Misexpression of dHAND induces ectopic digits in the developing limb bud in the absence of direct DNA binding

Development ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 129 (13) ◽  
pp. 3077-3088 ◽  
Author(s):  
David G. McFadden ◽  
John McAnally ◽  
James A. Richardson ◽  
Jeroen Charité ◽  
Eric N. Olson
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Sonic Hedgehog ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Limb Bud ◽  
Activation Domain ◽  
Limb Patterning ◽  
Transcriptional Activation Domain ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
E Box

Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors control developmental decisions in a wide range of embryonic cell types. The HLH motif mediates homo- and heterodimerization, which juxtaposes the basic regions within the dimeric complex to form a bipartite DNA binding domain that recognizes a DNA consensus sequence known as an E-box. eHAND and dHAND (also known as HAND1 and HAND2) are closely related bHLH proteins that control cardiac, craniofacial and limb development. Within the developing limb, dHAND expression encompasses the zone of polarizing activity in the posterior region, where it has been shown to be necessary and sufficient to induce the expression of the morphogen sonic hedgehog. Misexpression of dHAND in the anterior compartment of the limb bud induces ectopic expression of sonic hedgehog, with resulting preaxial polydactyly and mirror image duplications of posterior digits. To investigate the potential transcriptional mechanisms involved in limb patterning by dHAND, we have performed a structure-function analysis of the protein in cultured cells and ectopically expressed dHAND mutant proteins in the developing limbs of transgenic mice. We show that an N-terminal transcriptional activation domain, and the bHLH region, are required for E-box-dependent transcription in vitro. Remarkably, however, digit duplication by dHAND requires neither the transcriptional activation domain nor the basic region, but only the HLH motif. eHAND has a similar limb patterning activity to dHAND in these misexpression experiments, indicating a conserved function of the HLH regions of these proteins. These findings suggest that dHAND may act via novel transcriptional mechanisms mediated by protein-protein interactions independent of direct DNA binding.

scholarly journals Intramolecular Regulation of MyoD Activation Domain Conformation and Function

1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 5478-5484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Huang ◽  
Hal Weintraub ◽  
Larry Kedes
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Activation Domain ◽  
Transcriptional Activation Domain ◽  
Helix Loop Helix ◽  
Dna Binding Specificity ◽  
E Box ◽  
And Function ◽  
Bhlh Proteins ◽  
Basic Region

ABSTRACT The MyoD family of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins is required for myogenic determination and differentiation. The basic region carries the myogenic code and DNA binding specificity, while the N terminus contains a potent transcriptional activation domain. Myogenic activation is abolished when the basic region, bound to a myogenic E box, carries a mutation of Ala-114. It has been proposed that DNA binding of the MyoD basic region leads to recruitment of a recognition factor that unmasks the activation domain. Here we demonstrate that an A114N mutant exhibits an altered conformation in the basic region and that this local conformational difference can lead to a more global change affecting the conformation of the activation domain. This suggests that the deleterious effects of this class of mutations may result directly from defective conformation. Thus, the activation domain is unmasked only upon DNA binding by the correct basic region. Such a coupled conformational relationship may have evolved to restrict myogenic specificity to a small number of bHLH proteins among many with diverse functions yet with DNA binding specificities known to be similar.

Reconstitution of transcriptional activation domains by reiteration of short peptide segments reveals the modular organization of a glutamine-rich activation domain

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 6056-6067
Author(s):  
M Tanaka ◽  
W Herr
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Activation Domain ◽  
Activation Domains ◽  
Transcriptional Activation Domain ◽  
Pou Domain

The POU domain activator Oct-2 contains an N-terminal glutamine-rich transcriptional activation domain. An 18-amino-acid segment (Q18III) from this region reconstituted a fully functional activation domain when tandemly reiterated and fused to either the Oct-2 or GAL4 DNA-binding domain. A minimal transcriptional activation domain likely requires three tandem Q18III segments, because one or two tandem Q18III segments displayed little activity, whereas three to five tandem segments were active and displayed increasing activity with increasing copy number. As with natural Oct-2 activation domains, in our assay a reiterated activation domain required a second homologous or heterologous activation domain to stimulate transcription effectively when fused to the Oct-2 POU domain. These results suggest that there are different levels of synergy within and among activation domains. Analysis of reiterated activation domains containing mutated Q18III segments revealed that leucines and glutamines, but not serines or threonines, are critical for activity in vivo. Curiously, several reiterated activation domains that were inactive in vivo were active in vitro, suggesting that there are significant functional differences in our in vivo and in vitro assays. Reiteration of a second 18-amino-acid segment from the Oct-2 glutamine-rich activation domain (Q18II) was also active, but its activity was DNA-binding domain specific, because it was active when fused to the GAL4 than to the Oct-2 DNA-binding domain. The ability of separate short peptide segments derived from a single transcriptional activation domain to activate transcription after tandem reiteration emphasizes the flexible and modular nature of a transcriptional activation domain.

