Boundary element-associated factor 32B connects chromatin domains to the nuclear matrix.
Chromatin domain boundary elements demarcate independently regulated domains of eukaryotic genomes. While a few such boundary sequences have been studied in detail, only a small number of proteins that interact with them have been identified. One such protein is the boundary element-associated factor (BEAF), which binds to the scs' boundary element of Drosophila melanogaster. It is not clear, however, how boundary elements function. In this report we show that BEAF is associated with the nuclear matrix and map the domain required for matrix association to the middle region of the protein. This region contains a predicted coiled-coil domain with several potential sites for posttranslational modification. We demonstrate that the DNA sequences that bind to BEAF in vivo are also associated with the nuclear matrix and colocalize with BEAF. These results suggest that boundary elements may function by tethering chromatin to nuclear architectural components and thereby provide a structural basis for compartmentalization of the genome into functionally independent domains.
Pathak
Rashmi U
RU
Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India.
Rangaraj
Nandini
N
Kallappagoudar
Satish
S
Mishra
Krishnaveni
K
Mishra
Rakesh K
RK
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015530:Nuclear Matrix / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid / Q000235:genetics
C452919:BEAF-32 protein, Drosophila; D002843:Chromatin; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; C121540:dwg protein, Drosophila