title: I-POU: a POU-domain protein that inhibits neuron-specific gene activation.
abstract: A novel, structurally distinct POU-domain protein has been identified that inhibits activation by another positive POU-domain regulator of neuron-specific transcription units. Two Drosophila POU-domain proteins, I-POU and Cf1-a, are coexpressed in overlapping subsets of neurons during development. Because I-POU lacks two basic residues in the N terminus of its homeodomain, it cannot bind DNA, but it does form a stable heterodimeric complex with Cf1-a, preventing Cf1-a from binding to DNA recognition elements and from transactivating the dopa-decarboxylase gene. The inhibition by I-POU provides a potential strategy by which the activation of genes in development is controlled by a homeodomain-containing protein that does not bind DNA.
authors.affiliation: Eukaryotic Regulatory Biology Program, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla 92093-0648.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Treacy
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Rosenfeld
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004296:Dopa Decarboxylase / Q000235:genetics; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D050809:POU Domain Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D050809:POU Domain Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; C068431:acj6 protein, Drosophila; D004296:Dopa Decarboxylase