scholarly journals Differences between MyoD DNA binding and activation site requirements revealed by functional random sequence selection.

1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 3893-3900 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Huang ◽  
T K Blackwell ◽  
L Kedes ◽  
H Weintraub

A method has been developed for selecting functional enhancer/promoter sites from random DNA sequences in higher eukaryotic cells. Of sequences that were thus selected for transcriptional activation by the muscle-specific basic helix-loop-helix protein MyoD, only a subset are similar to the preferred in vitro binding consensus, and in the same promoter context an optimal in vitro binding site was inactive. Other sequences with full transcriptional activity instead exhibit sequence preferences that, remarkably, are generally either identical or very similar to those found in naturally occurring muscle-specific promoters. This first systematic examination of the relation between DNA binding and transcriptional activation by basic helix-loop-helix proteins indicates that binding per se is necessary but not sufficient for transcriptional activation by MyoD and implies a requirement for other DNA sequence-dependent interactions or conformations at its binding site.

1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 5216-5224
Author(s):  
T K Blackwell ◽  
J Huang ◽  
A Ma ◽  
L Kretzner ◽  
F W Alt ◽  
...  

Using an in vitro binding-site selection assay, we have demonstrated that c-Myc-Max complexes bind not only to canonical CACGTG or CATGTG motifs that are flanked by variable sequences but also to noncanonical sites that consist of an internal CG or TG dinucleotide in the context of particular variations in the CA--TG consensus. None of the selected sites contain an internal TA dinucleotide, suggesting that Myc proteins necessarily bind asymmetrically in the context of a CAT half-site. The noncanonical sites can all be bound by proteins of the Myc-Max family but not necessarily by the related CACGTG- and CATGTG-binding proteins USF and TFE3. Substitution of an arginine that is conserved in these proteins into MyoD (MyoD-R) changes its binding specificity so that it recognizes CACGTG instead of the MyoD cognate sequence (CAGCTG). However, like USF and TFE3, MyoD-R does not bind to all of the noncanonical c-Myc-Max sites. Although this R substitution changes the internal dinucleotide specificity of MyoD, it does not significantly alter its wild-type binding sequence preferences at positions outside of the CA--TG motif, suggesting that it does not dramatically change other important amino acid-DNA contacts; this observation has important implications for models of basic-helix-loop-helix protein-DNA binding.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 5216-5224 ◽  
Author(s):  
T K Blackwell ◽  
J Huang ◽  
A Ma ◽  
L Kretzner ◽  
F W Alt ◽  
...  

Using an in vitro binding-site selection assay, we have demonstrated that c-Myc-Max complexes bind not only to canonical CACGTG or CATGTG motifs that are flanked by variable sequences but also to noncanonical sites that consist of an internal CG or TG dinucleotide in the context of particular variations in the CA--TG consensus. None of the selected sites contain an internal TA dinucleotide, suggesting that Myc proteins necessarily bind asymmetrically in the context of a CAT half-site. The noncanonical sites can all be bound by proteins of the Myc-Max family but not necessarily by the related CACGTG- and CATGTG-binding proteins USF and TFE3. Substitution of an arginine that is conserved in these proteins into MyoD (MyoD-R) changes its binding specificity so that it recognizes CACGTG instead of the MyoD cognate sequence (CAGCTG). However, like USF and TFE3, MyoD-R does not bind to all of the noncanonical c-Myc-Max sites. Although this R substitution changes the internal dinucleotide specificity of MyoD, it does not significantly alter its wild-type binding sequence preferences at positions outside of the CA--TG motif, suggesting that it does not dramatically change other important amino acid-DNA contacts; this observation has important implications for models of basic-helix-loop-helix protein-DNA binding.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 5986-5996
Author(s):  
S P Hunger ◽  
R Brown ◽  
M L Cleary

The t(17;19) translocation in acute lymphoblastic leukemias results in creation of E2A-hepatic leukemia factor (HLF) chimeric proteins that contain the DNA-binding and protein dimerization domains of the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) protein HLF fused to a portion of E2A proteins with transcriptional activation properties. An in vitro binding site selection procedure was used to determine DNA sequences preferentially bound by wild-type HLF and chimeric E2A-HLF proteins isolated from various t(17;19)-bearing leukemias. All were found to selectively bind the consensus sequence 5'-GTTACGTAAT-3' with high affinity. Wild-type and chimeric HLF proteins also bound closely related sites identified previously for bZIP proteins of both the proline- and acidic amino acid-rich (PAR) and C/EBP subfamilies; however, E2A-HLF proteins were significantly less tolerant of certain deviations from the HLF consensus binding site. These differences were directly attributable to loss of an HLF ancillary DNA-binding domain in all E2A-HLF chimeras and were further exacerbated by a zipper mutation in one isolate. Both wild-type and chimeric HLF proteins displayed transcriptional activator properties in lymphoid and nonlymphoid cells on reporter genes containing HLF or C/EBP consensus binding sites. But on reporter genes with nonoptimal binding sites, their transcriptional properties diverged and E2A-HLF competitively inhibited activation by wild-type PAR proteins. These findings establish a spectrum of binding site-specific transcriptional properties for E2A-HLF which may preferentially activate expression of select subordinate genes as a homodimer and potentially antagonize expression of others through heteromeric interactions.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 5986-5996 ◽  
Author(s):  
S P Hunger ◽  
R Brown ◽  
M L Cleary

