title: An Sp1/KLF binding site is important for the activity of a Polycomb group response element from the Drosophila engrailed gene.
abstract: Polycomb-group response elements (PREs) are DNA elements through which the Polycomb-group (PcG) of transcriptional repressors act. Many of the PcG proteins are associated with two protein complexes that repress gene expression by modifying chromatin. Both of these protein complexes specifically associate with PREs in vivo, however, it is not known how they are recruited or held at the PRE. PREs are complex elements, made up of binding sites for many proteins. Our laboratory has been working to define all the sequences and DNA binding proteins required for the activity of a 181 bp PRE from the Drosophila engrailed gene. Here we show that one of the sites necessary for PRE activity, Site 2, can be bound by members of the Sp1/KLF family of zinc finger proteins. There are 10 Sp1/KLF family members in Drosophila, and nine of them bind to Site 2. We derive a consensus binding site for the Sp1/KLF Drosophila family members and show that this consensus sequence is present in most of the molecularly characterized PREs. These data suggest that one or more Sp1/KLF family members play a role in PRE function in Drosophila.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
authors.forename: J Lesley
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Grau
authors.forename: Sarah K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: DeVido
authors.forename: Judith A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kassis
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D004330:Drosophila / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D063150:Polycomb Repressive Complex 1; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020218:Response Elements; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D016335:Zinc Fingers
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; C063459:En protein, Drosophila; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C066770:Pc protein, Drosophila; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D016329:Sp1 Transcription Factor; D014157:Transcription Factors; D063150:Polycomb Repressive Complex 1