scholarly journals Determination of the consensus DNA-binding sequence and a transcriptional activation domain for ESE-2

2006 ◽  
Vol 398 (3) ◽  
pp. 497-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeon Sook Choi ◽  
Satrajit Sinha
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Regulatory Elements ◽  
Activation Domain ◽  
Transcriptional Activation Domain ◽  
Ets Proteins ◽  
Flanking Sequences ◽  
Binding Sequence

The ESE (epithelium-specific Ets) subfamily of Ets transcription factors plays an important role in regulating gene expression in a variety of epithelial cell types. Although ESE proteins have been shown to bind to regulatory elements of some epithelial genes, the optimal DNA-binding sequence has not been experimentally ascertained for any member of the ESE subfamily of transcription factors. This has made the identification and validation of their targets difficult. We are studying ESE-2 (Elf5), which is highly expressed in epithelial cells of many tissues including skin keratinocytes. Here, we identify the preferred DNA-binding site of ESE-2 by performing CASTing (cyclic amplification and selection of targets) experiments. Our analysis shows that the optimal ESE-2 consensus motif consists of a GGA core and an AT-rich 5′- and 3′-flanking sequences. Mutational and competition experiments demonstrate that the flanking sequences that confer high DNA-binding affinity for ESE-2 show considerable differences from the known consensus DNA-binding sites of other Ets proteins, thus reinforcing the idea that the flanking sequences may impart recognition specificity for Ets proteins. In addition, we have identified a novel isoform of murine ESE-2, ESE-2L, that is generated by use of a hitherto unreported new exon and an alternate promoter. Interestingly, transient transfection assays with an optimal ESE-2 responsive reporter show that both ESE-2 and ESE-2L are weak transactivators. However, similar studies utilizing GAL4 chimaeras of ESE-2 demonstrate that while the DNA-binding ETS (E twenty-six) domain functions as a repressor, the PNT (pointed domain) of ESE-2 can act as a potent transcriptional activation domain. This novel transactivating property of PNT is also shared by ESE-3, another ESE family member. Identification of the ESE-2 consensus site and characterization of the transcriptional activation properties of ESE-2 shed new light on its potential as a regulator of target genes.

scholarly journals The basic region of myogenin cooperates with two transcription activation domains to induce muscle-specific transcription.

1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 266-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
J J Schwarz ◽  
T Chakraborty ◽  
J Martin ◽  
J M Zhou ◽  
E N Olson
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Transcription Activation ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Activation Domain ◽  
Activation Domains ◽  
E Box ◽  
Myogenic Program ◽  
Basic Region

Myogenin is a skeletal muscle-specific transcription factor that can activate myogenesis when introduced into a variety of nonmuscle cell types. Activation of the myogenic program by myogenin is dependent on its binding to a DNA sequence known as an E box, which is associated with numerous muscle-specific genes. Myogenin shares homology with MyoD and other myogenic regulatory factors within a basic region and a helix-loop-helix (HLH) motif that mediate DNA binding and dimerization, respectively. Here we show that the basic region-HLH motif of myogenin alone lacks transcriptional activity and is dependent on domains in the amino and carboxyl termini to activate transcription. Analysis of these N- and C-terminal domains through creation of chimeras with the DNA-binding domain of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae transcription factor GAL4 revealed that they act as strong transcriptional activators. These transcription activation domains are dependent for activity on a specific amino acid sequence within the basic region, referred to as the myogenic recognition motif (MRM), when an E box is the target for DNA binding. However, the activation domains function independent of the MRM when DNA binding is mediated through a heterologous DNA-binding domain. The activation domain of the acidic coactivator VP16 can substitute for the myogenin activation domains and restore strong myogenic activity to the basic region-HLH motif. Within a myogenin-VP16 chimera, however, the VP16 activation domain also relies on the MRM for activation of the myogenic program. These findings reveal that DNA binding and transcriptional activation are separable functions, encoded by different domains of myogenin, but that the activity of the transcriptional activation domains is influenced by the DNA-binding domain. Activation of muscle-specific transcription requires collaboration between the DNA-binding and activation domains of myogenin and is dependent on events in addition to DNA binding.

