed.

scholarly journals Modulating the properties of DNA-SWCNT sensors using chemically modified DNA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice J. Gillen ◽  
Benjamin P. Lambert ◽  
Alessandra Antonucci ◽  
Daniel Molina-Romero ◽  
Ardemis A. Boghossian
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequence ◽  
Fluorescence Intensity ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Attractive Alternative ◽  
Laser Exposure ◽  
Chemically Modified ◽  
Modified Dna ◽  
Penetration Depths

AbstractProperties of SWCNT-based sensors such as brightness and detection capabilities strongly depend on the characteristics of the wrapping used to suspend the nanotubes. In this study, we explore ways to modify the properties of DNA-SWCNT sensors by using chemically modified DNA sequences, with the aim of creating sensors more suitable for use in in vivo and in vitro applications. We show that both the fluorescence intensity and sensor reactivity are strongly impacted not only by the chemical modification of the DNA but also by the method of preparation. In the absence of modifications, the sensors prepared using MeOH-assisted surfactant exchange exhibited higher overall fluorescence compared to those prepared by direct sonication. However, we demonstrate that the incorporation of chemical modifications in the DNA sequence could be used to enhance the fluorescence intensity of sonicated samples. We attribute these improvements to both a change in dispersion efficiency as well as to a change in SWCNT chirality distribution.Furthermore, despite their higher intensities, the response capabilities of sensors prepared by MeOH-assisted surfactant exchange were shown to be significantly reduced compared to their sonicated counterparts. Sonicated sensors exhibited a globally higher turn-on response towards dopamine compared to the exchanged samples, with modified samples retaining their relative intensity enhancement. As the increases in fluorescence intensity were achieved without needing to alter the base sequence of the DNA wrapping or to add any exogenous compounds, these modifications can - in theory - be applied to nearly any DNA sequence to increase the brightness and penetration depths of a variety of DNA-SWCNT sensors without affecting biocompatibility or reducing the near-limitless sequence space available. This makes these sensors an attractive alternative for dopamine sensing in vitro and in vivo by enabling significantly higher penetration depths and shorter laser exposure times.

scholarly journals Binding of matrix attachment regions to lamin polymers involves single-stranded regions and the minor groove.

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 6297-6305 ◽  
Author(s):  
M E Ludérus ◽  
J L den Blaauwen ◽  
O J de Smit ◽  
D A Compton ◽  
R van Driel
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Nuclear Matrix ◽  
Minor Groove ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Matrix Attachment Regions ◽  
Nuclear Matrix Proteins ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
Related Proteins ◽  
Loop Domains

Chromatin in eukaryotic nuclei is thought to be partitioned into functional loop domains that are generated by the binding of defined DNA sequences, named MARs (matrix attachment regions), to the nuclear matrix. We have previously identified B-type lamins as MAR-binding matrix components (M. E. E. Ludérus, A. de Graaf, E. Mattia, J. L. den Blaauwen, M. A. Grande, L. de Jong, and R. van Driel, Cell 70:949-959, 1992). Here we show that A-type lamins and the structurally related proteins desmin and NuMA also specifically bind MARs in vitro. We studied the interaction between MARs and lamin polymers in molecular detail and found that the interaction is saturable, of high affinity, and evolutionarily conserved. Competition studies revealed the existence of two different types of interaction related to different structural features of MARs: one involving the minor groove of double-stranded MAR DNA and one involving single-stranded regions. We obtained similar results for the interaction of MARs with intact nuclear matrices from rat liver. A model in which the interaction of nuclear matrix proteins with single-stranded MAR regions serves to stabilize the transcriptionally active state of chromatin is discussed.

scholarly journals Absence of MeCP2 binding to non-methylated GT-rich sequences in vivo

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 3542-3552 ◽  
Author(s):  
John C Connelly ◽  
Justyna Cholewa-Waclaw ◽  
Shaun Webb ◽  
Verdiana Steccanella ◽  
Bartlomiej Waclaw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequence ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Cytosine Methylation ◽  
Epigenetic Mark ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
Flanking Sequence ◽  
Primary Determinant ◽  
Human Neuronal Cells

