Biomaterial Database

Sequence-specific DNA binding by a two zinc-finger peptide from the Drosophila melanogaster Tramtrack protein. 1992

L Fairall, and S D Harrison, and A A Travers, and D Rhodes

MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, England.

We show that the DNA-binding domain of the Drosophila melanogaster regulatory protein Tramtrack consists of a 66 amino acid sequence containing two zinc-finger motifs and a short sequence N-terminal to the first finger motif. This short N-terminal sequence is essential for DNA binding and we suggest it is involved in maintaining the three-dimensional structure of the first finger domain, as has been seen in the nuclear magnetic resonance structure of one of the zinc-finger domains of the yeast transcription factor SW15. The characterization of the DNA-binding activity of this 66 residue peptide (delta 911zf) shows that it binds in a sequence-specific manner, as a monomer, to a natural target site with an apparent KD approximately 4 x 10(-7) M. The shortest delta 911zf binding site, which retains full affinity, consists of an 11 base-pair sequence with a one nucleotide overhang at each 5' end. DNase I, hydroxyl radical and methylation protection footprinting studies show that, in common with other zinc-finger proteins, delta 911zf binds in the major groove of DNA. The data presented are consistent with the zinc-fingers of Tramtrack contacting both strands of the DNA, and thus the binding differs in detail to that observed in the crystal structure of the three zinc-fingers of Zif268 complexed to their target DNA.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008745	Methylation	Addition of methyl groups. In histo-chemistry methylation is used to esterify carboxyl groups and remove sulfate groups by treating tissue sections with hot methanol in the presence of hydrochloric acid. (From Stedman, 25th ed)	Methylations
D008969	Molecular Sequence Data	Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories.	Sequence Data, Molecular,Molecular Sequencing Data,Data, Molecular Sequence,Data, Molecular Sequencing,Sequencing Data, Molecular
D009838	Oligodeoxyribonucleotides	A group of deoxyribonucleotides (up to 12) in which the phosphate residues of each deoxyribonucleotide act as bridges in forming diester linkages between the deoxyribose moieties.	Oligodeoxynucleotide,Oligodeoxyribonucleotide,Oligodeoxynucleotides
D011089	Polydeoxyribonucleotides	A group of 13 or more deoxyribonucleotides in which the phosphate residues of each deoxyribonucleotide act as bridges in forming diester linkages between the deoxyribose moieties.	Polydeoxyribonucleotide
D011994	Recombinant Proteins	Proteins prepared by recombinant DNA technology.	Biosynthetic Protein,Biosynthetic Proteins,DNA Recombinant Proteins,Recombinant Protein,Proteins, Biosynthetic,Proteins, Recombinant DNA,DNA Proteins, Recombinant,Protein, Biosynthetic,Protein, Recombinant,Proteins, DNA Recombinant,Proteins, Recombinant,Recombinant DNA Proteins,Recombinant Proteins, DNA
D012045	Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid	Nucleic acid sequences involved in regulating the expression of genes.	Nucleic Acid Regulatory Sequences,Regulatory Regions, Nucleic Acid (Genetics),Region, Regulatory,Regions, Regulatory,Regulator Regions, Nucleic Acid,Regulatory Region,Regulatory Regions
D012097	Repressor Proteins	Proteins which maintain the transcriptional quiescence of specific GENES or OPERONS. Classical repressor proteins are DNA-binding proteins that are normally bound to the OPERATOR REGION of an operon, or the ENHANCER SEQUENCES of a gene until a signal occurs that causes their release.	Repressor Molecules,Transcriptional Silencing Factors,Proteins, Repressor,Silencing Factors, Transcriptional
D004247	DNA	A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine).	DNA, Double-Stranded,Deoxyribonucleic Acid,ds-DNA,DNA, Double Stranded,Double-Stranded DNA,ds DNA
D004252	DNA Mutational Analysis	Biochemical identification of mutational changes in a nucleotide sequence.	Mutational Analysis, DNA,Analysis, DNA Mutational,Analyses, DNA Mutational,DNA Mutational Analyses,Mutational Analyses, DNA
D004268	DNA-Binding Proteins	Proteins which bind to DNA. The family includes proteins which bind to both double- and single-stranded DNA and also includes specific DNA binding proteins in serum which can be used as markers for malignant diseases.	DNA Helix Destabilizing Proteins,DNA-Binding Protein,Single-Stranded DNA Binding Proteins,DNA Binding Protein,DNA Single-Stranded Binding Protein,SS DNA BP,Single-Stranded DNA-Binding Protein,Binding Protein, DNA,DNA Binding Proteins,DNA Single Stranded Binding Protein,DNA-Binding Protein, Single-Stranded,Protein, DNA-Binding,Single Stranded DNA Binding Protein,Single Stranded DNA Binding Proteins