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. 1996 Apr 15;315(Pt 2):363–367. doi: 10.1042/bj3150363

A network of specific minor-groove contacts is a common characteristic of paired-domain-DNA interactions.

L Pellizzari 1, D Fabbro 1, R Lonigro 1, R Di Lauro 1, G Damante 1
PMCID: PMC1217204  PMID: 8615801

Abstract

Pax proteins are a family of transcription factors conserved during evolution and able to bind specific DNA sequences through a domain called a "paired domain'. The DNA-binding specificity of the Pax-8 paired domain was investigated. Site-selection experiments indicate that Pax-8 binds to a consensus sequence similar to those bound by Pax-2 and Pax-5. When consensus sequences of various paired domains are observed in light of recent structural studies describing paired-domain-DNA interaction [Xu, Rould, Jun, Desplan and Pabo (1995) Cell 80, 639-650], it appears that base-pairs contacted in the minor groove are conserved, while most of the base-pairs contacted in the major groove are not. Therefore a network of specific minor groove contacts is a common characteristic of paired-domain-DNA interactions. The functional importance of such a network was successfully tested by analysing the effect of consensus-based mutations on the Pax-8 binding site of the thyroglobulin promoter.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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