Mean DNA bend angle and distribution of DNA bend angles in the CAP-DNA complex in solution

In order to define the mean DNA bend angle and distribution of DNA bend angles in the catabolite activator protein (CAP)-DNA complex in solution under standard transcription initiation conditions, we have performed nanosecond time-resolved fluorescence measurements quantifying energy transfer between a probe incorporated at a specific site in CAP, and a complementary probe incorporated at each of five specific sites in DNA. The results indicate that the mean DNA bend angle is 77(+/-3) degrees - consistent with the mean DNA bend angle observed in crystallographic structures (80(+/-12) degrees ). Lifetime-distribution analysis indicates that the distribution of DNA bend angles is relatively narrow, with <10 % of DNA bend angles exceeding 100 degrees. Millisecond time-resolved luminescence measurements using lanthanide-chelate probes provide independent evidence that the upper limit of the distribution of DNA bend angles is approximately 100 degrees. The methods used here will permit mutational analysis of CAP-induced DNA bending and the role of CAP-induced DNA bending in transcriptional activation.

Translocation of sigma(70) with RNA polymerase during transcription: fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay for movement relative to DNA

Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer, we show that, in the majority of transcription complexes, sigma(70) is not released from RNA polymerase upon transition from initiation to elongation, but, instead, remains associated with RNA polymerase and translocates with RNA polymerase. The results argue against the presumption that there are necessary subunit-composition differences, and corresponding necessary mechanistic differences, in initiation and elongation. The methods of this report should be generalizable to monitor movement of any molecule relative to any nucleic acid.

High-resolution mapping of nucleoprotein complexes by site-specific protein-DNA photocrosslinking: organization of the human TBP-TFIIA-TFIIB-DNA quaternary complex

We have used a novel site-specific protein-DNA photocrosslinking procedure to define the positions of polypeptide chains relative to promoter DNA in binary, ternary, and quaternary complexes containing human TATA-binding protein, human or yeast transcription factor IIA (TFIIA), human transcription factor IIB (TFIIB), and promoter DNA. The results indicate that TFIIA and TFIIB make more extensive interactions with promoter DNA than previously anticipated. TATA-binding protein, TFIIA, and TFIIB surround promoter DNA for two turns of DNA helix and thus may form a "cylindrical clamp" effectively topologically linked to promoter DNA. Our results have implications for the energetics, DNA-sequence-specificity, and pathway of assembly of eukaryotic transcription complexes.

Structure of the CAP-DNA complex at 2.5 angstroms resolution: a complete picture of the protein-DNA interface

The crystallographic structure of the CAP-DNA complex at 3.0 A resolution has been reported previously. For technical reasons, the reported structure had been determined using a gapped DNA molecule lacking two phosphates important for CAP-DNA interaction. In this work, we report the crystallographic structure of the CAP-DNA complex at 2.5 A resolution using a DNA molecule having all phosphates important for CAP-DNA interaction. The present resolution permits unambiguous identification of amino acid-base and amino acid-phosphate hydrogen bonded contacts in the CAP-DNA complex. In addition, the present resolution permits accurate definition of the kinked DNA conformation in the CAP-DNA complex.

S-[2-(4-azidosalicylamido)ethylthio]-2-thiopyridine: radioiodinatable, cleavable, photoactivatible cross-linking agent

S-[2-(4-Azidosalicylamido)ethylthio]-2-thiopyridine (AET) contains a 2-thiopyridyl moiety, which permits cysteine-specific incorporation into protein through a cleavable disulfide bond, and a 4-azidosalicylamido moiety, which permits radioiodination and photoactivatible cross-linking. In contrast to the related compound S-[2-[N-[4-(4-azidosalicylamido)butyl]carbomoyl]ethylthio]-2 -thiopyridine [APDP; Zecherle, G., Oleinikov, A., and Traut, R. (1992) Biochemistry 31, 9526], AET contains a relatively short linker arm between the 2-thiopyridyl moiety and the 4-azidosalicylamido moiety. In a previous paper, it was shown that AET could be used in site-specific protein-protein photocross-linking to identify nearest-neighbor protein domains within a multiprotein complex [Chen, Y., Ebright, Y., and Ebright, R. (1994) Science 265, 90]. In this paper, the synthesis, radioiodination, and incorporation into protein of AET are described.

Characterization of the activating region of Escherichia coli catabolite gene activator protein (CAP). I. Saturation and alanine-scanning mutagenesis

It has been proposed that the surface loop consisting of amino acid residues 152 to 166 of the catabolite gene activator protein (CAP) of Escherichia coli makes direct protein-protein contact with RNA polymerase at the lac promoter. In this work, we have used targeted saturation mutagenesis of codons 152 to 166 of the gene encoding CAP, followed by a screen, to isolate more than 200 independent mutants of CAP defective in transcription activation but not defective in DNA binding. All isolated single-substitution mutants map to just eight amino acid residues; 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 162, 163 and 164. We propose that these residues define the full extent of the epitope on CAP for the proposed CAP-RNA polymerase interaction. In addition, we have constructed alanine substitutions at each position from residue 152 to 166 of CAP, and we have analyzed the effects on transcription activation at the lac promoter and on DNA binding. Alanine substitution of Thr158 results in an approximately eightfold specific defect in transcription activation. In contrast, alanine substitution of no other residue tested results in a more than twofold specific defect in transcription activation. We conclude that, for Thr158, side-chain atoms beyond C beta are essential for transcription activation at the lac promoter, and we propose that Thr158 OH7 gamma makes direct contact with RNA polymerase in the ternary complex of lac promoter, CAP and RNA polymerase. We conclude further that for no residue other than Thr158 are side-chain atoms beyond C beta essential for transcription activation at the lac promoter.

High-specificity DNA cleavage agent: design and application to kilobase and megabase DNA substrates

Strategies to cleave double-stranded DNA at specific DNA sites longer than those of restriction endonucleases (longer than 8 base pairs) have applications in chromosome mapping, chromosome cloning, and chromosome sequencing--provided that the strategies yield high DNA-cleavage efficiency and high DNA-cleavage specificity. In this report, the DNA-cleaving moiety copper:o-phenanthroline was attached to the sequence-specific DNA binding protein catabolite activator protein (CAP) at an amino acid that, because of a difference in DNA bending, is close to DNA in the specific CAP-DNA complex but is not close to DNA in the nonspecific CAP-DNA complex. The resulting CAP derivative, OP26CAP, cleaved kilobase and megabase DNA substrates at a 22-base pair consensus DNA site with high efficiency and exhibited no detectable nonspecific DNA-cleavage activity.

Identification of the target of a transcription activator protein by protein-protein photocrosslinking

Here it is shown, with the use of protein-protein photocrosslinking, that the carboxyl-terminal region of the alpha subunit of RNA polymerase (RNAP) is in direct physical proximity to the activating region of the catabolite gene activator protein (CAP) in the ternary complex of the lac promoter, RNAP, and CAP. These results strongly support the proposal that transcription activation by CAP involves protein-protein contact between the carboxyl-terminal region of the alpha subunit and the activating region of CAP.

DNA affinity cleaving analysis of homeodomain-DNA interaction: identification of homeodomain consensus sites in genomic DNA

We have incorporated the DNA-cleaving moiety o-phenanthroline-copper at amino acid 10 of the Msx-1 homeodomain, and we have analyzed site-specific DNA cleavage by the resulting Msx-1 derivative. We show that amino acid 10 of the Msx-1 homeodomain is close to the 5' end of the consensus DNA site 5'-(C/G)TAATTG-3' in the Msx-1-DNA complex. Our results indicate that the orientation of the Msx-1 homeodomain relative to DNA is analogous to the orientation of the engrailed and Antennapedia homeodomains. We show further that DNA affinity cleaving permits identification of consensus DNA sites for Msx-1 in kilobase DNA substrates. The specificity of the approach enabled us to identify an Msx-1 consensus DNA site within the transcriptional control region of the developmental regulatory gene Wnt-1. We propose that incorporation of o-phenanthroline-copper at amino acid 10 of a homeodomain may provide a generalizable strategy to determine the orientation of a homeodomain relative to DNA and to identify homeodomain consensus DNA sites in genomic DNA.

Identification of amino acid-base contacts in the Myc-DNA complex by site-specific bromouracil mediated photocrosslinking

Myc binds to a 6 bp 2-fold symmetric DNA site: 5'-C-3A-2C-1G+1T+2G+3-3'. Using site-specific 5-bromouracil mediated photocrosslinking, we show that His336 of Myc contacts, or is close to, the thymine 5-methyl group at 2-fold symmetry-related positions -2 and +2 of the DNA site in the Myc-DNA complex. Our results strongly suggest that homologous amino acids of Myc and Max make equivalent contacts in the respective protein-DNA complexes.

CAP interacts with RNA polymerase in solution in the absence of promoter DNA

Protein-protein interactions between transcription activator proteins and RNA polymerase or basal transcription factors have been suggested to be important for transcription activation. Interactions between catabolite gene activator protein (CAP) and RNA polymerase have been proposed based on face-of-helix-dependent transcription activation by CAP and based on face-of-helix-dependent cooperative binding of CAP and RNA polymerase to promoter DNA. Mutants of CAP specifically defective in transcription activation have been isolated (mutants defective in transcription activation, but not defective in DNA binding and DNA bending). All such mutants contain amino-acid substitutions within a surface loop consisting of amino acids 152 to 166 of CAP. Here we use the thermodynamically rigorous technique of fluorescence polarization to show that CAP interacts with RNA polymerase in solution in the absence of promoter DNA (KD,app = 2.8 x 10(-7) M), whereas [Ala158]CAP, a mutant of CAP specifically defective in transcription activation, does not.

N-(iodoacetyl)-p-phenylenediamine-EDTA: a reagent for high-efficiency incorporation of an EDTA-metal complex at a rationally selected site within a protein

We have developed a highly efficient procedure to incorporate an EDTA:metal complex at a rationally selected site within a full-length protein. Our procedure has two steps: In step one, we use site-directed mutagenesis to introduce a unique solvent-accessible cysteine residue at the site of interest. In step two, we derivatized the resulting protein with N-(iodoacetyl)-p-phenylenediamine-EDTA:metal, a novel haloacetyl derivative of EDTA:metal. We have used this procedure to incorporate each of three EDTA:metal complexes at amino acid 2 of the helix-turn-helix motif of the sequence-specific DNA binding protein Cro: a radioactive and nucleolytic EDTA:metal complex (EDTA:55Fe), a radioactive EDTA:metal complex (EDTA:63Ni), and a fluorescent and heavy-atom EDTA:metal complex (EDTA:Eu). Incorporation of EDTA:metal was highly efficient (> 80% for EDTA:55Fe and EDTA:63Ni; 60% for EDTA:Eu) and highly site-specific (> 99%). We have analyzed DNA affinity cleaving by the Cro derivative having EDTA:55Fe at amino acid 2 of the helix-turn-helix motif. The Cro derivative cleaves DNA at base pairs -4 to 6 of the DNA half site in the protein-DNA complex, indicating that amino acid 2 of the helix-turn-helix motif of Cro is close to base pairs -4 to 6 of the DNA half site in the Cro-DNA complex in solution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Incorporation of an EDTA-metal complex at a rationally selected site within a protein: application to EDTA-iron DNA affinity cleaving with catabolite gene activator protein (CAP) and Cro

We have developed a simple procedure to incorporate an EDTA-metal complex at a rationally selected site within a full-length protein. Our procedure has two steps: In step 1, we use site-directed mutagenesis to introduce a unique solvent-accessible cysteine residue at the site of interest. In step 2, we derivatize the resulting protein with S-(2-pyridylthio)cysteaminyl-EDTA-metal, a novel aromatic disulfide derivative of EDTA-metal. We have used this procedure to incorporate an EDTA-iron complex at amino acid 2 of the helix-turn-helix motif of each of two helix-turn-helix motif sequence-specific DNA binding proteins, catabolite gene activator protein (CAP) and Cro, and we have analyzed EDTA-iron-mediated DNA affinity cleavage by the resulting protein derivatives. The CAP derivative cleaves DNA at base pair 2 of the DNA half-site in the protein-DNA complex, and the Cro derivative cleaves DNA at base pairs -3 to 5 of the DNA half-site in the protein-DNA complex. We infer that amino acid 2 of the helix-turn-helix motif of CAP is close to base pair 2 of the DNA half-site in the CAP-DNA complex in solution and that amino acid 2 of the helix-turn-helix motif of Cro is close to base pairs -3 to 5 of the DNA half-site in the Cro-DNA complex in solution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Determination of the orientation of a DNA binding motif in a protein-DNA complex by photocrosslinking

We have developed a straightforward biochemical method to determine the orientation of the DNA binding motif of a sequence-specific DNA binding protein relative to the DNA site in the protein-DNA complex. The method involves incorporation of a photoactivatable crosslinking agent at a single site within the DNA binding motif of the sequence-specific DNA binding protein, formation of the derivatized protein-DNA complex, UV-irradiation of the derivatized protein-DNA complex, and determination of the nucleotide(s) at which crosslinking occurs. We have applied the method to catabolite gene activator protein (CAP). We have constructed and analyzed two derivatives of CAP: one having a phenyl azide photoactivatable crosslinking agent at amino acid 2 of the helix-turn-helix motif of CAP, and one having a phenyl azide photoactivatable crosslinking agent at amino acid 10 of the helix-turn-helix motif of CAP. The results indicate that amino acid 2 of the helix-turn-helix motif is close to the top-strand nucleotides of base pairs 3 and 4 of the DNA half site in the CAP-DNA complex, and that amino acid 10 of the helix-turn-helix motif is close to the bottom-strand nucleotide of base pair 10 of the DNA half site in the CAP-DNA complex. The results define unambiguously the orientation of the helix-turn-helix motif relative to the DNA half site in the CAP-DNA complex. Comparison of the results to the crystallographic structure of the CAP-DNA complex [Schultz, S., Shields, S. & Steitz, T. (1991) Science 253, 1001-1007] indicates that the method provides accurate, high-resolution proximity and orientation information.

