xUBF contains a novel dimerization domain essential for RNA polymerase I transcription

The RNA polymerase I transactivator upstream binding factor requires its dimerization domain and high-mobility-group (HMG) box 1 to bend, wrap, and positively supercoil enhancer DNA

Upstream binding factor (UBF) is an important transactivator of RNA polymerase I and is a member of a family of proteins that contain nucleic acid binding domains named high-mobility-group (HMG) boxes because of their similarity to HMG chromosomal proteins. UBF is a highly sequence-tolerant DNA-binding protein for which no binding consensus sequence has been identified. Therefore, it has been suggested that UBF may recognize preformed structural features of DNA, a hypothesis supported by UBF's ability to bind synthetic DNA cruciforms, four-way junctions, and even tRNA. We show here that full-length UBF can also bend linear DNA to mediate circularization of probes as small as 102 bp in the presence of DNA ligase. Longer probes in the presence of UBF become positively supercoiled when ligated, suggesting that UBF wraps the DNA in a right-handed direction, opposite the direction of DNA wrapping around a nucleosome. The dimerization domain and HMG box 1 are necessary and sufficient to circularize short probes and supercoil longer probes in the presence of DNA ligase. UBF's sequence tolerance coupled with its ability to bend and wrap DNA makes UBF an unusual eukaryotic transcription factor. However, UBF's ability to bend DNA might explain how upstream and downstream rRNA gene promoter domains interact. UBF-induced DNA wrapping could also be a mechanism by which UBF counteracts histone-mediated gene repression.

The RNA polymerase I transcription factor UBF is a sequence-tolerant HMG-box protein that can recognize structured nucleic acids

Upstream Binding Factor (UBF) is important for activation of ribosomal RNA transcription and belongs to a family of proteins containing nucleic acid binding domains, termed HMG-boxes, with similarity to High Mobility Group (HMG) chromosomal proteins. Proteins in this family can be sequence-specific or highly sequence-tolerant binding proteins. We show that Xenopus UBF can be classified among the sequence-tolerant class. Methylation interference assays using enhancer DNA probes failed to reveal any critical nucleotides required for UBF binding. Selection by UBF of optimal binding sites among a population of enhancer oligonucleotides with randomized sequences also failed to reveal any consensus sequence. The minor groove specific drugs chromomycin A3, distamycin A and actinomycin D competed against UBF for enhancer binding, suggesting that UBF, like other HMG-box proteins, probably interacts with the minor groove. UBF also shares with other HMG box proteins the ability to bind synthetic cruciform DNA. However, UBF appears different from other HMG-box proteins in that it can bind both RNA (tRNA) and DNA. The sequence-tolerant nature of UBF-nucleic acid interactions may accommodate the rapid evolution of ribosomal RNA gene sequences.

xUBF, an RNA polymerase I transcription factor, binds crossover DNA with low sequence specificity

Xenopus UBF (xUBF) is a transcription factor for RNA polymerase I which contains multiple DNA-binding motifs. These include a short basic region adjacent to a dimer motif plus five high-mobility-group (HMG) boxes. All of these DNA-binding motifs exhibit low sequence specificity, whether assayed singly or together. In contrast, the HMG boxes recognize DNA structure that is formed when two double helices are crossed over each other. HMG box 1, in particular, requires association of two double helices before it will bind and, either by itself or in the context of the intact protein, will loop DNA and organize it into higher-order structures. We discuss how this mode of binding affects the function of xUBF as a transcription factor.

Short-range DNA looping by the Xenopus HMG-box transcription factor, xUBF

Xenopus UBF (xUBF) interacts with DNA by way of multiple HMG-box domains. When xUBF binds to the ribosomal promoter, the carboxyl-terminal acidic tail and amino-terminal HMG-box interact. Binding also leads to negative DNA supercoiling and the formation of a disk-like structure, the enhancesome. Within the enhancesome, an xUBF dimer makes a low-density protein core around which DNA is looped into a single 180-base pair turn, probably by in-phase bending. The enhancesome structure suggests a mechanism for xUBF-dependent recruitment of the TATA box-binding protein complex without direct interaction between the two factors.

xUBF, an RNA polymerase I transcription factor, binds crossover DNA with low sequence specificity

Xenopus UBF (xUBF) is a transcription factor for RNA polymerase I which contains multiple DNA-binding motifs. These include a short basic region adjacent to a dimer motif plus five high-mobility-group (HMG) boxes. All of these DNA-binding motifs exhibit low sequence specificity, whether assayed singly or together. In contrast, the HMG boxes recognize DNA structure that is formed when two double helices are crossed over each other. HMG box 1, in particular, requires association of two double helices before it will bind and, either by itself or in the context of the intact protein, will loop DNA and organize it into higher-order structures. We discuss how this mode of binding affects the function of xUBF as a transcription factor.

