Structural and functional properties of the evolutionarily ancient Y-box family of nucleic acid binding proteins.
The Y-box proteins are the most evolutionarily conserved nucleic acid binding proteins yet defined in bacteria, plants and animals. The central nucleic acid binding domain of the vertebrate proteins is 43% identical to a 70-amino-acid-long protein (CS7.4) from E. coli. The structure of this domain consists of an antiparallel five-stranded beta-barrel that recognizes both DNA and RNA. The diverse biological roles of these Y-box proteins range from the control of the E. coli cold-shock stress response to the translational masking of messenger RNA in vertebrate gametes. This review discusses the organization of the prokaryotic and eukaryotic Y-box proteins, how they interact with nucleic acids, and their biological roles, both proven and potential.
Laboratory of Molecular Embryology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892.
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Wolffe
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003080:Cold Temperature; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005796:Genes; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors