Differential interactions between Brother proteins and Runt domain proteins in the Drosophila embryo and eye

Development ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 126 (15) ◽  
pp. 3313-3322
Author(s):  
L.H. Li ◽  
J.P. Gergen
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Fusion Protein ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Dominant Negative ◽  
Drosophila Embryo ◽  
Runt Domain ◽  
Big Brother ◽  
Dna Binding Activity

Brother and Big brother were isolated as Runt-interacting proteins and are homologous to CBF(beta), which interacts with the mammalian CBF(alpha) Runt-domain proteins. In vitro experiments indicate that Brother family proteins regulate the DNA binding activity of Runt-domain proteins without contacting DNA. In both mouse and human there is genetic evidence that the CBF(alpha) and CBF(beta) proteins function together in hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis. Here we demonstrate functional interactions between Brother proteins and Runt domain proteins in Drosophila. First, we show that a specific point mutation in Runt that disrupts interaction with Brother proteins but does not affect DNA binding activity is dysfunctional in several in vivo assays. Interestingly, this mutant protein acts dominantly to interfere with the Runt-dependent activation of Sxl-lethal transcription. To investigate further the requirements for Brother proteins in Drosophila development, we examine the effects of expression of a Brother fusion protein homologous to the dominant negative CBF(beta)::SMMHC fusion protein that is associated with leukemia in humans. This Bro::SMMHC fusion protein interferes with the activity of Runt and a second Runt domain protein, Lozenge. Moreover, we find that the effects of lozenge mutations on eye development are suppressed by expression of wild-type Brother proteins, suggesting that Brother/Big brother dosage is limiting in this developmental context. Results obtained when Runt is expressed in developing eye discs further support this hypothesis. Our results firmly establish the importance of the Brother and Big brother proteins for the biological activities of Runt and Lozenge, and further suggest that Brother protein function is not restricted to enhancing DNA-binding.

CREB trans-activates the murine H+-K+-ATPase α2-subunit gene

2004 ◽  
Vol 287 (4) ◽  
pp. C903-C911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangyang Xu ◽  
Wenzheng Zhang ◽  
Bruce C. Kone
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Transcriptional Control ◽  
Luciferase Activity ◽  
Collecting Duct ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Dominant Negative ◽  
Proximal Promoter ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Dna Binding Activity

Despite its key role in potassium homeostasis, transcriptional control of the H+-K+-ATPase α2-subunit (HKα2) gene in the collecting duct remains poorly characterized. cAMP increases H+-K+-ATPase activity in the collecting duct, but its role in activating HKα2 transcription has not been explored. Previously, we demonstrated that the proximal 177 bp of the HKα2 promoter confers basal collecting duct-selective expression. This region contains several potential cAMP/Ca2+-responsive elements (CRE). Accordingly, we examined the participation of CRE-binding protein (CREB) in HKα2 transcriptional control in murine inner medullary collecting duct (mIMCD)-3 cells. Forskolin and vasopressin induced HKα2 mRNA levels, and CREB overexpression stimulated the activity of HKα2 promoter-luciferase constructs. Serial deletion analysis revealed that CREB inducibility was retained in a construct containing the proximal 100 bp of the HKα2 promoter. In contrast, expression of a dominant negative inhibitor (A-CREB) resulted in 60% lower HKα2 promoter-luciferase activity, suggesting that constitutive CREB participates in basal HKα2 transcriptional activity. A constitutively active CREB mutant (CREB-VP16) strongly induced HKα2 promoter-luciferase activity, whereas overexpression of CREBdLZ-VP16, which lacks the CREB DNA-binding domain, abolished this activation. In vitro DNase I footprinting and gel shift/supershift analysis of the proximal promoter with recombinant glutathione S-transferase (GST)-CREB-1 and mIMCD-3 cell nuclear extracts revealed sequence-specific DNA-CREB-1 complexes at −86/−60. Mutation at three CRE-like sequences within this region abolished CREB-1 DNA-binding activity and abrogated CREB-VP16 trans-activation of the HKα2 promoter. In contrast, mutation of the neighboring −104/−94 κβ element did not alter CREB-VP16 trans-activation of the HKα2 promoter. Thus CREB-1, binding to one or more CRE-like elements in the −86/−60 region, trans-activates the HKα2 gene and may represent an important link between rapid and delayed effects of cAMP on HKα2 activity.

scholarly journals Constitutive expression of Bc1-3 in thymocytes increases the DNA binding of NF-kappaB1 (p50) homodimers in vivo.

1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 1342-1348 ◽  
Author(s):  
J H Caamaño ◽  
P Perez ◽  
S A Lira ◽  
R Bravo
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Constitutive Expression ◽  
Transgenic Animals ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Dna Binding Activity ◽  
Nuclear Extracts ◽  
Nf Kappab

Previous studies have indicated that Bcl-3 interacts through its ankyrin repeats with the transcriptional factors NF-kappaB1 (p50) and NF-kappaB2 (p52), affecting their biological activities. To further investigate the role of Bcl-3 in vivo and its association with the NF-kappaB proteins, we have generated transgenic mice constitutively expressing Bcl-3 in thymocytes. The results indicate that Bcl-3 is associated with endogenous p50 and p52 in nuclear extracts from transgenic animals. Remarkably, constitutive expression of Bcl-3 in these cells augments the DNA binding activity of p52 homodimers. This effect could be reproduced in vitro and is blocked by anti-Bcl-3 antibodies. We have also shown that Bcl-3 is phosphorylated in thymocytes and that its dephosphorylation greatly decreases the effect on p50 homodimers.

Differential use of SCL/TAL-1 DNA-binding domain in developmental hematopoiesis

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (4) ◽  
pp. 1056-1067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mira T. Kassouf ◽  
Hedia Chagraoui ◽  
Paresh Vyas ◽  
Catherine Porcher
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Helix Loop Helix ◽  
Experimental Systems ◽  
Dna Binding Activity ◽  
Independent Functions

Abstract Dissecting the molecular mechanisms used by developmental regulators is essential to understand tissue specification/differentiation. SCL/TAL-1 is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor absolutely critical for hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell specification and lineage maturation. Using in vitro and forced expression experimental systems, we previously suggested that SCL might have DNA-binding–independent functions. Here, to assess the requirements for SCL DNA-binding activity in vivo, we examined hematopoietic development in mice carrying a germline DNA-binding mutation. Remarkably, in contrast to complete absence of hematopoiesis and early lethality in scl-null embryos, specification of hematopoietic cells occurred in homozygous mutant embryos, indicating that direct DNA binding is dispensable for this process. Lethality was forestalled to later in development, although some mice survived to adulthood. Anemia was documented throughout development and in adulthood. Cellular and molecular studies showed requirements for SCL direct DNA binding in red cell maturation and indicated that scl expression is positively autoregulated in terminally differentiating erythroid cells. Thus, different mechanisms of SCL's action predominate depending on the developmental/cellular context: indirect DNA binding activities and/or sequestration of other nuclear regulators are sufficient in specification processes, whereas direct DNA binding functions with transcriptional autoregulation are critically required in terminal maturation processes.

Extinction of insulin gene expression in hybrids between beta cells and fibroblasts is accompanied by loss of the putative beta-cell-specific transcription factor IEF1

1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1547-1552
Author(s):  
D Leshkowitz ◽  
M D Walker
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Insulin Gene ◽  
Hybrid Cells ◽  
Dna Binding Activity ◽  
Insulin Producing Cells ◽  
Insulin Gene Expression ◽  
Insulinoma Cells

Insulin-producing cells and fibroblasts were fused to produce hybrid lines. In hybrids derived from both hamster and rat insulinoma cells, no insulin mRNA could be detected in any of seven lines examined by Northern (RNA) analysis despite the presence in each line of the insulin genes of both parental cells. Hybrid cells were transfected with recombinant chloramphenicol acetyltransferase plasmids containing defined segments of the rat insulin I gene 5' flank. We observed no transcriptional activity of the intact insulin enhancer or of IEB2, a critical cis-acting element of the insulin enhancer. IEB2 has previously been shown to interact in vitro with IEF1, a DNA-binding activity observed selectively in insulin-producing cells. Hybrid cells showed no detectable IEF1 activity. Furthermore, the insulin enhancer was unable to reduce transcription directed by the Moloney sarcoma virus enhancer in a double-enhancer construct. Thus, extinction of insulin gene expression in the hybrids apparently does not operate through a direct action of repressors on the insulin enhancer; rather, extinction is accompanied by, and may be caused by, reduced DNA-binding activity of the putative transcriptional activator IEF1.

Identification of a 150-kilodalton polypeptide that copurifies with yeast TFIIIC and binds specifically to tRNA genes

1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 2018-2024
Author(s):  
D L Johnson ◽  
S L Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Rna Polymerase Iii ◽  
Deae Cellulose ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Trna Genes ◽  
Dna Binding Activity ◽  
Transcription In Vitro ◽  
Affinity Interaction ◽  
Dna Complex

The transcription in vitro of eucaryotic tRNA genes by RNA polymerase III requires two transcription factors, designated TFIIIB and TFIIIC. One of the critical functions of TFIIIC in the transcription of tRNA genes is that it interacts directly and specifically with the two internal promoter elements of these genes. We have partially purified Saccharomyces cerevisiae TFIIIC by chromatography on Bio-Rex 70, DEAE-cellulose, and phosphocellulose resins. A 150-kilodalton (kDa) DNA-binding polypeptide copurified with TFIIIC activity. This 150-kDa protein coeluted with the DNA-binding activity of TFIIIC after rechromatography of TFIIIC on phosphocellulose and its elution with a linear salt gradient. The stable and high-affinity interaction of this protein with tRNA genes was demonstrated by the maintenance of a protein-DNA complex under conditions of high ionic strength. Finally, we showed by two criteria that the interaction of this protein with tRNA genes was specific. First, the protein-DNA complex was competed with only by DNA-containing tRNA genes; second, the protein preferentially bound to DNA fragments containing a tRNA gene. These results strongly suggest that the DNA-binding domain of the yeast TFIIIC is contained within this 150-kDa polypeptide.

The Drosophila extramacrochaetae protein antagonizes sequence-specific DNA binding by daughterless/achaete-scute protein complexes

Development ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 113 (1) ◽  
pp. 245-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Van Doren ◽  
H.M. Ellis ◽  
J.W. Posakony
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Competitive Inhibitor ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Regulatory Function ◽  
Biochemical Basis ◽  
Dna Binding Activity

In Drosophila, a group of regulatory proteins of the helix-loop-helix (HLH) class play an essential role in conferring upon cells in the developing adult epidermis the competence to give rise to sensory organs. Proteins encoded by the daughterless (da) gene and three genes of the achaete-scute complex (AS-C) act positively in the determination of the sensory organ precursor cell fate, while the extramacrochaetae (emc) and hairy (h) gene products act as negative regulators. In the region upstream of the achaete gene of the AS-C, we have identified three ‘E box’ consensus sequences that are bound specifically in vitro by hetero-oligomeric complexes consisting of the da protein and an AS-C protein. We have used this DNA-binding activity to investigate the biochemical basis of the negative regulatory function of emc. Under the conditions of our experiments, the emc protein, but not the h protein, is able to antagonize specifically the in vitro DNA-binding activity of da/AS-C and putative da/da protein complexes. We interpret these results as follows: the heterodimerization capacity of the emc protein (conferred by its HLH domain) allows it to act in vivo as a competitive inhibitor of the formation of functional DNA-binding protein complexes by the da and AS-C proteins, thereby reducing the effective level of their transcriptional regulatory activity within the cell.

DNA Binding Activity of Marine Shrimp LvProfilin

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanisa Laoong-u-thai ◽  
Warapond Wanna ◽  
Autaipohn Kaikaew
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
3D Structure ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Shrimp Farming ◽  
Binding Prediction ◽  
3D Protein Structure ◽  
Dna Binding Activity ◽  
Marine Shrimp

Shrimp farming is an important business in Thailand and worldwide. The study of molecular biology and biochemical pathway of the key molecules controlling muscle growth is an essential to improve shrimp livestock. Profilin is a pivotal protein in muscle formation, especially actin protein. Its nuclear function has been reported in many species for gene regulation. Here in this work, we characterized the function of LvProfilin, a marine shrimp profilin from Litopenaeus vannamei, both in silico and in vitro. The phylogenetic tree of LvProfilin among organisms and its 3D protein structure showed that LvProfilin was highly conserved among shrimp and arthropods. The homology modeling of its 3D structure revealed 3 alpha-helices and 6 beta-strands similar to most eukaryotic profilins. To interpret its possible function, the gene expression of LvProfilin in various tissues was performed. We found that this gene was expressed in various tissues. This result may imply that LvProfilin could share a common function in all tissues. Nuclear activity has been a promising function of LvProfilin. We performed a DNA/RNA binding prediction analysis using DRNApred. The result indicated that Lysine-90 and Threonine-91 were the putative DNA-binding sites with the probability of 63.12% and 54.16%, respectively. Its binding activity was confirmed in vitro which bound stronger to single strand DNA than double strand DNA. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of DNA binding activity of profilin in invertebrates.

Identification of a cell-specific DNA-binding activity that interacts with a transcriptional activator of genes expressed in the acinar pancreas

1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 2464-2476
Author(s):  
M Cockell ◽  
B J Stevenson ◽  
M Strubin ◽  
O Hagenbüchle ◽  
P K Wellauer
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Dna Interaction ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Alpha Amylase ◽  
Dna Binding Activity ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Flanking Regions

Footprint analysis of the 5'-flanking regions of the alpha-amylase 2, elastase 2, and trypsina genes, which are expressed in the acinar pancreas, showed multiple sites of protein-DNA interaction for each gene. Competition experiments demonstrated that a region from each 5'-flanking region interacted with the same cell-specific DNA-binding activity. We show by in vitro binding assays that this DNA-binding activity also recognizes a sequence within the 5'-flanking regions of elastase 1, chymotrypsinogen B, carboxypeptidase A, and trypsind genes. Methylation interference and protection studies showed that the DNA-binding activity recognized a bipartite motif, the subelements of which were separated by integral helical turns of DNA. The alpha-amylase 2 cognate sequence was found to enhance in vivo transcription of its own promoter in a cell-specific manner, which identified the DNA-binding activity as a transcription factor (PTF 1). The observation that PTF 1 bound to DNA sequences that have been defined as transcriptional enhancers by others suggests that this factor is involved in the coordinate expression of genes transcribed in the acinar pancreas.

Characterization of a dominant negativeC. elegansTwist mutant protein with implications for human Saethre-Chotzen syndrome

Development ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 129 (11) ◽  
pp. 2761-2772
Author(s):  
Ann K. Corsi ◽  
Thomas M. Brodigan ◽  
Erik M. Jorgensen ◽  
Michael Krause
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Binding Activity ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Dominant Negative ◽  
Mutant Protein ◽  
Dna Binding Domain ◽  
Mesodermal Cell ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Dna Binding Activity ◽  
A Charge

Twist is a transcription factor that is required for mesodermal cell fates in all animals studied to date. Mutations of this locus in humans have been identified as the cause of the craniofacial disorder Saethre-Chotzen syndrome. The Caenorhabditis elegans Twist homolog is required for the development of a subset of the mesoderm. A semidominant allele of the gene that codes for CeTwist, hlh-8, has defects that occur earlier in the mesodermal lineage than a previously studied null allele of the gene. The semidominant allele has a charge change (E29K) in the basic DNA-binding domain of CeTwist. Surprisingly, the mutant protein retains DNA-binding activity as both a homodimer and a heterodimer with its partner E/Daughterless (CeE/DA). However, the mutant protein blocks the activation of the promoter of a target gene. Therefore, the mutant CeTwist may cause cellular defects as a dominant negative protein by binding to target promoters as a homo- or heterodimer and then blocking transcription. Similar phenotypes as those caused by the E29K mutation were observed when amino acid substitutions in the DNA-binding domain that are associated with the human Saethre-Chotzen syndrome were engineered into the C. elegans protein. These data suggest that Saethre-Chotzen syndrome may be caused, in some cases, by dominant negative proteins, rather than by haploinsufficiency of the locus.

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