Skip to main content
PMC home page
Nucleic Acids Research logoLink to Nucleic Acids Research
. 1993 Mar 11;21(5):1125–1132. doi: 10.1093/nar/21.5.1125

Defining a minimal estrogen receptor DNA binding domain.

S Mader 1, P Chambon 1, J H White 1
PMCID: PMC309272  PMID: 8385312

Abstract

The estrogen receptor (ER) is a transcriptional regulator which binds to cognate palindromic DNA sequences known as estrogen response elements (EREs). A 66 amino acid core region which contains two zinc fingers and is highly conserved among the nuclear receptors is essential for site specific DNA recognition. However, it remains unclear how many flanking amino acids in addition to the zinc finger core are required for DNA binding. Here, we have characterized the minimal DNA binding region of the human ER by analysing the DNA binding properties of a series of deletion mutants expressed in bacteria. We find that the 66 amino acid zinc finger core of the DBD fails to bind DNA, and that the C-terminal end of the minimal ER DBD required for binding to perfectly palindromic EREs corresponds to the limit of 100% amino acid homology between the chicken and human receptors, which represents the boundary between regions C and D in the ER. Moreover, amino acids of region D up to 30 residues C-terminal to the zinc fingers greatly stabilize DNA binding by the DBD to perfectly palindromic EREs and are absolutely required for formation of gel retardation complexes by the DBD on certain physiological imperfectly palindromic EREs. These results indicate that in addition to the zinc finger core, amino acids C-terminal to the core in regions C and D play a key role in DNA binding by the ER, particularly to imperfectly palindromic response elements. The ER DBD expressed in E. coli binds as a dimer to ERE palindromes in a highly cooperative manner and forms only low levels of monomeric protein-DNA complexes on either palindromic or half-palindromic response elements. Conversion of ER amino acids 222 to 226, which lie within region C, to the corresponding residues of the human RAR alpha abolishes formation of dimeric protein-DNA complexes. Conversely, replacement of the same region of RAR alpha with ER residues 222 to 226 creates a derivative that, unlike the RAR alpha DBD, binds cooperatively to an ERE, indicating that this region is important for dimerization in the ER.

Full text

PDF
1128

Images in this article

1127Image
on p.1127
1128Image
on p.1128
1128Image
on p.1128
1129Image
on p.1129
1130Image
on p.1130

