title: Electrostatic control of half-site spacing preferences by the cyclic AMP response element-binding protein CREB.
abstract: Basic region leucine zipper (bZIP) proteins represent a class of transcription factors that bind DNA using a simple, dimeric, alpha-helical recognition motif. The cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) is a member of the CREB/ATF subfamily of bZIP proteins. CREB discriminates effectively in vivo and in vitro between the 10 bp cAMP response element (ATGACGTCAT, CRE) and the 9 bp activating protein 1 site (ATGACTCAT, AP-1). Here we describe an alanine scanning mutagenesis study designed to identify those residues within the CREB bZIP element that control CRE/AP-1 specificity. We find that the preference of CREB for the CRE site is controlled in a positive and negative way by acidic and basic residues in the basic, spacer and zipper segments. The CRE/AP-1 specificity of CREB is increased significantly by four glutamic acid residues located at positions 24, 28, 35 and 41; glutamic acid residues at positions 10 and 48 contribute in a more modest way. Specificity is decreased significantly by two basic residues located at positions 21 and 23; basic residues at positions 14, 18, 33 and 34 and V17 contribute in a more modest way. All of the residues that influence specificity significantly are located on the solvent-exposed face of the protein-DNA complex and likely participate in interactions between and among proteins, not between protein and DNA. The finding that the CRE/AP-1 specificity of CREB is dictated by the presence or absence of charged residues has interesting implications for how transcription factors seek and selectively bind sequences within genomic DNA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Yale University, PO Box 208107, New Haven, CT 06520-8107, USA.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Montclare
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Sloan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schepartz
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016350:Leucine Zippers; D008274:Magnesium / Q000378:metabolism; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D020218:Response Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D012997:Solvents; D055672:Static Electricity; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012997:Solvents; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D004247:DNA; D008274:Magnesium