Btcd, a mouse protein that binds to curved DNA, can substitute in Escherichia coli for H-NS, a bacterial nucleoid protein.
In an Escherichia coli mutant devoid of H-NS, a bacterial nucleoid protein, mouse protein Btcd was able to substitute for H-NS in two tested functions. It restored cell motility and repression of the expression of the bgl operon. Btcd1, a mutant Btcd protein deleted of its zinc finger and thus having reduced DNA binding, failed to substitute for H-NS. Mouse protein Btcd was shown to repress the bgl operon at the level of transcription initiation and to bind preferentially to a curved DNA fragment encompassing the bgl promoter. These effects of Btcd on bacterial gene transcription can be accounted for by the binding of Btcd or H-NS to a curved DNA sequence near a promoter. A few mammalian proteins have been shown to substitute for their Escherichia prototypes involved in DNA and RNA transactions. The efficiency of Btcd protein in substituting for H-NS in Escherichia suggests its possible involvement in regulating gene expression in mouse cells.
Timchenko
T
T
Groupe d'Etude 'Mutagénèse et Cancérogenèse', Institut Curie, Batiment110, Centre Universitaire, F-91405 Orsay, France.
Bailone
A
A
Devoret
R
R
D000818:Animals; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001483:Base Sequence; D004270:DNA, Circular / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005407:Flagella / Q000235:genetics; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009876:Operon; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D001617:beta-Glucosidase / Q000378:metabolism
D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004270:DNA, Circular; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C031908:H-NS protein, bacteria; D001617:beta-Glucosidase