scholarly journals Identification of transcriptional activation and inhibitory domains in serum response factor (SRF) by using GAL4-SRF constructs

1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4640-4647
Author(s):  
F E Johansen ◽  
R Prywes
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Serum Response Factor ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Response Factor ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Activation Domain ◽  
Transcriptional Activation Domain ◽  
Serum Response

The binding of serum response factor (SRF) to the c-fos serum response element has been shown to be essential for serum and growth factor activation of c-Fos. Since SRF is ubiquitously expressed, it has been difficult to measure the activity of SRF introduced into cells. To assay for functions of SRF in cells, we have changed its DNA binding specificity by fusing it to the DNA binding domain of GAL4. Transfection of GAL4-SRF constructs into cells has allowed us to identify SRF's transcriptional activation domain as well as domains which inhibit this activity. First, we found that the transcriptional activation domain maps to between amino acids 339 and 508 in HeLa cells and to between amino acids 414 and 508 in NIH 3T3 cells. Second, we show that in the context of GAL4-SRF constructs, there are two separate domains of SRF that can inhibit its activation domain. Although these domains overlap the DNA binding and dimerization domains of SRF, these functions were not required for inhibition. Finally, we show that one of the inhibitory domains is modular in that it can also inhibit activation when it is moved amino terminal to GAL4's DNA binding domain in an SRF-GAL4-SRF construct. The implications of these inhibitory domains for SRF regulation are discussed.

scholarly journals Characterization of Neurospora CPC1, a bZIP DNA-binding protein that does not require aligned heptad leucines for dimerization.

1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 935-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
J L Paluh ◽  
C Yanofsky
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Transcription Activator ◽  
Dimerization Domain ◽  
Activation Domain ◽  
Band Shift ◽  
Transcriptional Activation Domain ◽  
Chimeric Polypeptide

CPC1 is the transcriptional activator of amino acid biosynthetic genes of Neurospora crassa. CPC1 function in vivo was abolished upon deletion of segments of cpc-1 corresponding to the presumed transcription activation domain, the DNA-binding and dimerization domains, or a 52-residue connector segment of CPC1. A truncated CPC1 polypeptide containing only the carboxy-terminal 57-residue segment of CPC1 was sufficient to form homodimers that bound DNA. However, deletion of the segment of cpc-1 corresponding to the connector segment in the full-length CPC1 polypeptide abolished DNA binding. Removal of a segment of cpc-1 corresponding to the GIn-rich region of CPC1 reduced in vivo function only slightly. The homologous transcription activator of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, GCN4, did not substitute for CPC1 in N. crassa. Chimeric CPC1-GCN4 polypeptides that contained the GCN4 transcriptional activation domain or the domain of GCN4 that corresponds to the essential 52-residue connector segment of CPC1, functioned with reduced efficiency. However, a chimeric polypeptide containing the GCN4 DNA-binding and dimerization domains in place of those of CPC1 functioned essentially as well as wild-type CPC1. The basic and dimerization domains of CPC1 were characterized by introducing deletions or site-directed amino acid replacements. The basic region was required for DNA binding but not for dimerization. CPC1 has a short dimerization domain containing heptad residues Leu-1, Leu-2, Trp-3, and His-4. When Val was substituted for Leu-1 or Leu-2, CPC1 was fully active, but when Val replaced Trp-3, dimerization and DNA binding were prevented. DNA band shift analyses with CPC1 heterodimers demonstrated that CPC1 does not require aligned heptad leucine residues for dimerization. Replacement of two charged residues located between Leu-1 and Leu-2 of CPC1 abolished dimerization and DNA binding.

scholarly journals Analysis of DNA binding by the adenovirus type 5 E1A oncoprotein

2002 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 517-524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikita Avvakumov ◽  
Majdina Sahbegovic ◽  
Zhiying Zhang ◽  
Michael Shuen ◽  
Joe S. Mymryk
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Adenovirus Type ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Activation Domain ◽  
Transcriptional Activation Domain ◽  
Adenovirus Type 5

