title: Specific DNA-RNA hybrid binding by zinc finger proteins.
abstract: Zinc finger proteins of the Cys2His2 type represent a large class of proteins that have been assumed to function by means of specific interactions with DNA. Experiments motivated by structural characteristics of zinc finger protein-DNA complexes revealed that certain zinc finger proteins bound DNA-RNA hybrids with affinities comparable to or greater than those for DNA duplexes. The interactions between the zinc finger proteins and the DNA-RNA hybrids were dependent on which strand was RNA and were sequence-specific. Thus, interactions with DNA-RNA hybrids should be considered with regard to the biological roles of zinc finger proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Berg
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA