title: Structural basis for the diversity of DNA recognition by bZIP transcription factors.
abstract: The basic region leucine zipper (bZIP) proteins form one of the largest families of transcription factors in eukaryotic cells. Despite relatively high homology between the amino acid sequences of the bZIP motifs, these proteins recognize diverse DNA sequences. Here we report the 2.0 A resolution crystal structure of the bZIP motif of one such transcription factor, PAP1, a fission yeast AP-1-like transcription factor that binds DNA containing the novel consensus sequence TTACGTAA. The structure reveals how the Pap1-specific residues of the bZIP basic region recognize the target sequence and shows that the side chain of the invariant Asn in the bZIP motif adopts an alternative conformation in Pap1. This conformation, which is stabilized by a Pap1-specific residue and its associated water molecule, recognizes a different base in the target sequence from that in other bZIP subfamilies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Nara Institute of Science Technology, 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0101, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Toda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yanagida
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hakoshima
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D001665:Binding Sites; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D051790:G-Box Binding Factors; D018257:Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D000073718:Pancreatitis-Associated Proteins; D011487:Protein Conformation; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D051790:G-Box Binding Factors; D000073718:Pancreatitis-Associated Proteins; C105096:Pap1 protein, S pombe; C000612141:REG3A protein, human; D029702:Schizosaccharomyces pombe Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA