title: Selective DNA bending by a variety of bZIP proteins.
abstract: We have investigated DNA bending by bZIP family proteins that can bind to the AP-1 site. DNA bending is widespread, although not universal, among members of this family. Different bZIP protein dimers induced distinct DNA bends. The DNA bend angles ranged from virtually 0 to greater than 40 degrees as measured by phasing analysis and were oriented toward both the major and the minor grooves at the center of the AP-1 site. The DNA bends induced by the various heterodimeric complexes suggested that each component of the complex induced an independent DNA bend as previously shown for Fos and Jun. The Fos-related proteins Fra1 and Fra2 bent DNA in the same orientation as Fos but induced smaller DNA bend angles. ATF2 also bent DNA toward the minor groove in heterodimers formed with Fos, Fra2, and Jun. CREB and ATF1, which favor binding to the CRE site, did not induce significant DNA bending. Zta, which is a divergent member of the bZIP family, bent DNA toward the major groove. A variety of DNA structures can therefore be induced at the AP-1 site through combinatorial interactions between different bZIP family proteins. This diversity of DNA structures may contribute to regulatory specificity among the plethora of proteins that can bind to the AP-1 site.
authors.affiliation: Roche Institute of Molecular Biology, Nutley, New Jersey 07110.
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Kerppola
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Curran
mesh_terms: D051696:Activating Transcription Factors; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000737:chemistry; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D016350:Leucine Zippers; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000737:chemistry; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D051696:Activating Transcription Factors; D001798:Blood Proteins; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA