title: The proline rich homeodomain protein PRH/Hhex forms stable oligomers that are highly resistant to denaturation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many transcription factors control gene expression by binding to specific DNA sequences at or near the genes that they regulate. However, some transcription factors play more global roles in the control of gene expression by altering the architecture of sections of chromatin or even the whole genome. The ability to form oligomeric protein assemblies allows many of these proteins to manipulate extensive segments of DNA or chromatin via the formation of structures such as DNA loops or protein-DNA fibres.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here we show that the proline rich homeodomain protein PRH/Hhex forms predominantly octameric and/or hexadecameric species in solution as well as larger assemblies. We show that these assemblies are highly stable resisting denaturation by temperature and chemical denaturants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data indicate that PRH is functionally and structurally related to the Lrp/AsnC family of proteins, a group of proteins that are known to act globally to control gene expression in bacteria and archaea.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biomedical Research, Birmingham University Medical School, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Anshuman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.forename: Nicholas M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.forename: Padma-Sheela
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Jayaraman
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gaston
mesh_terms: D002942:Circular Dichroism; D006146:Guanidines / Q000737:chemistry; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D013696:Temperature; D013861:Thiocyanates / Q000737:chemistry; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006146:Guanidines; C078492:HHEX protein, human; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D013861:Thiocyanates; D014157:Transcription Factors; C054436:guanidine thiocyanate