Selected References

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

  1. Beato M. Gene regulation by steroid hormones. Cell. 1989 Feb 10;56(3):335–344. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90237-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Berry M., Nunez A. M., Chambon P. Estrogen-responsive element of the human pS2 gene is an imperfectly palindromic sequence. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Feb;86(4):1218–1222. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.4.1218. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Chambraud B., Berry M., Redeuilh G., Chambon P., Baulieu E. E. Several regions of human estrogen receptor are involved in the formation of receptor-heat shock protein 90 complexes. J Biol Chem. 1990 Nov 25;265(33):20686–20691. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dahlman-Wright K., Wright A., Gustafsson J. A., Carlstedt-Duke J. Interaction of the glucocorticoid receptor DNA-binding domain with DNA as a dimer is mediated by a short segment of five amino acids. J Biol Chem. 1991 Feb 15;266(5):3107–3112. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Danielsen M., Hinck L., Ringold G. M. Two amino acids within the knuckle of the first zinc finger specify DNA response element activation by the glucocorticoid receptor. Cell. 1989 Jun 30;57(7):1131–1138. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90050-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Evans R. M., Hollenberg S. M. Zinc fingers: gilt by association. Cell. 1988 Jan 15;52(1):1–3. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90522-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Evans R. M. The steroid and thyroid hormone receptor superfamily. Science. 1988 May 13;240(4854):889–895. doi: 10.1126/science.3283939. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fawell S. E., Lees J. A., White R., Parker M. G. Characterization and colocalization of steroid binding and dimerization activities in the mouse estrogen receptor. Cell. 1990 Mar 23;60(6):953–962. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(90)90343-d. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Forman B. M., Samuels H. H. Dimerization among nuclear hormone receptors. New Biol. 1990 Jul;2(7):587–594. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Giguère V., Hollenberg S. M., Rosenfeld M. G., Evans R. M. Functional domains of the human glucocorticoid receptor. Cell. 1986 Aug 29;46(5):645–652. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90339-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Green S., Chambon P. Nuclear receptors enhance our understanding of transcription regulation. Trends Genet. 1988 Nov;4(11):309–314. doi: 10.1016/0168-9525(88)90108-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Green S., Chambon P. Oestradiol induction of a glucocorticoid-responsive gene by a chimaeric receptor. Nature. 1987 Jan 1;325(6099):75–78. doi: 10.1038/325075a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Green S., Walter P., Kumar V., Krust A., Bornert J. M., Argos P., Chambon P. Human oestrogen receptor cDNA: sequence, expression and homology to v-erb-A. Nature. 1986 Mar 13;320(6058):134–139. doi: 10.1038/320134a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Gronemeyer H. Transcription activation by estrogen and progesterone receptors. Annu Rev Genet. 1991;25:89–123. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ge.25.120191.000513. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Hendrickson W., Schleif R. A dimer of AraC protein contacts three adjacent major groove regions of the araI DNA site. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 May;82(10):3129–3133. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.10.3129. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Härd T., Kellenbach E., Boelens R., Maler B. A., Dahlman K., Freedman L. P., Carlstedt-Duke J., Yamamoto K. R., Gustafsson J. A., Kaptein R. Solution structure of the glucocorticoid receptor DNA-binding domain. Science. 1990 Jul 13;249(4965):157–160. doi: 10.1126/science.2115209. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Krust A., Green S., Argos P., Kumar V., Walter P., Bornert J. M., Chambon P. The chicken oestrogen receptor sequence: homology with v-erbA and the human oestrogen and glucocorticoid receptors. EMBO J. 1986 May;5(5):891–897. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1986.tb04300.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Kumar V., Chambon P. The estrogen receptor binds tightly to its responsive element as a ligand-induced homodimer. Cell. 1988 Oct 7;55(1):145–156. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90017-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Kumar V., Green S., Stack G., Berry M., Jin J. R., Chambon P. Functional domains of the human estrogen receptor. Cell. 1987 Dec 24;51(6):941–951. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90581-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Leid M., Kastner P., Lyons R., Nakshatri H., Saunders M., Zacharewski T., Chen J. Y., Staub A., Garnier J. M., Mader S. Purification, cloning, and RXR identity of the HeLa cell factor with which RAR or TR heterodimerizes to bind target sequences efficiently. Cell. 1992 Jan 24;68(2):377–395. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(92)90478-u. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Luisi B. F., Xu W. X., Otwinowski Z., Freedman L. P., Yamamoto K. R., Sigler P. B. Crystallographic analysis of the interaction of the glucocorticoid receptor with DNA. Nature. 1991 Aug 8;352(6335):497–505. doi: 10.1038/352497a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Mader S., Kumar V., de Verneuil H., Chambon P. Three amino acids of the oestrogen receptor are essential to its ability to distinguish an oestrogen from a glucocorticoid-responsive element. Nature. 1989 Mar 16;338(6212):271–274. doi: 10.1038/338271a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Martinez E., Givel F., Wahli W. The estrogen-responsive element as an inducible enhancer: DNA sequence requirements and conversion to a glucocorticoid-responsive element. EMBO J. 1987 Dec 1;6(12):3719–3727. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1987.tb02706.