Distinct DNA-binding properties of the high mobility group domain of murine and human SRY sex-determining factors

The mammalian sex-determining gene SRY (sex-determining region on Y chromosome) encodes a member of the high mobility group (HMG) family of regulatory proteins. The HMG domain of the SRY protein represents a DNA binding motif that displays rather unusually weak evolutionary conservation of amino acids between human and mouse sequences. Together with the previous finding that the human (h) SRY gene is unable to induce a male phenotype in genetically female transgenic mice, these observations raise questions concerning the DNA binding properties of SRY proteins. Here, we present data that indicate that the DNA binding and bending properties of the HMG domains of murine (m) SRY and hSRY differ from each other. In comparison, mSRY shows more-extensive major-groove contacts with DNA and a higher specificity of sequence recognition than hSRY. Moreover, the extent of protein-induced DNA bending differs from the HMG domains of hSRY and mSRY. These differences in DNA binding by hSRY and mSRY may, in part, account for the functional differences observed with these gene products.

HMG domain proteins: architectural elements in the assembly of nucleoprotein structures

The high-mobility group (HMG) domain is a DNA-binding motif that is shared abundant non-histone components of chromatin and by specific regulators of transcription and cell differentiation. The HMG family of proteins comprises members with multiple HMG domains that bind DNA with low sequence specificity, and members with single HMG domains that recognize specific nucleotide sequences. Common properties of HMG domain proteins include interaction with the minor groove of the DNA helix, binding to irregular DNA structures, and the capacity to modulate DNA structure by bending. DNA bending induced by the HMG domain can facilitate the formation of higher-order nucleoprotein complexes, suggesting that HMG domain proteins may have an architectural role in assembling such complexes.

The human testis determining factor SRY: a new member of the HMG box protein family

The product of the sex-determining gene SRY is a member of the HMG box containing protein superfamily. The HMG box is a DNA-binding domain of about 80 amino acids shared by many proteins with diverse functions. It seems that the functions of the full length protein are restricted to the HMG box but their molecular basis remains to be determined. We have summarized here the properties of this binding domain described so far in the literature and, using a synthetic peptide mimicking the DNA binding domain (SRY80), we have confirmed the existence of DNA minor groove contacts with this domain. Using intrinsic fluorescence of the tryptophane, the interaction between SRY80 and the putative target sequence AACAAAT was also quantified. In conclusion, we also consider the possible putative action of SRY to fulfill its role in sex determination.

Mutational and functional analysis of dominant SPT2 (SIN1) suppressor alleles in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae SPT2 gene was identified by genetic screens for mutations which are suppressors of Ty and delta insertional mutations at the HIS4 locus. The ability of spt2 mutations to suppress the transcriptional interference caused by the delta promoter insertion his-4-912 delta correlates with an increase in wild-type HIS4 mRNA levels. The SPT2 gene is identical to SIN1, which codes for a factor genetically defined as a negative regulator of HO transcription. Mutations in SPT2/SIN1 suppress the effects of trans-acting mutations in SWI genes and of partial deletions in the C-terminal domain of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II. Nuclear localization and protein sequence similarities suggested that the SPT2/SIN1 protein may be related to the nonhistone chromosomal protein HMG1. To assess the significance of this structural similarity and identify domains of SPT2 functionally important in the regulation of his4-912 delta, we have studied recessive and dominant spt2 mutations created by in vitro mutagenesis. We show here that several alleles carrying C-terminal deletions as well as point mutations in the C-terminal domain of the SPT2 protein exhibit a dominant suppressor phenotype. C-terminal basic residues necessary for wild-type SPT2 protein function which are absent from HMG1 have been identified. The competence of these mutant SPT2 proteins to interfere with the maintenance of the His- (Spt+) phenotype of a his4-912 delta SPT2+ strain is lost by deletion of internal HMG1-like sequences and is sensitive to the wild-type SPT2+ gene dosage. Using cross-reacting antipeptide polyclonal antibodies, we demonstrate that the intracellular level of the wild-type SPT2 protein is not affected in presence of dominant mutations and furthermore that the reversion of the dominance by internal deletion of HMG1-like sequences is not mediated by altered production or stability of the mutant polypeptides. Our results suggest that the products of dominant alleles directly compete with the wild-type protein. On the basis of primary sequence similarities, we propose that an HMG-box-like motif is required for SPT2 function in vivo and that this motif also is necessary for the dominant suppressor phenotype exhibited by some mutant SPT2 alleles.

Mutational and functional analysis of dominant SPT2 (SIN1) suppressor alleles in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae SPT2 gene was identified by genetic screens for mutations which are suppressors of Ty and delta insertional mutations at the HIS4 locus. The ability of spt2 mutations to suppress the transcriptional interference caused by the delta promoter insertion his-4-912 delta correlates with an increase in wild-type HIS4 mRNA levels. The SPT2 gene is identical to SIN1, which codes for a factor genetically defined as a negative regulator of HO transcription. Mutations in SPT2/SIN1 suppress the effects of trans-acting mutations in SWI genes and of partial deletions in the C-terminal domain of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II. Nuclear localization and protein sequence similarities suggested that the SPT2/SIN1 protein may be related to the nonhistone chromosomal protein HMG1. To assess the significance of this structural similarity and identify domains of SPT2 functionally important in the regulation of his4-912 delta, we have studied recessive and dominant spt2 mutations created by in vitro mutagenesis. We show here that several alleles carrying C-terminal deletions as well as point mutations in the C-terminal domain of the SPT2 protein exhibit a dominant suppressor phenotype. C-terminal basic residues necessary for wild-type SPT2 protein function which are absent from HMG1 have been identified. The competence of these mutant SPT2 proteins to interfere with the maintenance of the His- (Spt+) phenotype of a his4-912 delta SPT2+ strain is lost by deletion of internal HMG1-like sequences and is sensitive to the wild-type SPT2+ gene dosage. Using cross-reacting antipeptide polyclonal antibodies, we demonstrate that the intracellular level of the wild-type SPT2 protein is not affected in presence of dominant mutations and furthermore that the reversion of the dominance by internal deletion of HMG1-like sequences is not mediated by altered production or stability of the mutant polypeptides. Our results suggest that the products of dominant alleles directly compete with the wild-type protein. On the basis of primary sequence similarities, we propose that an HMG-box-like motif is required for SPT2 function in vivo and that this motif also is necessary for the dominant suppressor phenotype exhibited by some mutant SPT2 alleles.

Phylogenetic relationships of HMG box DNA-binding domains

HMG boxes were initially identified as DNA-binding domains of the human RNA polymerase I (pol I) transcription factor hUBF and the animal high-mobility-group (HMG) protein family HMG1. Since then, numerous sequences of HMG-box-containing HMG proteins and other DNA-binding proteins from several species have become available. By sequence comparisons of a selected range of HMG boxes from these proteins and the construction of phylogenetic trees we show that the HMG box is highly conserved between DNA-binding proteins of organisms from all three eukaryotic kingdoms and that HMG boxes are linked by distinct evolutionary relationships. In addition, most HMG boxes display comparable hydropathy profiles and amino acid arrangements, which could serve as nuclear targeting sequences.

Cloning and chromosome mapping of the human Mel-18 gene which encodes a DNA-binding protein with a new 'RING-finger' motif

It has recently been reported that there exists a new 'RING-finger' protein family among the zinc-finger (Zf) proteins. Previously, we had isolated the mouse Mel-18 cDNA (mMel-18) encoding the nuclear RING-finger protein that exhibits an ability to bind to a nonspecific DNA column. Here, we have isolated and characterized the human Mel-18 cDNA (hMel-18) using the mMel-18 cDNA as a probe. The deduced hMel-18 protein contains 344 amino acids (38 kDa) with a RING-finger motif, a helix-loop-helix (HLH)-like structure and a Pro/Ser-rich region. The hMel-18 gene is conserved among vertebrates. Its mRNA is highly expressed in placenta, lung and kidney, but the level is low in liver, pancreas and skeletal muscle. Using in situ hybridization, we mapped hMel-18 to band q22 of chromosome 12. It is possible that the Mel-18/bmi-1 gene family represents a mammalian homologue of the Drosophila polycomb gene group.

A human mitochondrial transcriptional activator can functionally replace a yeast mitochondrial HMG-box protein both in vivo and in vitro

Human mitochondrial transcription factor A is a 25-kDa protein that binds immediately upstream of the two major mitochondrial promoters, thereby leading to correct and efficient initiation of transcription. Although the nature of yeast mitochondrial promoters is significantly different from that of human promoters, a potential functional homolog of the human transcriptional activator protein has been previously identified in yeast mitochondria. The importance of the yeast protein in yeast mitochondrial DNA function has been shown by inactivation of its nuclear gene (ABF2) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells resulting in loss of mitochondrial DNA. We report here that the nuclear gene for human mitochondrial transcription factor A can be stably expressed in yeast cells devoid of the yeast homolog protein. The human protein is imported efficiently into yeast mitochondria, is processed correctly, and rescues the loss-of-mitochondrial DNA phenotype in a yeast abf2 strain, thus functionally substituting for the yeast protein. Both human and yeast proteins affect yeast mitochondrial transcription initiation in vitro, suggesting that the two proteins may have a common role in this fundamental process.