Identification of an amino acid-base contact in the GCN4-DNA complex by bromouracil-mediated photocrosslinking

The bZIP DNA-binding proteins are characterized by a 50-amino-acid DNA binding and dimerization motif, consisting of a highly basic DNA-binding region ('b') followed by a leucine zipper dimerization region ('ZIP'). The best characterized bZIP DNA-binding protein is GCN4, a yeast transcriptional activator. GCN4 binds to a 9-base-pair two-fold-symmetric DNA site, 5'-A-4T-3G-2A-1C0T+1C+2A+3T+4-3' (refs 7-10). A detailed model known as the 'induced helical fork' model has been proposed for the structure of the GCN4-DNA complex. Using a site-specific bromouracil-mediated photocrosslinking method, we show here that the alanine at position 238 of GCN4 contacts, or is close to, the thymine 5-methyl of A.T at position +3 of the DNA site in the GCN4-DNA complex. Our results strongly support the induced helical fork model. Our site-specific bromouracil-mediated photocrosslinking method requires no prior information regarding the structure of the protein or the structure of the protein-DNA complex and should be generalizable to DNA-binding proteins that interact with the DNA major groove.

DNA sequence determinants for binding of the Escherichia coli catabolite gene activator protein

The consensus DNA site for binding of the Escherichia coli catabolite gene activator protein (CAP) is 22 base pairs in length and is 2-fold symmetric: 5'-AAATGTGATCTAGATCACATTT-3'. Positions 4 to 8 of each half of the consensus DNA half-site are the most strongly conserved. In this report, we analyze the effects of substitution of DNA base pairs at positions 4 to 8, the effects of substitution of thymine by uracil and by 5-methylcytosine at positions 4, 6, and 8, and the effect of dam methylation of the 5'-GATC-3' sequence at positions 7 to 10. All DNA sites having substitutions of DNA base pairs at positions 4 to 8 exhibit lower affinities for CAP than does the consensus DNA site, consistent with the proposal that the consensus DNA site is the ideal DNA site for CAP. Specificity for T:A at position 4 appears to be determined solely by the thymine 5-methyl group. Specificity for T:A at position 6 and specificity for A:T at position 8 appear to be determined in part, but not solely, by the thymine 5-methyl group. dam methylation has little effect on CAP.DNA complex formation. The thermodynamically defined consensus DNA site spans 28 base pairs. All, or nearly all, DNA determinants required for maximal affinity for CAP and for maximal thermodynamically defined CAP.DNA ion pair formation are contained within a 28-base pair DNA fragment that has the 22-base pair consensus DNA site at its center. The quantitative data in this report provide base-line thermodynamic data required for detailed investigations of amino acid-base pair and amino acid-phosphate contacts in this protein-DNA complex.

Catabolite gene activator protein (CAP) is not an "acidic activating region" transcription activator protein. Negatively charged amino acids of CAP that are solvent-accessible in the CAP-DNA complex play no role in transcription activation at the lac promoter

It has been suggested that the catabolite gene activator protein (CAP) uses an "acidic activating region" transcription activation mechanism and that Glu171 of CAP is the critical amino acid of the "acidic activating region" of CAP (Irwin, N., and Ptashne, M. (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 8315-8319). In this paper, we show, contrary to the previously published report, that substitution of Glu171 of CAP fails to result in a specific defect in transcription activation at the lac promoter. Furthermore, in this paper, we show that substitution of each other negatively charged amino acid of CAP that is solvent-accessible in the CAP-DNA complex fails to result in a specific defect in transcription activation at the lac promoter. We conclude that CAP does not use an acidic activating region transcription activation mechanism in transcription activation at the lac promoter.