Adenovirus type 5 E1A proteins interact with cellular regulators of transcription to reprogram gene expression in the infected or transformed cell. Although E1A also interacts with DNA directly in vitro, it is not clear how this relates to its function in vivo. The N-terminal conserved regions 1, 2 and 3 and the C-terminal portions of E1A were prepared as purified recombinant proteins and analyses showed that only the C-terminal region bound DNA in vitro. Deletion of E1A amino acids 201–220 inhibited binding and a minimal fragment encompassing amino acids 201–218 of E1A was sufficient for binding single- and double-stranded DNA. This portion of E1A also bound the cation-exchange resins cellulose phosphate and carboxymethyl Sepharose. As this region contains six basic amino acids, in vitro binding of E1A to DNA probably results from an ionic interaction with the phosphodiester backbone of DNA. Studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have shown that expression of a strong transcriptional activation domain fused to a DNA-binding domain can inhibit growth. Although fusion of the C-terminal region of E1A to a strong transcriptional activation domain inhibited growth when expressed in yeast, this was not mediated by the DNA-binding domain identified in vitro. These data suggest that E1A does not bind DNA in vivo.

scholarly journals In Vivo Analysis of Functional Regions within Yeast Rap1p

1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 7481-7490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian R. Graham ◽  
Robin A. Haw ◽  
Karen G. Spink ◽  
Kathryn A. Halden ◽  
Alistair Chambers
Keyword(s):  
Cell Growth ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Northern Analysis ◽  
Activation Domain ◽  
Linker Region ◽  
Transcriptional Activation Domain

ABSTRACT We have analyzed the in vivo importance of different regions of Rap1p, a yeast transcriptional regulator and telomere binding protein. A yeast strain (SCR101) containing a regulatable RAP1 gene was used to test functional complementation by a range of Rap1p derivatives. These experiments demonstrated that the C terminus of the protein, containing the putative transcriptional activation domain and the regions involved in silencing and telomere function, is not absolutely essential for cell growth, a result confirmed by sporulation of a diploid strain containing a C terminal deletion derivative ofRAP1. Northern analysis with cells that expressed Rap1p lacking the transcriptional activation domain revealed that this region is important for the expression of only a subset of Rap1p-activated genes. The one essential region within Rap1p is the DNA binding domain. We have investigated the possibility that this region has additional functions. It contains two Myb-like subdomains separated by a linker region. Individual point mutations in the linker region had no effect on Rap1p function, although deletion of the region abolished cell growth. The second Myb-like subdomain contains a large unstructured loop of unknown function. Domain swap experiments with combinations of elements from DNA binding domains of Rap1p homologues from different yeasts revealed that major changes can be made to the amino acid composition of this region without affecting Rap1p function.

scholarly journals Temperature-dependent regulation of a heterologous transcriptional activation domain fused to yeast heat shock transcription factor.

1992 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 1021-1030 ◽  
Author(s):  
J J Bonner ◽  
S Heyward ◽  
D L Fackenthal
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Heat Shock ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Heat Shock Transcription Factor ◽  
Temperature Dependent ◽  
Activation Domain ◽  
Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Transcriptional Activation Domain ◽  
Vp16 Fusion

The heat shock transcription factor (HSF) of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is posttranslationally modified. At low growth temperatures, it activates transcription of heat shock genes only poorly; after shift to high temperatures, it activates transcription readily. In an effort to elucidate the mechanism of this regulation, we constructed a series of HSF-VP16 fusions that join the HSF DNA-binding domain to the strong transcriptional activation domain from the VP16 gene of herpes simplex virus. Replacement of the endogenous C-terminal transcriptional activation domain with that of VP16 generates an HSF derivative that exhibits behavior reminiscent of HSF itself: low transcriptional activation activity at normal growth temperature and high activity after heat shock. HSF can thus restrain the activity of the heterologous VP16 transcriptional activation domain. To determine what is required for repression of activity at low temperature, we deleted portions of HSF from this HSF-VP16 fusion to map the regulatory domain. We also isolated point mutations that convert the HSF-VP16 fusion into a constitutive transcriptional activator. We conclude that the central, evolutionarily conserved domain of HSF, encompassing the DNA-binding and multimerization domains, contains a major determinant of temperature-dependent regulation.

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