Mapping of a sequence essential for the nuclear transport of the Xenopus ribosomal transcription factor xUBF using a simple coupled translation-transport and acid extraction approach

The amino acid sequences directing the nuclear transport of the RNA polymerase I transcription factor xUBF have been studied by a novel combination of in oocyte-coupled translation-nuclear transport and selective HCl extraction. Synthetic mRNA was used to direct the translation of labeled xUBF and its mutants in microinjected oocytes. After manual dissection of nuclei and cytoplasm, labeled xUBF and mutants were isolated essentially pure by HCl extraction. Using deletion mutations, a sequence essential, but not necessarily sufficient, for nuclear transport was mapped to a 29-amino-acid segment lying between the most carboxy-terminal putative HMG-box DNA-binding domain, HMG-box 5, and the highly acidic carboxy-terminal domain. It was shown that deletion of only 5 amino acids from this segment eliminated xUBF transport, and it could be deduced that at least 11 of the 29 amino acids were essential for nuclear transport. The segment of xUBF necessary for nuclear transport contains a sequence conforming to the bipartite nuclear transport motif consensus, but this sequence in itself was insufficient for nuclear transport.

A human mitochondrial transcriptional activator can functionally replace a yeast mitochondrial HMG-box protein both in vivo and in vitro

Human mitochondrial transcription factor A is a 25-kDa protein that binds immediately upstream of the two major mitochondrial promoters, thereby leading to correct and efficient initiation of transcription. Although the nature of yeast mitochondrial promoters is significantly different from that of human promoters, a potential functional homolog of the human transcriptional activator protein has been previously identified in yeast mitochondria. The importance of the yeast protein in yeast mitochondrial DNA function has been shown by inactivation of its nuclear gene (ABF2) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells resulting in loss of mitochondrial DNA. We report here that the nuclear gene for human mitochondrial transcription factor A can be stably expressed in yeast cells devoid of the yeast homolog protein. The human protein is imported efficiently into yeast mitochondria, is processed correctly, and rescues the loss-of-mitochondrial DNA phenotype in a yeast abf2 strain, thus functionally substituting for the yeast protein. Both human and yeast proteins affect yeast mitochondrial transcription initiation in vitro, suggesting that the two proteins may have a common role in this fundamental process.

Cooperative binding of the Xenopus RNA polymerase I transcription factor xUBF to repetitive ribosomal gene enhancers

Upstream binding factor (UBF) is a DNA-binding transcription factor implicated in ribosomal gene promoter and enhancer function in vertebrates. UBF is unusual in that it has multiple DNA-binding domains with homology to high-mobility-group (HMG) nonhistone chromosomal proteins 1 and 2. However, a recognizable DNA consensus sequence for UBF binding is lacking. In this study, we have used gel retardation and DNase I footprinting to examine Xenopus UBF (xUBF) binding to Xenopus laevis ribosomal gene enhancers. We show that UBF has a minimum requirement for about 60 bp of DNA, the size of the short enhancer variant in X. laevis. Stronger UBF binding occurs on the longer enhancer variant (81 bp) and on multiple enhancers linked head to tail. In vivo, Xenopus ribosomal gene enhancers exist in blocks of 10 alternating 60- and 81-bp repeats within the intergenic spacer. In vitro, UBF binds cooperatively to probes with 10 enhancers, with five intermediate complexes observed in titration experiments. This suggests that, on average, one UBF dimer binds every two enhancers. A single UBF dimer can produce a DNase I footprint ranging in size from approximately 30 to about 115 bp on enhancer probes of different lengths. This observation is consistent with the hypothesis that multiple DNA-binding domains or subdomains within UBF bind independently, forming more-stable interactions on longer probes.