Derivatives of CAP having no solvent-accessible cysteine residues, or having a unique solvent-accessible cysteine residue at amino acid 2 of the helix-turn-helix motif

The Escherichia coli catabolite gene activator protein (CAP) is a helix-turn-helix motif sequence-specific DNA binding protein. CAP contains a unique solvent-accessible cysteine residue at amino acid 10 of the helix-turn-helix motif. In published work, we have constructed a prototype semi-synthetic site-specific DNA cleavage agent from CAP by use of cysteine-specific chemical modification to incorporate a nucleolytic chelator-metal complex at amino acid 10 of the helix-turn-helix motif [Ebright, R., Ebright, Y., Pendergrast, P.S. and Gunasekera, A., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87, 2882-2886 (1990)]. Construction of second-generation semi-synthetic site-specific DNA cleavage agents from CAP requires the construction of derivatives of CAP having unique solvent-accessible cysteine residues at sites within CAP other than amino acid 10 of the helix-turn-helix motif. In the present work, we have constructed and characterized two derivatives of CAP having no solvent-accessible cysteine residues: [Ser178]CAP and [Leu178]CAP. In addition, in the present work, we have constructed and characterized one derivative of CAP having a unique solvent-accessible cysteine residue at amino acid 2 of the helix-turn-helix motif: [Cys170;Ser178]CAP.

DNA-sequence recognition by CAP: role of the adenine N6 atom of base pair 6 of the DNA site

Two similar, but not identical, models have been proposed for the amino acid-base pair contacts in the CAP-DNA complex ('Model I,' Weber, I. and Steitz, T., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 81, 3973-3977, 1984; 'Model II,' Ebright, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 81, 7274-7278, 1984). One difference between the two models involves Glu181 of CAP. Model I predicts that Glu181 of CAP makes two specificity determining contacts: one H-bond with the cytosine N4 atom of G:C at base pair 7 of the DNA half site, and one H-bond with the adenine N6 atom of T:A at base pair 6 of the DNA half site. In contrast, Model II predicts that Glu181 makes only one specificity determining contact: one H-bond with the cytosine N4 atom of G:C at base pair 7 of the DNA half site. In the present work, we show that replacement of T:A at base pair 6 of the DNA half site by T:N6-methyl-adenine has no, or almost no, effect on the binding of CAP. We conclude, contrary to Model I, that Glu181 of CAP makes no contact with the adenine N6 atom of base pair 6 of the DNA half site.

Conversion of a helix-turn-helix motif sequence-specific DNA binding protein into a site-specific DNA cleavage agent

Escherichia coli catabolite gene activator protein (CAP) is a helix-turn-helix motif sequence-specific DNA binding protein [de Crombrugghe, B., Busby, S. & Buc, H. (1984) Science 224, 831-838; and Pabo, C. & Sauer, R. (1984) Annu. Rev. Biochem. 53, 293-321]. In this work, CAP has been converted into a site-specific DNA cleavage agent by incorporation of the chelator 1,10-phenanthroline at amino acid 10 of the helix-turn-helix motif. [(N-Acetyl-5-amino-1,10-phenanthroline)-Cys178]CAP binds to a 22-base-pair DNA recognition site with Kobs = 1 x 10(8) M-1. In the presence of Cu(II) and reducing agent, [(N-acetyl-5-amino-1,10-phenanthroline)-Cys178]CAP cleaves DNA at four adjacent nucleotides on each DNA strand within the DNA recognition site. The DNA cleavage reaction has been demonstrated using 40-base-pair and 7164-base-pair DNA substrates. The DNA cleavage reaction is not inhibited by dam methylation of the DNA substrate. Such semisynthetic site-specific DNA cleavage agents have potential applications in chromosome mapping, cloning, and sequencing.

Consensus DNA site for the Escherichia coli catabolite gene activator protein (CAP): CAP exhibits a 450-fold higher affinity for the consensus DNA site than for the E. coli lac DNA site

We have synthesized two 40 base pair DNA fragments; one fragment contains the consensus DNA site for CAP (fragment 'ICAP'); the other fragment contains the E. coli lac promoter DNA site for CAP (fragment 'LCAP'). We have investigated the binding of CAP to the two DNA fragments using the nitrocellulose filter binding assay. Under standard conditions [( NaCl] = 200 mM, pH = 7.3), CAP exhibits a 450-fold higher affinity for ICAP than for LCAP. The salt dependence of the binding equilibrium indicates that CAP makes eight ion pairs with ICAP, but only six ion pairs with LCAP. Approximately half of the difference in binding free energy for interaction of CAP with ICAP vs. LCAP is attributable to this difference in ion-pair formation. The pH dependence of the binding equilibrium indicates that the eight CAP-ICAP ion pairs and the six CAP-LCAP ion pairs do not involve His residues of CAP.