title: Targeting of Ikaros to pericentromeric heterochromatin by direct DNA binding.
abstract: Ikaros is a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein that is essential for lymphocyte development. Little is known about the molecular function of Ikaros, although recent results have led to the hypothesis that it recruits genes destined for heritable inactivation to foci containing pericentromeric heterochromatin. To gain further insight into the functions of Ikaros, we have examined the mechanism by which it is targeted to centromeric foci. Efficient targeting of Ikaros was observed upon ectopic expression in 3T3 fibroblasts, demonstrating that lymphocyte-specific proteins and a lymphoid nuclear architecture are not required. Pericentromeric targeting did not result from an interaction with the Mi-2 remodeling factor, as only a small percentage of Mi-2 localized to centromeric foci in 3T3 cells. Rather, targeting was dependent on the amino-terminal DNA-binding zinc finger domain and carboxy-terminal dimerization domain of Ikaros. The carboxy-terminal domain was required only for homodimerization, as targeting was restored when this domain was replaced with a leucine zipper. Surprisingly, a detailed substitution mutant analysis of the amino-terminal domain revealed a close correlation between DNA-binding and pericentromeric targeting. These results show that DNA binding is essential for the pericentromeric localization of Ikaros, perhaps consistent with the presence of Ikaros binding sites within centromeric DNA repeats. Models for the function of Ikaros that are consistent with this targeting mechanism are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1662, USA.
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Cobb
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morales-Alcelay
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kleiger
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Smale
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002460:Cell Line; D002503:Centromere / Q000378:metabolism*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D004265:DNA Helicases; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051740:Ikaros Transcription Factor; D056245:Mi-2 Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase Complex; D051379:Mice; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D011485:Protein Binding; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D014161:Transduction, Genetic; D014162:Transfection; D016335:Zinc Fingers
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; C115323:CHD4 protein, human; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006570:Heterochromatin; C497239:IKZF1 protein, human; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D014157:Transcription Factors; C497238:Zfpn1a1 protein, mouse; D051740:Ikaros Transcription Factor; D004247:DNA; D056245:Mi-2 Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase Complex; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D004265:DNA Helicases