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Martinez E., Wahli W. Cooperative binding of estrogen receptor to imperfect estrogen-responsive DNA elements correlates with their synergistic hormone-dependent enhancer activity. EMBO J. 1989 Dec 1;8(12):3781–3791. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1989.tb08555.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Metzger D., White J. H., Chambon P. The human oestrogen receptor functions in yeast. Nature. 1988 Jul 7;334(6177):31–36. doi: 10.1038/334031a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Nagai K., Thøgersen H. C. Generation of beta-globin by sequence-specific proteolysis of a hybrid protein produced in Escherichia coli. 1984 Jun 28-Jul 4Nature. 309(5971):810–812. doi: 10.1038/309810a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Nardulli A. M., Lew D., Erijman L., Shapiro D. J. Purified estrogen receptor DNA binding domain expressed in Escherichia coli activates transcription of an estrogen-responsive promoter in cultured cells. J Biol Chem. 1991 Dec 15;266(35):24070–24076. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Pakdel F., Le Guellec C., Vaillant C., Le Roux M. G., Valotaire Y. Identification and estrogen induction of two estrogen receptors (ER) messenger ribonucleic acids in the rainbow trout liver: sequence homology with other ERs. Mol Endocrinol. 1989 Jan;3(1):44–51. doi: 10.1210/mend-3-1-44. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Payvar F., DeFranco D., Firestone G. L., Edgar B., Wrange O., Okret S., Gustafsson J. A., Yamamoto K. R. Sequence-specific binding of glucocorticoid receptor to MTV DNA at sites within and upstream of the transcribed region. Cell. 1983 Dec;35(2 Pt 1):381–392. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(83)90171-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Petkovich M., Brand N. J., Krust A., Chambon P. A human retinoic acid receptor which belongs to the family of nuclear receptors. Nature. 1987 Dec 3;330(6147):444–450. doi: 10.1038/330444a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Ponglikitmongkol M., White J. H., Chambon P. Synergistic activation of transcription by the human estrogen receptor bound to tandem responsive elements. EMBO J. 1990 Jul;9(7):2221–2231. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1990.tb07392.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Rüther U., Müller-Hill B. Easy identification of cDNA clones. EMBO J. 1983;2(10):1791–1794. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1983.tb01659.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Schwabe J. W., Neuhaus D., Rhodes D. Solution structure of the DNA-binding domain of the oestrogen receptor. Nature. 1990 Nov 29;348(6300):458–461. doi: 10.1038/348458a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Siebenlist U., Gilbert W. Contacts between Escherichia coli RNA polymerase and an early promoter of phage T7. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Jan;77(1):122–126. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.1.122. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Studier F. W., Moffatt B. A. Use of bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase to direct selective high-level expression of cloned genes. J Mol Biol. 1986 May 5;189(1):113–130. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(86)90385-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Tsai S. Y., Carlstedt-Duke J., Weigel N. L., Dahlman K., Gustafsson J. A., Tsai M. J., O'Malley B. W. Molecular interactions of steroid hormone receptor with its enhancer element: evidence for receptor dimer formation. Cell. 1988 Oct 21;55(2):361–369. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90059-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Tur-Kaspa R., Shaul Y., Moore D. D., Burk R. D., Okret S., Poellinger L., Shafritz D. A. The glucocorticoid receptor recognizes a specific nucleotide sequence in hepatitis B virus DNA causing increased activity of the HBV enhancer. Virology. 1988 Dec;167(2):630–633. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Ullmann A. One-step purification of hybrid proteins which have beta-galactosidase activity. Gene. 1984 Jul-Aug;29(1-2):27–31. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(84)90162-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Umesono K., Evans R. M. Determinants of target gene specificity for steroid/thyroid hormone receptors. Cell. 1989 Jun 30;57(7):1139–1146. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90051-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Wahli W., Martinez E. Superfamily of steroid nuclear receptors: positive and negative regulators of gene expression. FASEB J. 1991 Jun;5(9):2243–2249. doi: 10.1096/fasebj.5.9.1860615. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Webster N. J., Green S., Jin J. R., Chambon P. The hormone-binding domains of the estrogen and glucocorticoid receptors contain an inducible transcription activation function. Cell. 1988 Jul 15;54(2):199–207. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90552-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. White R., Lees J. A., Needham M., Ham J., Parker M. Structural organization and expression of the mouse estrogen receptor. Mol Endocrinol. 1987 Oct;1(10):735–744. doi: 10.1210/mend-1-10-735. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Wilson T. E., Paulsen R. E., Padgett K. A., Milbrandt J. Participation of non-zinc finger residues in DNA binding by two nuclear orphan receptors. Science. 1992 Apr 3;256(5053):107–110. doi: 10.1126/science.1314418. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  44. Wrange O., Eriksson P., Perlmann T. The purified activated glucocorticoid receptor is a homodimer. J Biol Chem. 1989 Mar 25;264(9):5253–5259. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  45. Ylikomi T., Bocquel M. T., Berry M., Gronemeyer H., Chambon P. Cooperation of proto-signals for nuclear accumulation of estrogen and progesterone receptors. EMBO J. 1992 Oct;11(10):3681–3694. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1992.tb05453.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  46. de Thé H., Vivanco-Ruiz M. M., Tiollais P., Stunnenberg H., Dejean A. Identification of a retinoic acid responsive element in the retinoic acid receptor beta gene. Nature. 1990 Jan 11;343(6254):177–180. doi: 10.1038/343177a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Nucleic Acids Research are provided here courtesy of Oxford University Press

RESOURCES