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. 1991 Jul 15;277(Pt 2):541–545. doi: 10.1042/bj2770541

The overlapping octamer/TAATGARAT motif is a high-affinity binding site for the cellular transcription factors Oct-1 and Oct-2.

C L Dent 1, D S Latchman 1
PMCID: PMC1151267  PMID: 1650186

Abstract

The octamer motif in cellular promoters and the related TAATGARAT element in the herpes simplex virus (HSV) immediate-early promoters can both bind cellular octamer-binding proteins. The overlapping octamer/TAATGARAT elements (consensus ATGCTAATGARAT) found in the HSV-1 IE1 promoter thus represent a composite motif, each portion of which can independently bind octamer-binding protein. By comparing the binding characteristics of this composite motif with its individual elements, we show that it binds a single molecule of either Oct-1 or Oct-2 with much higher affinity than does either an octamer or TAATGARAT motif alone. This strong binding allows this element to direct a much higher level of gene expression when linked to a heterologous promoter than that observed with each of its individual components.

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