DNA protein interaction

The specific protein-DNA interactions described in this book are all with DNA in its regular B-form, or, in some cases with distorted B-DNA. In biological systems DNA appears not to adopt the A conformation, although double-stranded RNA does preferentially adopt this conformation in vivo. Whether or not Z-DNA occurs in nature is a matter of controversy. However, the formation of A-DNA and Z-DNA in vitro does illustrate the large structural changes that DNA can be forced to undergo. 

Only a rather limited number of base pairs is needed to provide unique and discriminatory recognition sites in the major groove. This is illustrated in Figure 7.8, which gives the color codes for the hexanucleotide recognition sites of three different restriction enzymes—Eco Rl, Bal 1, and Sma 1. It is clear that these patterns are quite different, and each can be uniquely recognized by specific protein-DNA interactions. 

The x-ray structure of DNA complexes with 434 Cro and repressor revealed novel features of protein-DNA interactions... 

Sequence-specific protein-DNA interactions recognize operator regions... 

The protein-DNA interactions have been analyzed in detail at high resolution in the complex between the 434 repressor fragment and the ORl containing 20mer DNA. A pseudo-twofold symmetry axis relates the halves of this complex. The symmetry is not exact since the nucleotide sequence of the DNA is slightly different in each half (see Table 8.2). However, the interactions between one protein subunit and one half of the DNA are very similar to those between the second subunit and the other half of the DNA since most of the bases that interact with the protein are identical in both halves. Details of the interaction are very similar to those in the complex with the palindromic synthetic 14mer of DNA shown in Figures 8.14 and 8.15. The base pairs at one end of the DNA, 1-14, 2-13, etc. are called base pairs 1, 2, etc. 

Figure 8.15 Sequence-specific protein-DNA interactions provide a general recognition signal for operator regions in 434 bacteriophage, (a) In this complex between 434 repressor fragment and a synthetic DNA there are two glutamine residues (28 and 29) at the beginning of the recognition helix in the helix-turn-helix motif that provide such interactions with the first three base pairs of the operator region.

Figure 8.16 Nonspecific protein-DNA interactions are frequently formed by hydrogen bonds (red) between backbone phosphate oxygen atoms of DNA and main-chain NH groups of the protein.

The sharp bend of DNA at the TATA box induced by TBP binding is favorable for the formation of the complete DNA control module in particular, for the interaction of specific transcription factors with TFIID. Since these factors may bind to DNA several hundred base pairs away from the TATA box, and at the same time may interact with TBP through one or several TAFs, there must be several protein-DNA interactions within this module that distort the regular B-DNA structure (see Figure 9.2). The DNA bend caused by the binding of TBP to the TATA box is one important step to bring activators near to the site of action of RNA polymerase. 

The NMR study by Wiithrich and coworkers has shown that there is a cavity between the protein and the DNA in the major groove of the Antennapedia complex. There are several water molecules in this cavity with a residence time with respect to exchange with bulk water in the millisecond to nanosecond range. These observations indicate that at least some of the specific protein-DNA interactions are short-lived and mediated by water molecules. In particular, the interactions between DNA and the highly conserved Gin 50 and the invariant Asn 51 are best rationalized as a fluctuating network of weak-bonding interactions involving interfacial hydration water molecules. 

Figure 9.22 Most tumorigenic mutations of pS3 are found in the regions of the polypeptide chain that are involved in protein-DNA interactions. These regions are loops L2 (green) and L3 (red) and a region called LSH (blue) which comprises part of p strand 9 as well as the C-terminal a helix.

The GAL4 recognition module therefore contains only one protein side chain, Lys 18, that provides specific interactions with the DNA. The remaining specific interactions with DNA are from main-chain atoms and depend critically on the correct conformation of the protein. The correct positioning of the C-terminus of the a helix is particularly important for recognition. This is to date the only example of a protein-DNA interaction in which... 

Max and MyoD recognize the DNA HLH consensus sequence by different specific protein-DNA interactions... 

The proteins impose precise distortions on the B-DNA in the complexes Sequence-specific protein-DNA interactions recognize operator regions... 

Sequences farther upstream from the start site determine how frequently the transcription event occurs. Mutations in these regions reduce the frequency of transcriptional starts tenfold to twentyfold. Typical of these DNA elements are the GC and CAAT boxes, so named because of the DNA sequences involved. As illustrated in Figure 37—7, each of these boxes binds a protein, Spl in the case of the GC box and CTF (or C/EPB,NF1,NFY) by the CAAT box both bind through their distinct DNA binding domains (DBDs). The frequency of transcription initiation is a consequence of these protein-DNA interactions and complex interactions between particular domains of the transcription factors (distinct from the DBD domains—so-called activation domains ADs) of these proteins and the rest of the transcription machinery (RNA polymerase II and the basal factors TFIIA, B, D, E, F). (See... 

The Genetic Switch of Bacteriophage Lambda ( ) Provides a Paradigm for Protein-DNA Interactions in Eukaryotic Cells... 

The protein-DNA interactions are maintained by hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces. 

DNase 1 j Under appropriate conditions, produces j single-stranded nicks in DNA. Nick translation mapping of hypersensitive sites mapping protein-DNA interactions. 

Gebara, M. M., and McCarrey, J. R. (1992). Protein-DNA interactions associated with the onset of testis-specific expression of the mammalian Pgk-2 gene. Mol. Cell. Biol. 12 1422-1431. 

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