Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The EMBO Journal logoLink to The EMBO Journal
. 1993 Dec 15;12(13):4993–5005. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1993.tb06193.x

The two zinc finger-like domains of GATA-1 have different DNA binding specificities.

D J Whyatt 1, E deBoer 1, F Grosveld 1
PMCID: PMC413760  PMID: 8262042

Abstract

The GATA-1 transcription factor has been shown to be important in the regulation of globin and non-globin genes in erythroid, megakaryocytic and mast cell lineages. It is a member of a family of GATA proteins which both overlap in their expression patterns and bind the motif (A/T)GATA(A/G). The GATA family of proteins are also members of the superfamily of zinc finger-like domain proteins and have two similar domains of the type Cys-X2-Cys-X17-Cys-X2-Cys which direct the DNA binding of the protein. A random oligonucleotide selection procedure has been employed to further elucidate the mechanism of GATA-1-DNA recognition. The resulting oligonucleotides were tested for binding activity to both wild-type and mutant GATA-1 proteins. Two classes of GATA-1-DNA interaction have been defined, the first requiring only the carboxy finger of GATA-1 to bind and having the motif GAT(A/T), the second requiring both finger domains to bind and having the core motif (T/C)AAG. By using sequence comparison and depurination analysis it is concluded that the two finger-like domains of GATA-1 have different DNA binding recognition motifs. Binding of GATA-1 to GAT(A/T) motifs is associated with transcriptional activation of linked genes. The only known (T/C)AAG motif is in the distal CAAT-box promoter region of the human A gamma-globin gene where the binding of GATA-1 appears to regulate the correct developmental suppression of gamma-globin expression.

Full text

PDF
4993

Images in this article

4998Image
on p.4998
4999Image
on p.4999
5000Image
on p.5000
5001Image
on p.5001
5002Image
on p.5002
5003Image
on p.5003

