title: Biochemical analyses of the AF10 protein: the extended LAP/PHD-finger mediates oligomerisation.
abstract: Leukaemogenesis correlates with alterations in chromatin structure brought about by the gain or loss of interactive domains from regulatory factors that are disrupted by chromosomal translocations. The gene MLL, a target of such translocation events, forms chimaeric fusion products with a variety of partner genes. While MLL appears to be involved in chromatin-mediated gene regulation, the functions of its partner genes are largely speculative. We report the biochemical analysis of the MLL partner gene AF10 and its possible role in leukaemogenesis. AF10 has been reported to be re-arranged with genes other than MLL leading to the same phenotype, a myeloid leukaemia. We have identified a novel protein-protein interaction motif in the AF10 protein comprising the extended LAP/PHD-finger. This domain mediates homo-oligomerisation of recombinant AF10 and is conserved in several proteins, including MLL itself. AF10 binds cruciform DNA via a specific interaction with an AT-hook motif and is localised to the nucleus by a defined bipartite nuclear localisation signal in the N-terminal region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, St Bartholomew's and the Royal London Hospital School of Medicine, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1 M 6BQ, England. blinder@gwdg.de
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Linder
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Debernardi
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Freemont
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Verrijzer
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Saha
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001692:Biological Transport; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000378:metabolism; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000235:genetics; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D011485:Protein Binding; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C092513:MLLT10 protein, human; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors