title: The DNA binding domain of the rat liver nuclear protein C/EBP is bipartite.
abstract: C/EBP is a rat liver nuclear protein capable of sequence-specific interaction with DNA. The DNA sequences to which C/EBP binds in vitro have been implicated in the control of messenger RNA synthesis. It has therefore been predicted that C/EBP will play a role in regulating gene expression in mammalian cells. The region of the C/EBP polypeptide required for direct interaction with DNA has been identified and shown to bear amino acid sequence relatedness with the product of the myc, fos, and jun proto-oncogenes. The arrangement of these related amino acid sequences led to the prediction of a new structural motif, termed the "leucine zipper," that plays a role in facilitating sequence-specific interaction between protein and DNA. Experimental tests now provide support for the leucine zipper hypothesis.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Department of Embryology, Baltimore, MD 21210.
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Landschulz
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: McKnight
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D005976:Glutaral; D007930:Leucine; D008099:Liver / Q000032:analysis*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009154:Mutation; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D051381:Rats; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D004247:DNA; D007930:Leucine; D005976:Glutaral