title: The Arabidopsis Athb-8, -9 and -14 genes are members of a small gene family coding for highly related HD-ZIP proteins.
abstract: We report the isolation and characterization of two Arabidopsis homeobox genes highly related to the Athb-8 gene. The full-length cDNAs encode proteins of 841 and 852 amino acids which we have designated Athb-9 and -14, respectively. Athb-8, -9 and -14 are members of a small family of HD-Zip proteins (HD-ZIP III) characterized by a HD-Zip motif confined to the N-terminus of the polypeptide. The spatial organization of the HD-Zip domain of Athb-8, -9 and -14 is different from that of the Athb-1 (a member of the HD-ZIP I family) and Athb-2 (a member of the HD-ZIP II family) HD-Zip domains. DNA binding analysis performed with random-sequence DNA templates showed that the Athb-9 HD-Zip (HD-Zip-9) domain, but not the Athb-9 HD alone, binds to DNA. The HD-Zip-9 domain recognizes a 11 bp pseudopalindromic sequence (GTAAT(G/C)ATTAC), as determined by selecting high-affinity binding sites from random-sequence DNA. Moreover, gel retardation assays demonstrated that the HD-Zip-9 domain binds to DNA as a dimer. These data support the notion that the HD-ZIP III domain interacts with DNA recognition elements in a fashion similar to the HD-ZIP I and II domains.
authors.affiliation: Centro di studio per gli Acidi Nucleici, c/o Dipartimento di Genetica e Biologia Molecolare, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sessa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Steindler
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morelli
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ruberti
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D017343:Genes, Plant; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016350:Leucine Zippers / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C098015:ATHB-8 protein, Arabidopsis; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018744:DNA, Plant; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C114647:PHB protein, Arabidopsis; C114644:PHV protein, Arabidopsis; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors