title: EBF contains a novel zinc coordination motif and multiple dimerization and transcriptional activation domains.
abstract: Early B cell factor (EBF) was identified and cloned as a transcription factor expressed specifically in B lymphocytes and adipocytes. This protein was also identified as olfactory factor 1 (Olf-1) in olfactory neurons. In this study, we analyzed the structural requirements for DNA binding, homodimerization and transcriptional activation by EBF. A carboxyl-terminal region, containing a repeat of alpha-helices related to the helix-loop-helix motif, is important for dimerization of EBF in solution and can confer dimerization upon a heterologous DNA binding protein. The amino-terminal DNA binding domain by itself is monomeric, but can mediate assembly of dimers on optimized and correctly spaced half-sites. Mutational analysis of the DNA binding domain of EBF indicated that a novel zinc coordination motif consisting of H-X3-C-X2-C-X5-C is important for DNA recognition. Deletion analysis and transfer of regions of EBF onto a heterologous DNA binding domain identified a serine/threonine-rich transcriptional activation domain. Moreover, the DNA binding domain of EBF can mediate transcriptional activation from optimized binding sites. Thus, EBF contains both a complex DNA binding domain that allows for dimerization and transcriptional activation, and additional dimerization and activation domains.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Microbiology, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0414, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hagman
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gutch
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grosschedl
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000502:physiology; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000235:genetics*; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D004247:DNA; D015032:Zinc