title: The DEK protein--an abundant and ubiquitous constituent of mammalian chromatin.
abstract: The protein DEK is an abundant and ubiquitous chromatin protein in multicellular organisms (not in yeast). It is expressed in more than a million copies/nucleus of rapidly proliferating mammalian cells. DEK has two DNA binding modules of which one includes a SAP box, a sequence motif that DEK shares with a number of other chromatin proteins. DEK has no apparent affinity to specific DNA sequences, but preferentially binds to superhelical and cruciform DNA, and induces positive supercoils into closed circular DNA. The available evidence strongly suggests that DEK could function as an architectural protein in chromatin comparable to the better known classic architectural chromatin proteins, the high-mobility group or HMG proteins.
authors.affiliation: University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, 78457 Konstanz, Germany. Tanja.Waldmann@gmx.de
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Waldmann
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Scholten
authors.forename: Ferdinand
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kappes
authors.forename: Hong Gang
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Knippers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics*; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002896:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 6 / Q000235:genetics; D006609:High Mobility Group Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000235:genetics; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015513:Oncogene Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009857:Oncogenes; D000075223:Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; C084738:DEK protein, human; D006609:High Mobility Group Proteins; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; D000075223:Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins