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Binding sites for maize nuclear proteins in the terminal inverted repeats of the Mul transposable element

Molecular and General Genetics MGG volume 229, pages 17–26 (1991)Cite this article

Summary

Nuclear protein extracts from Mu-active, Mu-inactive and non-Mutator lines of maize were used to identify the binding sites for maize nuclear proteins in the terminal inverted repeats (TIR) of the Mul transposable element. We found binding activities of nuclear proteins that specifically interact with both TIRs of the Mu1 element. DNase I footprinting was performed to localize the binding sites. We found that the nuclear proteins from Mu-active lines and non-Mu lines bound to the Mu1 TIR at two different sites, i.e. a 13 by sequence (CGGGAACGGTAAA, designated as site I) and another 8 by sequence (CGGCGTCT, designated as site II). However, the nuclear proteins from Mu-inactive lines bound only one of these sites, i.e. site I. Mobility shift assays with synthetic oligonucleotides containing site I and 11 respectively confirmed the specificities of these binding activities. Site I was shown to be an imperfect direct repeat of a hexamer binding site (CGGGAA CGGTAA). Oligonucleotides containing either of the hexamers showed specific binding activity to nuclear protein from both Mu-active and Mu-inactive lines. The possible role of these proteins in Mu transposition is discussed.

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Author notes

  1. Zuo-Yu Zhao

    Present address: Department of Biotechnology Research, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., 7300 NW 62nd Ave., 50131, Johnston, IA, USA

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  1. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 11724, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA

    Zuo-Yu Zhao & Venkatesan Sundaresan

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  1. Zuo-Yu Zhao
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  2. Venkatesan Sundaresan
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Communicated by H. Saedler

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Zhao, ZY., Sundaresan, V. Binding sites for maize nuclear proteins in the terminal inverted repeats of the Mul transposable element. Molec. Gen. Genet. 229, 17–26 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00264208

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00264208

Key words

  • DNA-protein binding
  • Transposable elements
  • Mutator
  • Maize