Identification of a putative BRF homologue in the genome of Caenorhabditis elegans.
We have identified a putative gene within the Caenorhabditis elegans genome which has the potential to encode a protein homologous to BRF, an RNA polymerase III general transcription factor. The predicted protein shares very similar overall structure with human and yeast BRF. In particular, its N-terminal half comprises a zinc-ribbon motif and a TR domain which is also present in the cyclin box. The C. elegans protein is more similar to human BRF than to the yeast BRF proteins, as would be expected from an evolutionary standpoint. Alignment of the C. elegans protein with the four known BRF proteins reveals two blocks conserved between all five sequences within the diverged C-terminal region. Profile searches using these regions suggest that they may contain evolutionarily conserved motifs. These comparisons provide insight into the structure and function of an important transcription factor.
Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Glasgow, UK. gbgv67@udcf.gla.ac.uk
C G
CG
Larminie
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RJ
White
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D016213:Cyclins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017238:Genes, Helminth; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D035381:TATA-Binding Protein Associated Factors; D035361:Transcription Factor TFIIIB; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
C090956:BRF1 protein, S cerevisiae; C441028:BRF1 protein, human; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D016213:Cyclins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D035381:TATA-Binding Protein Associated Factors; D035361:Transcription Factor TFIIIB; D014157:Transcription Factors; C116045:brf-1 protein, C elegans