Skip to main content
PMC home page
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1988 Jan;85(1):99–102. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.1.99

Proposed structure for the zinc-binding domains from transcription factor IIIA and related proteins.

J M Berg 1
PMCID: PMC279490  PMID: 3124104

Abstract

Several proteins, including the gene regulatory protein transcription factor IIIA, have been shown to contain tandem repeats of sequences of approximately equal to 30 amino acids that are believed to form structural domains around bound zinc ions ("zinc fingers"). The consensus sequence for these repeats is (Phe, Tyr)-Xaa-Cys-(Xaa)2 or 4-Cys-(Xaa)3-Phe-(Xaa)5-Leu-(Xaa)2-His-(Xaa)3-His- (Xaa)5, where Xaa is any amino acid. Comparisons with metalloproteins with known structures have allowed the development of a detailed three-dimensional model for these domains consisting of an antiparallel beta-sheet followed by an alpha-helix. The proposed structure provides a basis for understanding the detailed roles of the conserved residues and allows construction of a model for the interaction of these proteins with nucleic acids in which the proteins wrap around the nucleic acids in the major groove.

Full text

PDF
99

Selected References

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

  1. Adman E., Watenpaugh K. D., Jensen L. H. NH---S hydrogen bonds in Peptococcus aerogenes ferredoxin, Clostridium pasteurianum rubredoxin, and Chromatium high potential iron protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 Dec;72(12):4854–4858. doi: 10.1073/pnas.72.12.4854. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Banks R. D., Blake C. C., Evans P. R., Haser R., Rice D. W., Hardy G. W., Merrett M., Phillips A. W. Sequence, structure and activity of phosphoglycerate kinase: a possible hinge-bending enzyme. Nature. 1979 Jun 28;279(5716):773–777. doi: 10.1038/279773a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bernstein F. C., Koetzle T. F., Williams G. J., Meyer E. F., Jr, Brice M. D., Rodgers J. R., Kennard O., Shimanouchi T., Tasumi M. The Protein Data Bank: a computer-based archival file for macromolecular structures. J Mol Biol. 1977 May 25;112(3):535–542. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(77)80200-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Blundell T. L., Sibanda B. L., Sternberg M. J., Thornton J. M. Knowledge-based prediction of protein structures and the design of novel molecules. 1987 Mar 26-Apr 1Nature. 326(6111):347–352. doi: 10.1038/326347a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Brown R. S., Argos P. Fingers and helices. Nature. 1986 Nov 20;324(6094):215–215. doi: 10.1038/324215a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Brown R. S., Sander C., Argos P. The primary structure of transcription factor TFIIIA has 12 consecutive repeats. FEBS Lett. 1985 Jul 8;186(2):271–274. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(85)80723-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Chothia C. Principles that determine the structure of proteins. Annu Rev Biochem. 1984;53:537–572. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.53.070184.002541. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Chowdhury K., Deutsch U., Gruss P. A multigene family encoding several "finger" structures is present and differentially active in mammalian genomes. Cell. 1987 Mar 13;48(5):771–778. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90074-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Diakun G. P., Fairall L., Klug A. EXAFS study of the zinc-binding sites in the protein transcription factor IIIA. Nature. 1986 Dec 18;324(6098):698–699. doi: 10.1038/324698a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Fairall L., Rhodes D., Klug A. Mapping of the sites of protection on a 5 S RNA gene by the Xenopus transcription factor IIIA. A model for the interaction. J Mol Biol. 1986 Dec 5;192(3):577–591. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(86)90278-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Frankel A. D., Berg J. M., Pabo C. O. Metal-dependent folding of a single zinc finger from transcription factor IIIA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 Jul;84(14):4841–4845. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.14.4841. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Gaykema W. P., Volbeda A., Hol W. G. Structure determination of Panulirus interruptus haemocyanin at 3.2 A resolution. Successful phase extension by sixfold density averaging. J Mol Biol. 1986 Jan 20;187(2):255–275. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(86)90233-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Gilliland G. L., Quiocho F. A. Structure of the L-arabinose-binding protein from Escherichia coli at 2.4 A resolution. J Mol Biol. 1981 Mar 5;146(3):341–362. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(81)90392-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ginsberg A. M., King B. O., Roeder R. G. Xenopus 5S gene transcription factor, TFIIIA: characterization of a cDNA clone and measurement of RNA levels throughout development. Cell. 1984 Dec;39(3 Pt 2):479–489. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90455-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Hartshorne T. A., Blumberg H., Young E. T. Sequence homology of the yeast regulatory protein ADR1 with Xenopus transcription factor TFIIIA. Nature. 1986 Mar 20;320(6059):283–287. doi: 10.1038/320283a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Holmes M. A., Matthews B. W. Structure of thermolysin refined at 1.6 A resolution. J Mol Biol. 1982 Oct 5;160(4):623–639. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(82)90319-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Honzatko R. B., Crawford J. L., Monaco H. L., Ladner J. E., Ewards B. F., Evans D. R., Warren S. G., Wiley D. C., Ladner R. C., Lipscomb W. N. Crystal and molecular structures of native and CTP-liganded aspartate carbamoyltransferase from Escherichia coli. J Mol Biol. 1982 Sep 15;160(2):219–263. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(82)90175-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Matthews B. W., Weaver L. H., Kester W. R. The conformation of thermolysin. J Biol Chem. 1974 Dec 25;249(24):8030–8044. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. McClarin J. A., Frederick C. A., Wang B. C., Greene P., Boyer H. W., Grable J., Rosenberg J. M. Structure of the DNA-Eco RI endonuclease recognition complex at 3 A resolution. Science. 1986 Dec 19;234(4783):1526–1541. doi: 10.1126/science.3024321. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Miller J., McLachlan A. D., Klug A. Repetitive zinc-binding domains in the protein transcription factor IIIA from Xenopus oocytes. EMBO J. 1985 Jun;4(6):1609–1614. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1985.tb03825.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Muriel W. J., Cole J., Lehmann A. R. Molecular analysis of ouabain-resistant mutants of the mouse lymphoma cell line L5178Y. Mutagenesis. 1987 Sep;2(5):383–389. doi: 10.1093/mutage/2.5.383. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Pabo C. O., Sauer R. T. Protein-DNA recognition. Annu Rev Biochem. 1984;53:293–321. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.53.070184.001453. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Ponder J. W., Richards F. M. Tertiary templates for proteins. Use of packing criteria in the enumeration of allowed sequences for different structural classes. J Mol Biol. 1987 Feb 20;193(4):775–791. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(87)90358-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Schuh R., Aicher W., Gaul U., Côté S., Preiss A., Maier D., Seifert E., Nauber U., Schröder C., Kemler R. A conserved family of nuclear proteins containing structural elements of the finger protein encoded by Krüppel, a Drosophila segmentation gene. Cell. 1986 Dec 26;47(6):1025–1032. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90817-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Smith D. R., Jackson I. J., Brown D. D. Domains of the positive transcription factor specific for the Xenopus 5S RNA gene. Cell. 1984 Jun;37(2):645–652. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90396-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Tso J. Y., Van Den Berg D. J., Korn L. J. Structure of the gene for Xenopus transcription factor TFIIIA. Nucleic Acids Res. 1986 Mar 11;14(5):2187–2200. doi: 10.1093/nar/14.5.2187. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Vincent A., Colot H. V., Rosbash M. Sequence and structure of the serendipity locus of Drosophila melanogaster. A densely transcribed region including a blastoderm-specific gene. J Mol Biol. 1985 Nov 5;186(1):149–166. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(85)90265-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Vincent A. TFIIIA and homologous genes. The 'finger' proteins. Nucleic Acids Res. 1986 Jun 11;14(11):4385–4391. doi: 10.1093/nar/14.11.4385. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Watenpaugh K. D., Sieker L. C., Jensen L. H. Crystallographic refinement of rubredoxin at 1 x 2 A degrees resolution. J Mol Biol. 1980 Apr 15;138(3):615–633. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(80)80020-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America are provided here courtesy of National Academy of Sciences

RESOURCES