Cooperative binding of the Xenopus RNA polymerase I transcription factor xUBF to repetitive ribosomal gene enhancers

Upstream binding factor (UBF) is a DNA-binding transcription factor implicated in ribosomal gene promoter and enhancer function in vertebrates. UBF is unusual in that it has multiple DNA-binding domains with homology to high-mobility-group (HMG) nonhistone chromosomal proteins 1 and 2. However, a recognizable DNA consensus sequence for UBF binding is lacking. In this study, we have used gel retardation and DNase I footprinting to examine Xenopus UBF (xUBF) binding to Xenopus laevis ribosomal gene enhancers. We show that UBF has a minimum requirement for about 60 bp of DNA, the size of the short enhancer variant in X. laevis. Stronger UBF binding occurs on the longer enhancer variant (81 bp) and on multiple enhancers linked head to tail. In vivo, Xenopus ribosomal gene enhancers exist in blocks of 10 alternating 60- and 81-bp repeats within the intergenic spacer. In vitro, UBF binds cooperatively to probes with 10 enhancers, with five intermediate complexes observed in titration experiments. This suggests that, on average, one UBF dimer binds every two enhancers. A single UBF dimer can produce a DNase I footprint ranging in size from approximately 30 to about 115 bp on enhancer probes of different lengths. This observation is consistent with the hypothesis that multiple DNA-binding domains or subdomains within UBF bind independently, forming more-stable interactions on longer probes.

Multiple domains of the RNA polymerase I activator hUBF interact with the TATA-binding protein complex hSL1 to mediate transcription

Recent evidence suggests that transcription initiation by all three eukaryotic RNA polymerases involves a complex of the TATA-binding protein (TBP) and multiple TBP-associated factors (TAFs). Here, we map the functional domains of the nucleolar HMG box protein hUBF, which binds to the human rRNA promoter and stimulates transcription by RNA polymerase I through cooperative interactions with a distinct TBP-TAF complex, hSL1. DNase I footprint analysis of mutant hUBF proteins and of a synthetic peptide of 84 amino acids reveals that HMG box 1 is necessary and sufficient for DNA sequence specificity, whereas other HMG boxes and the amino terminus modulate the binding efficiency. hUBF contains multiple activation domains that include the acidic carboxyl terminus and three HMG boxes. HMG boxes 3 and 4 and the acidic tail contribute significantly to an extended footprinting pattern in the presence of hSL1, suggestive of specific protein-protein interactions. Moreover, the inability of xUBF from Xenopus laevis to form an initiation complex with hSL1 can be overcome by hybrid proteins containing human HMG box 4 and the acidic carboxyl terminus. These results strongly suggest an important role of transcription activation domains of hUBF in mediating interactions with the TBP-TAF complex hSL1.

Analysis of the rat ribosomal DNA promoter: characterization of linker-scanning mutants and of the binding of UBF

To investigate the mechanism of transcription of the rat ribosomal DNA (rDNA) promoter, a series of 23 linker-scanning mutants were constructed and assayed in transfected CHO cells and with cell-free extracts. With minor variation, the results of the in vitro and in vivo assays paralleled one another. For example, these assays demonstrated that the mutagenesis of bases from -133 to -124, and those from -106 to -101 of the rDNA promoter significantly inhibited transcription both in vivo and in vitro. Both of these sites lie within the upstream promoter element (UPE) of the rDNA promoter. Several constructs, in particular one that mutated the bases between -49 and -45, were better promoters in vivo than the wild-type promoter. DNAse footprinting experiments with purified UBF, an RNA polymerase I transcription factor, demonstrated the importance of the bases between -106 and -101 for the binding of that factor, providing a positive correlation between the transcription experiments and the binding of UBF to the rDNA promoter.

Analysis of the phosphorylation, DNA-binding and dimerization properties of the RNA polymerase I transcription factors UBF1 and UBF2

The phosphorylation, DNA-binding and dimerization properties of both forms of the RNA polymerase I transcription factor UBF were studied and compared. Tryptic peptide maps of in vivo 32P-labeled UBF contained four phospho-peptides. Two of these peptides are predicted to derive from the serine-rich, carboxyl-terminal of UBF. This region contains nine consensus phosphorylation sites for casein kinase II, and is one of the regions phosphorylated in vitro by casein kinase II. Analysis of the DNA-binding properties of recombinant forms of UBF1 and UBF2 by Southwestern blots revealed: (1) a role for the NH2-terminal 102 amino acid domain of UBF1/UBF2 in DNA-binding; (2) the importance of the bases from -106 to -101 of the rat ribosomal DNA promoter for the binding of UBF; and (3) functional differences between UBF1 and UBF2. Glutaraldehyde cross-linking and overlay assays using recombinant forms of UBF1 and UBF2 demonstrated that the molecules can form both homodimers and heterodimers. These assays also demonstrated that the NH2-terminal 102 amino acids of UBF plays a significant role in dimerization and that other domains contribute to dimerization. The dimerization properties of recombinant forms of UBF1 and UBF2 were different, suggesting that the HMG box 2 of UBF1, which is partially deleted in UBF2, also contributes to UBF dimerization.