title: Specificity of HOX protein function depends on DNA-protein and protein-protein interactions, both mediated by the homeo domain.
abstract: Transcription of human HOX gene promoters in cultured cells is positively and negatively regulated by HOX proteins interacting with specific target sequences. The human HOXD9 protein activates transcription of the HOXD9 promoter by interacting with the HCR sequence and is antagonized by the HOXD8 protein. HOXD8 is not intrinsically a repressor, since it can activate transcription on different targets. Complete or partial HOXD8/HOXD9 homeo domain swapping indicates that the ability to recognize, and activate transcription from, the HCR target in vivo depends on the amino terminus and helix 1 of the homeo domain. The inhibitory activity of HOXD8 is not affected by deletion of the homeo domain helix 2/3 region, whereas it requires the amino terminus/helix 1 region and an additional, effector domain located at the protein amino-terminal end. This activity is therefore DNA-binding independent, and possibly mediated by protein-protein interactions. Affinity chromatography experiments show that the homeo domain amino terminus/helix 1 region is able to mediate direct interactions between HOX proteins in solution. These data indicate that specificity of HOX protein function in vivo depends on both DNA-protein and protein-protein interactions, mediated by the same sub region of the homeo domain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Technology (DIBIT), Istituto Scientifico H.S. Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zappavigna
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sartori
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mavilio
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010957:Plasmids; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C088822:HOXD9 protein, human; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D014157:Transcription Factors; C075279:HOXD8 protein, human; D004247:DNA