title: Crystal structure of the trithorax group protein ASH2L reveals a forkhead-like DNA binding domain.
abstract: Absent, small or homeotic discs-like 2 (ASH2L) is a trithorax group (TrxG) protein and a regulatory subunit of the SET1 family of lysine methyltransferases. Here we report that ASH2L binds DNA using a forkhead-like helix-wing-helix (HWH) domain. In vivo, the ASH2L HWH domain is required for binding to the β-globin locus control region, histone H3 Lys4 (H3K4) trimethylation and maximal expression of the β-globin gene (Hbb-1), validating the functional importance of the ASH2L DNA binding domain.
authors.affiliation: Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, Department of Biochemistry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarvan
authors.forename: Vanja
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Avdic
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tremblay
authors.forename: Chandra-Prakash
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Chaturvedi
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lanouette
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blais
authors.forename: Joseph S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Brunzelle
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brand
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Couture
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C485622:ASH2L protein, human; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D004247:DNA