Selected References

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

  1. Arceci R. J., King A. A., Simon M. C., Orkin S. H., Wilson D. B. Mouse GATA-4: a retinoic acid-inducible GATA-binding transcription factor expressed in endodermally derived tissues and heart. Mol Cell Biol. 1993 Apr;13(4):2235–2246. doi: 10.1128/mcb.13.4.2235. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Berry M., Grosveld F., Dillon N. A single point mutation is the cause of the Greek form of hereditary persistence of fetal haemoglobin. Nature. 1992 Aug 6;358(6386):499–502. doi: 10.1038/358499a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Brady H. J., Sowden J. C., Edwards M., Lowe N., Butterworth P. H. Multiple GF-1 binding sites flank the erythroid specific transcription unit of the human carbonic anhydrase I gene. FEBS Lett. 1989 Nov 6;257(2):451–456. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(89)81594-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Chiba T., Ikawa Y., Todokoro K. GATA-1 transactivates erythropoietin receptor gene, and erythropoietin receptor-mediated signals enhance GATA-1 gene expression. Nucleic Acids Res. 1991 Jul 25;19(14):3843–3848. doi: 10.1093/nar/19.14.3843. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Collins F. S., Metherall J. E., Yamakawa M., Pan J., Weissman S. M., Forget B. G. A point mutation in the A gamma-globin gene promoter in Greek hereditary persistence of fetal haemoglobin. Nature. 1985 Jan 24;313(6000):325–326. doi: 10.1038/313325a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cunningham T. S., Cooper T. G. Expression of the DAL80 gene, whose product is homologous to the GATA factors and is a negative regulator of multiple nitrogen catabolic genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is sensitive to nitrogen catabolite repression. Mol Cell Biol. 1991 Dec;11(12):6205–6215. doi: 10.1128/mcb.11.12.6205. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Desjarlais J. R., Berg J. M. Toward rules relating zinc finger protein sequences and DNA binding site preferences. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Aug 15;89(16):7345–7349. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.16.7345. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Desjarlais J. R., Berg J. M. Use of a zinc-finger consensus sequence framework and specificity rules to design specific DNA binding proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993 Mar 15;90(6):2256–2260. doi: 10.1073/pnas.90.6.2256. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Dorfman D. M., Wilson D. B., Bruns G. A., Orkin S. H. Human transcription factor GATA-2. Evidence for regulation of preproendothelin-1 gene expression in endothelial cells. J Biol Chem. 1992 Jan 15;267(2):1279–1285. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Evans T., Felsenfeld G. The erythroid-specific transcription factor Eryf1: a new finger protein. Cell. 1989 Sep 8;58(5):877–885. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(89)90940-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Evans T., Felsenfeld G. trans-Activation of a globin promoter in nonerythroid cells. Mol Cell Biol. 1991 Feb;11(2):843–853. doi: 10.1128/mcb.11.2.843. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Evans T., Reitman M., Felsenfeld G. An erythrocyte-specific DNA-binding factor recognizes a regulatory sequence common to all chicken globin genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Aug;85(16):5976–5980. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.16.5976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Fong T. C., Emerson B. M. The erythroid-specific protein cGATA-1 mediates distal enhancer activity through a specialized beta-globin TATA box. Genes Dev. 1992 Apr;6(4):521–532. doi: 10.1101/gad.6.4.521. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Frampton J., Walker M., Plumb M., Harrison P. R. Synergy between the NF-E1 erythroid-specific transcription factor and the CACCC factor in the erythroid-specific promoter of the human porphobilinogen deaminase gene. Mol Cell Biol. 1990 Jul;10(7):3838–3842. doi: 10.1128/mcb.10.7.3838. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Fu Y. H., Marzluf G. A. nit-2, the major nitrogen regulatory gene of Neurospora crassa, encodes a protein with a putative zinc finger DNA-binding domain. Mol Cell Biol. 1990 Mar;10(3):1056–1065. doi: 10.1128/mcb.10.3.1056. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Gelinas R., Endlich B., Pfeiffer C., Yagi M., Stamatoyannopoulos G. G to A substitution in the distal CCAAT box of the A gamma-globin gene in Greek hereditary persistence of fetal haemoglobin. Nature. 1985 Jan 24;313(6000):323–325. doi: 10.1038/313323a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Gong Q. H., Stern J., Dean A. Transcriptional role of a conserved GATA-1 site in the human epsilon-globin gene promoter. Mol Cell Biol. 1991 May;11(5):2558–2566. doi: 10.1128/mcb.11.5.2558. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Gorski K., Carneiro M., Schibler U. Tissue-specific in vitro transcription from the mouse albumin promoter. Cell. 1986 Dec 5;47(5):767–776. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90519-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Ito E., Toki T., Ishihara H., Ohtani H., Gu L., Yokoyama M., Engel J. D., Yamamoto M. Erythroid transcription factor GATA-1 is abundantly transcribed in mouse testis. Nature. 