title: Prokaryotic HU and eukaryotic HMG1: a kinked relationship.
abstract: HU and IHF proteins have long been considered the prokaryotic analogues of eukaryotic histones. Their ability to bend DNA, however, is distinctly similar to that of eukaryotic HMG-box proteins, a recently identified family of chromatin components and transcription factors. In some conditions, HU and HMG1-like proteins can even be swapped, both in vitro and in vivo. In spite of this, HU/IHF and HMG-box proteins are not evolutionarily related, and represent two independent solutions for the same biochemical problem.
authors: Dipartimento di Genetica e di Biologia dei Microrganismi, Università di Milano, Italy.
authors: M E
authors: ME
authors: Bianchi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D001665:Binding Sites; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006609:High Mobility Group Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D034982:Integration Host Factors; D008961:Models, Structural; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006609:High Mobility Group Proteins; D034982:Integration Host Factors; C040330:histone-like protein HU, bacteria