pp 16 Flashcards
Why is eukaryotic transcription regulated by chromatin structure?
Chromatin has to be open for promoter to be accessible to the transcription machinery. General transcription factors are needed to help recruit RNA polymerase to the promoter
What is the function of activators?
- Facilitate opening of chromatin
- Recruit general transcription factors and RNA polymerase as a preinitiation complex promoter. (can act with coactivators)
How do activators bind?
They recognize and bind regulatory DNA sequences called enhancers, and they can then stimulate transcription
What domains do activators have?
They have at least two functional domains, DNA-binding domain, transcription-activating domain and then some may have dimerization domain
What does the activation domain do?
Binds general transcription factors or mediator and helps initiation complex form
What are the different structures of DNA-binding domains?
Helix-turn-helix motif, homeodomain, zinc finger motif, leucine zipper, basic helix-loop helix
What are the characteristics of helix-turn-helix?
Found as part of larger DNA-binding domain.
Commonly found in DNA-binding domains of bacterial regulatory proteins (lac repressor, Y repressor)
What are the characteristics of homeodomains?
DNA-binding domains that include helix-turn-helix motifs found in large family of activators, consisting of three helices, second and third form helix-turn-helix.
What are the characteristics of Zinc finger?
30 residues forming an elongated loop held together at the base by a coordinated zinc ion (two cys and two His), Zinc stabilizes the motif, presents a recognition helix to the DNA
What are nuclear receptors?
Hormone-responsive activators that include zinc fingers in a DNA binding domain
What is the role of Zinc fingers in nuclear receptors?
- Type I nuclear receptors respond to steroid hormones, in absence of these hormones, sequestered in cytoplasm bound by Hsp70 but upon binding, Hsp70 dissociates, hormone receptor complex enters nucleus, binds hormone-response element, activating transcription
- Type II nuclear receptors bind DNA, but only interact with coactivator when it binds steroid hormone ligand
What are the characteristics of basic leucine zippers? (bZIP)
Dimerization. Transcription-activating domain is not shown.
What are the characteristics of Basic Helix-loop-helix (BHLH and bZIP)
both have basic (positively charged) DNA binding portion
ZIP refers to leucine zipper consisting of leucine residues on facing sides of the a-helices on each monomer facilitating dimerization by hydrophobic interactions.
HLH refers to the dimerization portion that consists of a helix-loop-helix motif
How and why do transcription factors bind as homodimers or heterodimers?
- two members of the same family of similarity structured proteins can dimerize to make a heterodimer
- combinations of heterodimers can recognize a range of sequences resulting from the combination of half-sites
What is the GAL4 protein?
Yeast transcription activator that acts as a dimer held together by a leucine zipper, while each DNA binding domain contains two Zinc ions