1993 Apr 1;362(6419):466–468. doi: 10.1038/362466a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Ko L. J., Engel J. D. DNA-binding specificities of the GATA transcription factor family. Mol Cell Biol. 1993 Jul;13(7):4011–4022. doi: 10.1128/mcb.13.7.4011. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Ko L. J., Yamamoto M., Leonard M. W., George K. M., Ting P., Engel J. D. Murine and human T-lymphocyte GATA-3 factors mediate transcription through a cis-regulatory element within the human T-cell receptor delta gene enhancer. Mol Cell Biol. 1991 May;11(5):2778–2784. doi: 10.1128/mcb.11.5.2778. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Kudla B., Caddick M. X., Langdon T., Martinez-Rossi N. M., Bennett C. F., Sibley S., Davies R. W., Arst H. N., Jr The regulatory gene areA mediating nitrogen metabolite repression in Aspergillus nidulans. Mutations affecting specificity of gene activation alter a loop residue of a putative zinc finger. EMBO J. 1990 May;9(5):1355–1364. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1990.tb08250.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Lee M. E., Temizer D. H., Clifford J. A., Quertermous T. Cloning of the GATA-binding protein that regulates endothelin-1 gene expression in endothelial cells. J Biol Chem. 1991 Aug 25;266(24):16188–16192. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Martin D. I., Orkin S. H. Transcriptional activation and DNA binding by the erythroid factor GF-1/NF-E1/Eryf 1. Genes Dev. 1990 Nov;4(11):1886–1898. doi: 10.1101/gad.4.11.1886. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Martin D. I., Tsai S. F., Orkin S. H. Increased gamma-globin expression in a nondeletion HPFH mediated by an erythroid-specific DNA-binding factor. Nature. 1989 Mar 30;338(6214):435–438. doi: 10.1038/338435a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Martin D. I., Zon L. I., Mutter G., Orkin S. H. Expression of an erythroid transcription factor in megakaryocytic and mast cell lineages. Nature. 1990 Mar 29;344(6265):444–447. doi: 10.1038/344444a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Maxam A. M., Gilbert W. Sequencing end-labeled DNA with base-specific chemical cleavages. Methods Enzymol. 1980;65(1):499–560. doi: 10.1016/s0076-6879(80)65059-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Merika M., Orkin S. H. DNA-binding specificity of GATA family transcription factors. Mol Cell Biol. 1993 Jul;13(7):3999–4010. doi: 10.1128/mcb.13.7.3999. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Mignotte V., Eleouet J. F., Raich N., Romeo P. H. Cis- and trans-acting elements involved in the regulation of the erythroid promoter of the human porphobilinogen deaminase gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Sep;86(17):6548–6552. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.17.6548. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Mignotte V., Wall L., deBoer E., Grosveld F., Romeo P. H. Two tissue-specific factors bind the erythroid promoter of the human porphobilinogen deaminase gene. Nucleic Acids Res. 1989 Jan 11;17(1):37–54. doi: 10.1093/nar/17.1.37. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Nardelli J., Gibson T. J., Vesque C., Charnay P. Base sequence discrimination by zinc-finger DNA-binding domains. Nature. 1991 Jan 10;349(6305):175–178. doi: 10.1038/349175a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Nardelli J., Gibson T., Charnay P. Zinc finger-DNA recognition: analysis of base specificity by site-directed mutagenesis. Nucleic Acids Res. 1992 Aug 25;20(16):4137–4144. doi: 10.1093/nar/20.16.4137. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Nicolis S., Bertini C., Ronchi A., Crotta S., Lanfranco L., Moroni E., Giglioni B., Ottolenghi S. An erythroid specific enhancer upstream to the gene encoding the cell-type specific transcription factor GATA-1. Nucleic Acids Res. 1991 Oct 11;19(19):5285–5291. doi: 10.1093/nar/19.19.5285. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Omichinski J. G., Trainor C., Evans T., Gronenborn A. M., Clore G. M., Felsenfeld G. A small single-"finger" peptide from the erythroid transcription factor GATA-1 binds specifically to DNA as a zinc or iron complex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993 Mar 1;90(5):1676–1680. doi: 10.1073/pnas.90.5.1676. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Pavletich N. P., Pabo C. O. Zinc finger-DNA recognition: crystal structure of a Zif268-DNA complex at 2.1 A. Science. 1991 May 10;252(5007):809–817. doi: 10.1126/science.2028256. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Pevny L., Simon M. C., Robertson E., Klein W. H., Tsai S. F., D'Agati V., Orkin S. H., Costantini F. Erythroid differentiation in chimaeric mice blocked by a targeted mutation in the gene for transcription factor GATA-1. Nature. 1991 Jan 17;349(6306):257–260. doi: 10.1038/349257a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Philipsen S., Pruzina S., Grosveld F. The minimal requirements for activity in transgenic mice of hypersensitive site 3 of the beta globin locus control region. EMBO J. 1993 Mar;12(3):1077–1085. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1993.tb05749.