title: Crystallization of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha (HNF4 alpha) in complex with the HNF1 alpha promoter element.
abstract: Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha (HNF4alpha) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily that plays a central role in organ development and metabolic functions. Mutations on HNF4alpha cause maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY), a dominant monogenic cause of diabetes. In order to understand the molecular mechanism of promoter recognition and the molecular basis of disease-causing mutations, the recombinant HNF4alpha DNA-binding domain was prepared and used in a study of its binding properties and in crystallization with a 21-mer DNA fragment that contains the promoter element of another MODY gene, HNF1alpha. The HNF4alpha protein displays a cooperative and specific DNA-binding activity towards its target gene-recognition elements. Crystals of the complex diffract to 2.0 A using a synchrotron-radiation source under cryogenic (100 K) conditions and belong to space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 121.63, b = 35.43, c = 70.99 A, beta = 119.36 degrees . A molecular-replacement solution has been obtained and structure refinement is in progress. This structure and the binding studies will provide the groundwork for detailed functional and biochemical studies of the MODY mutants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry and Center for Structural Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jianguo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Manana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melikishvili
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Fried
authors.forename: Young-In
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Chi
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D003460:Crystallization; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051538:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1-alpha / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051557:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4 / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000235:genetics; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: C496487:HNF1A protein, human; C496592:HNF4A protein, human; D051538:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1-alpha; D051557:Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4