title: The degree of variation in DNA sequence recognition among four Drosophila homeotic proteins.
abstract: The homeodomain has been implicated as a major determinant of biological specificity for the homeotic selector (HOM) genes. We compare here the DNA sequence preferences of homeodomains encoded by four of the eight Drosophila HOM proteins. One of the four, Abdominal-B, binds preferentially to a sequence with an unusual 5'-T-T-A-T-3' core, whereas the other three prefer 5'-T-A-A-T-3'. Of these latter three, the Ultrabithorax and Antennapedia homeodomains display indistinguishable preferences outside the core while Deformed differs. Thus, with three distinct binding classes defined by four HOM proteins, differences in individual site recognition may account for some but not all of HOM protein functional specificity. We further show that amino acid residues within the N-terminal arm are responsible for the sequence specificity differences between the Ultrabithorax and Abdominal-B homeodomains. Similarities and differences at the corresponding positions within the N-terminal arms are conserved in the vertebrate Abdominal-B-like HOM proteins, which play critical roles in limb specifications as well as in regional specification along the anterior-posterior axis. This and other patterns of residue conservation suggest that differential DNA sequence recognition may play a role in HOM protein function in a wide range of organisms.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ekker
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: von Kessler
authors.forename: B I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Beachy
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D051943:Antennapedia Homeodomain Protein; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D016384:Consensus Sequence / Q000235:genetics*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005801:Genes, Homeobox / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007301:Insect Hormones / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011089:Polydeoxyribonucleotides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: C062393:Abd-B proteins, Drosophila; D051943:Antennapedia Homeodomain Protein; C497974:Antp protein, Drosophila; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C066676:Dfd protein, Drosophila; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007301:Insect Hormones; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011089:Polydeoxyribonucleotides; D014157:Transcription Factors; C066177:Ubx protein, Drosophila