title: Key residues characteristic of GATA N-fingers are recognized by FOG.
abstract: Protein-protein interactions play significant roles in the control of gene expression. These interactions often occur between small, discrete domains within different transcription factors. In particular, zinc fingers, usually regarded as DNA-binding domains, are now also known to be involved in mediating contacts between proteins. We have investigated the interaction between the erythroid transcription factor GATA-1 and its partner, the 9 zinc finger protein, FOG (Friend Of GATA). We demonstrate that this interaction represents a genuine finger-finger contact, which is dependent on zinc-coordinating residues within each protein. We map the contact domains to the core of the N-terminal zinc finger of GATA-1 and the 6th zinc finger of FOG. Using a scanning substitution strategy we identify key residues within the GATA-1 N-finger which are required for FOG binding. These residues are conserved in the N-fingers of all GATA proteins known to bind FOG, but are not found in the respective C-fingers. This observation may, therefore, account for the particular specificity of FOG for N-fingers. Interestingly, the key N-finger residues are seen to form a contiguous surface, when mapped onto the structure of the N-finger of GATA-1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Sydney, New South Wales, 2006 Australia.
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kowalski
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Mackay
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Crossley
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D050981:Erythroid-Specific DNA-Binding Factors; D050982:GATA1 Transcription Factor; D051379:Mice; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016335:Zinc Fingers
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050981:Erythroid-Specific DNA-Binding Factors; D050982:GATA1 Transcription Factor; C494689:Gata1 protein, mouse; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C107310:Zfpm1 protein, mouse