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. 1994 Feb 1;91(3):908–912. doi: 10.1073/pnas.91.3.908

Evidence for a non-alpha-helical DNA-binding motif in the Rel homology region.

J Liu 1, M Sodeoka 1, W S Lane 1, G L Verdine 1
PMCID: PMC521422  PMID: 8302865

Abstract

The Rel family of transcription factors serve as terminal messengers in a variety of developmental and receptor-mediated signaling pathways. These proteins are related by a domain of approximately 280 amino acids, the Rel homology region, which mediates dimerization and sequence-specific binding to DNA. Here we report the use of photocrosslinking and site-directed mutagenesis to identify specific contact partners in a Rel protein-DNA interface. Within the Rel homology region of NF-kappa B p50 (also known as KBF1), two amino acid residues were identified by photocrosslinking to adjacent bases in a beta-interferon regulatory element. Secondary structure analysis suggests that the DNA-binding motif of the Rel homology region comprises a beta-turn-beta structure, in contrast to the alpha-helical motifs so commonly observed in transcription factors.

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Selected References

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