The t(17;19) translocation in acute lymphoblastic leukemias results in creation of E2A-hepatic leukemia factor (HLF) chimeric proteins that contain the DNA-binding and protein dimerization domains of the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) protein HLF fused to a portion of E2A proteins with transcriptional activation properties. An in vitro binding site selection procedure was used to determine DNA sequences preferentially bound by wild-type HLF and chimeric E2A-HLF proteins isolated from various t(17;19)-bearing leukemias. All were found to selectively bind the consensus sequence 5'-GTTACGTAAT-3' with high affinity. Wild-type and chimeric HLF proteins also bound closely related sites identified previously for bZIP proteins of both the proline- and acidic amino acid-rich (PAR) and C/EBP subfamilies; however, E2A-HLF proteins were significantly less tolerant of certain deviations from the HLF consensus binding site. These differences were directly attributable to loss of an HLF ancillary DNA-binding domain in all E2A-HLF chimeras and were further exacerbated by a zipper mutation in one isolate. Both wild-type and chimeric HLF proteins displayed transcriptional activator properties in lymphoid and nonlymphoid cells on reporter genes containing HLF or C/EBP consensus binding sites. But on reporter genes with nonoptimal binding sites, their transcriptional properties diverged and E2A-HLF competitively inhibited activation by wild-type PAR proteins. These findings establish a spectrum of binding site-specific transcriptional properties for E2A-HLF which may preferentially activate expression of select subordinate genes as a homodimer and potentially antagonize expression of others through heteromeric interactions.


1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 6900-6908 ◽  
Author(s):  
S R Sloan ◽  
C P Shen ◽  
R McCarrick-Walmsley ◽  
T Kadesch

The E2A gene encodes two basic helix-loop-helix proteins designated E12 and E47. Although these proteins are widely expressed, they are required only for the B-lymphocyte lineage where DNA binding is mediated distinctively by E47 homodimers. By studying the properties of deltaE47, an N-terminal truncation of E47, we provide evidence that phosphorylation may contribute to B-cell-specific DNA binding by E47. Two serines N terminal to the deltaE47 basic helix-loop-helix domain were found to be phosphorylated in a variety of cell types but were hypophosphorylated in B cells. Phosphorylating these serines in vitro inhibited DNA binding by deltaE47 homodimers but not by deltaE47-containing heterodimers, such as deltaE47:MyoD. These results argue that hypophosphorylation may be a prerequisite for activity of E47 homodimers in B cells, suggesting the use of an inductive (nonstochastic) step in early B-cell development.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3522-3529
Author(s):  
G Bain ◽  
S Gruenwald ◽  
C Murre

A class of helix-loop-helix (HLH) proteins, including E2A (E12 and E47), E2-2, and HEB, that bind in vitro to DNA sequences present in the immunoglobulin (Ig) enhancers has recently been identified. E12, E47, E2-2, and HEB are each present in B cells. The presence of many different HLH proteins raises the question of which of the HLH proteins actually binds the Ig enhancer elements in B cells. Using monoclonal antibodies specific for both E2A and E2-2, we show that both E2-2 and E2A polypeptides are present in B-cell-specific Ig enhancer-binding complexes. E2-box-binding complexes in pre-B cells contain both E2-2 and E2A HLH subunits, whereas in mature B cells only E2A gene products are present. We show that the difference in E2-box-binding complexes in pre-B and mature B cells may be caused by differential expression of E2A and E2-2.


1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 5094-5101
Author(s):  
B J Kirschbaum ◽  
P Pognonec ◽  
R G Roeder

The cellular transcription factor USF is involved in the regulation of both cellular and viral genes and consists of 43- and 44-kDa polypeptides which independently show site-specific DNA binding. Cloning of the corresponding cDNA revealed that the 43-kDa polypeptide (USF43) is a member of the basic (B)-helix-loop-helix (HLH)-leucine zipper (LZ) family of proteins and provided a means for its functional dissection. Initial structure-function studies revealed that the HLH and LZ regions are both important for USF43 oligomerization and DNA binding. The studies presented here have focused on the determination of domains that contribute to transcriptional activation in vitro and show that (i) both a small region close to the N terminus and a region between residues 93 and 156 contribute strongly to transcriptional activation, (ii) full activation depends on the presence of both domains, (iii) the B-HLH-LZ region has no intrinsic activation potential but DNA binding is absolutely required for transcriptional activation, and (iv) the B-HLH-LZ region can be replaced by the Gal4 DNA binding domain without loss of activation potential.


1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 5702-5709
Author(s):  
J Y Sze ◽  
E Remboutsika ◽  
G B Kohlhaw

The Leu3 protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae binds to specific DNA sequences present in the 5' noncoding region of at least five RNA polymerase II-transcribed genes. Leu3 functions as a transcriptional activator only when the metabolic intermediate alpha-isopropylmalate is also present. In the absence of alpha-isopropylmalate, Leu3 causes transcription to be repressed below basal levels. We show here that different portions of the Leu3 protein are responsible for activation and repression. Fusion of the 30 C-terminal residues of Leu3 to the DNA-binding domain of the Gal4 protein created a strong cross-species activator, demonstrating that the short C-terminal region is not only required but also sufficient for transcriptional activation. Using a recently developed Leu3-responsive in vitro transcription assay as a test system for repression (J. Sze, M. Woontner, J. Jaehning, and G. B. Kohlhaw, Science 258:1143-1145, 1992), we show that mutant forms of the Leu3 protein that lack the activation domain still function as repressors. The shortest repressor thus identified had only about 15% of the mass of the full-length Leu3 protein and was centered on the DNA-binding region of Leu3. Implications of this finding for the mechanism of repression are discussed.


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