Abstract MeCP2 is a nuclear protein that binds to sites of cytosine methylation in the genome. While most evidence confirms this epigenetic mark as the primary determinant of DNA binding, MeCP2 is also reported to have an affinity for non-methylated DNA sequences. Here we investigated the molecular basis and in vivo significance of its reported affinity for non-methylated GT-rich sequences. We confirmed this interaction with isolated domains of MeCP2 in vitro and defined a minimal target DNA sequence. Binding depends on pyrimidine 5′ methyl groups provided by thymine and requires adjacent guanines and a correctly orientated A/T-rich flanking sequence. Unexpectedly, full-length MeCP2 protein failed to bind GT-rich sequences in vitro. To test for MeCP2 binding to these motifs in vivo, we analysed human neuronal cells using ChIP-seq and ATAC-seq technologies. While both methods robustly detected DNA methylation-dependent binding of MeCP2 to mCG and mCAC, neither showed evidence of MeCP2 binding to GT-rich motifs. The data suggest that GT binding is an in vitro phenomenon without in vivo relevance. Our findings argue that MeCP2 does not read unadorned DNA sequence and therefore support the notion that its primary role is to interpret epigenetic modifications of DNA.

scholarly journals High-resolution crystal structure of human asparagine synthetase enables analysis of inhibitor binding and selectivity

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Zhu ◽  
Ashish Radadiya ◽  
Claudine Bisson ◽  
Sabine Wenzel ◽  
Brian E. Nordin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structure ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Tight Binding ◽  
Asparagine Synthetase ◽  
Metastatic Progression ◽  
Inhibitor Binding ◽  
Bona Fide ◽  
Cell Invasiveness ◽  
Target Binding

Abstract Expression of human asparagine synthetase (ASNS) promotes metastatic progression and tumor cell invasiveness in colorectal and breast cancer, presumably by altering cellular levels of L-asparagine. Human ASNS is therefore emerging as a bona fide drug target for cancer therapy. Here we show that a slow-onset, tight binding inhibitor, which exhibits nanomolar affinity for human ASNS in vitro, exhibits excellent selectivity at 10 μM concentration in HCT-116 cell lysates with almost no off-target binding. The high-resolution (1.85 Å) crystal structure of human ASNS has enabled us to identify a cluster of negatively charged side chains in the synthetase domain that plays a key role in inhibitor binding. Comparing this structure with those of evolutionarily related AMP-forming enzymes provides insights into intermolecular interactions that give rise to the observed binding selectivity. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of developing second generation human ASNS inhibitors as lead compounds for the discovery of drugs against metastasis.

scholarly journals Mycobacterial EST12 activates a RACK1–NLRP3–gasdermin D pyroptosis–IL-1β immune pathway

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (43) ◽  
pp. eaba4733
Author(s):  
Zilu Qu ◽  
Jin Zhou ◽  
Yidan Zhou ◽  
Yan Xie ◽  
Yanjing Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structure ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Process Analysis ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Immune Pathway ◽  
Critical Binding ◽  
Related Proteins ◽  
Induced Immunity

Pyroptosis, an inflammatory form of programmed cell death, has been implicated in eliminating pathogenic infections. However, macrophage pyroptosis–related proteins from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) have largely gone unexplored. Here, we identified a cell pyroptosis–inducing protein, Rv1579c, named EST12, secreted from the M.tb H37Rv region of difference 3. EST12 binds to the receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) in macrophages, and the EST12-RACK1 complex recruits the deubiquitinase UCHL5 to promote the K48-linked deubiquitination of NLRP3, subsequently leading to an NLRP3 inflammasome caspase-1/11–pyroptosis gasdermin D–interleukin-1β immune process. Analysis of the crystal structure of EST12 reveals that the amino acid Y80 acts as a critical binding site for RACK1. An EST12-deficient strain (H37RvΔEST12) displayed higher susceptibility to M.tb infection in vitro and in vivo. These results provide the first proof that RACK1 acts as an endogenous host sensor for pathogens and that EST12-RACK1–induced pyroptosis plays a pivotal role in M.tb-induced immunity.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document