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Philipsen S., Talbot D., Fraser P., Grosveld F. The beta-globin dominant control region: hypersensitive site 2. EMBO J. 1990 Jul;9(7):2159–2167. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1990.tb07385.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Plumb M., Frampton J., Wainwright H., Walker M., Macleod K., Goodwin G., Harrison P. GATAAG; a cis-control region binding an erythroid-specific nuclear factor with a role in globin and non-globin gene expression. Nucleic Acids Res. 1989 Jan 11;17(1):73–92. doi: 10.1093/nar/17.1.73. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Pollock R., Treisman R. A sensitive method for the determination of protein-DNA binding specificities. Nucleic Acids Res. 1990 Nov 11;18(21):6197–6204. doi: 10.1093/nar/18.21.6197. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  41. Pruzina S., Hanscombe O., Whyatt D., Grosveld F., Philipsen S. Hypersensitive site 4 of the human beta globin locus control region. Nucleic Acids Res. 1991 Apr 11;19(7):1413–1419. doi: 10.1093/nar/19.7.1413. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  42. Rahuel C., Vinit M. A., Lemarchandel V., Cartron J. P., Roméo P. H. Erythroid-specific activity of the glycophorin B promoter requires GATA-1 mediated displacement of a repressor. EMBO J. 1992 Nov;11(11):4095–4102. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1992.tb05502.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  43. Romeo P. H., Prandini M. H., Joulin V., Mignotte V., Prenant M., Vainchenker W., Marguerie G., Uzan G. Megakaryocytic and erythrocytic lineages share specific transcription factors. Nature. 1990 Mar 29;344(6265):447–449. doi: 10.1038/344447a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  44. Schwartzbauer G., Schlesinger K., Evans T. Interaction of the erythroid transcription factor cGATA-1 with a critical auto-regulatory element. Nucleic Acids Res. 1992 Sep 11;20(17):4429–4436. doi: 10.1093/nar/20.17.4429. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  45. Simon M. C., Pevny L., Wiles M. V., Keller G., Costantini F., Orkin S. H. Rescue of erythroid development in gene targeted GATA-1- mouse embryonic stem cells. Nat Genet. 1992 May;1(2):92–98. doi: 10.1038/ng0592-92. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  46. Spieth J., Shim Y. H., Lea K., Conrad R., Blumenthal T. elt-1, an embryonically expressed Caenorhabditis elegans gene homologous to the GATA transcription factor family. Mol Cell Biol. 1991 Sep;11(9):4651–4659. doi: 10.1128/mcb.11.9.4651. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  47. Talbot D., Philipsen S., Fraser P., Grosveld F. Detailed analysis of the site 3 region of the human beta-globin dominant control region. EMBO J. 1990 Jul;9(7):2169–2177. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1990.tb07386.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  48. Trainor C. D., Evans T., Felsenfeld G., Boguski M. S. Structure and evolution of a human erythroid transcription factor. Nature. 1990 Jan 4;343(6253):92–96. doi: 10.1038/343092a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  49. Tsai S. F., Martin D. I., Zon L. I., D'Andrea A. D., Wong G. G., Orkin S. H. Cloning of cDNA for the major DNA-binding protein of the erythroid lineage through expression in mammalian cells. Nature. 1989 Jun 8;339(6224):446–451. doi: 10.1038/339446a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  50. Tsai S. F., Strauss E., Orkin S. H. Functional analysis and in vivo footprinting implicate the erythroid transcription factor GATA-1 as a positive regulator of its own promoter. Genes Dev. 1991 Jun;5(6):919–931. doi: 10.1101/gad.5.6.919. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  51. Wall L., deBoer E., Grosveld F. The human beta-globin gene 3' enhancer contains multiple binding sites for an erythroid-specific protein. Genes Dev. 1988 Sep;2(9):1089–1100. doi: 10.1101/gad.2.9.1089. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  52. Yamamoto M., Ko L. J., Leonard M. W., Beug H., Orkin S. H., Engel J. D. Activity and tissue-specific expression of the transcription factor NF-E1 multigene family. Genes Dev. 1990 Oct;4(10):1650–1662. doi: 10.1101/gad.4.10.1650. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  53. Yang H. Y., Evans T. Distinct roles for the two cGATA-1 finger domains. Mol Cell Biol. 1992 Oct;12(10):4562–4570. doi: 10.1128/mcb.12.10.4562. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  54. Zon L. I., Mather C., Burgess S., Bolce M. E., Harland R. M., Orkin S. H. Expression of GATA-binding proteins during embryonic development in Xenopus laevis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 Dec 1;88(23):10642–10646. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.23.10642. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  55. deBoer E., Antoniou M., Mignotte V., Wall L., Grosveld F. The human beta-globin promoter; nuclear protein factors and erythroid specific induction of transcription. EMBO J. 1988 Dec 20;7(13):4203–4212. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1988.tb03317.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The EMBO Journal are provided here courtesy of Nature Publishing Group

RESOURCES