A network of specific minor-groove contacts is a common characteristic of paired-domain-DNA interactions.
Pax proteins are a family of transcription factors conserved during evolution and able to bind specific DNA sequences through a domain called a "paired domain'. The DNA-binding specificity of the Pax-8 paired domain was investigated. Site-selection experiments indicate that Pax-8 binds to a consensus sequence similar to those bound by Pax-2 and Pax-5. When consensus sequences of various paired domains are observed in light of recent structural studies describing paired-domain-DNA interaction [Xu, Rould, Jun, Desplan and Pabo (1995) Cell 80, 639-650], it appears that base-pairs contacted in the minor groove are conserved, while most of the base-pairs contacted in the major groove are not. Therefore a network of specific minor groove contacts is a common characteristic of paired-domain-DNA interactions. The functional importance of such a network was successfully tested by analysing the effect of consensus-based mutations on the Pax-8 binding site of the thyroglobulin promoter.
Pellizzari
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L
Dipartimento di Scienze e Technologie Biomediche, Università di Udine, Italy.
Fabbro
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D
Lonigro
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R
Di Lauro
R
R
Damante
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G
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000235:genetics; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D004247:DNA; D013954:Thyroglobulin