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DNA-binding and dimerization preferences of Arabidopsis homeodomain-leucine zipper transcription factors in vitro

Plant Molecular Biology volume 45, pages 63–73 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

Homeodomain-leucine zipper (HDZip) proteins constitute a large family of transcription factors apparently unique to plants. In this report we characterize the DNA-binding and dimerization preferences in vitro of class I HDZip proteins. Using gel-exclusion chromatography and in vitro protein binding assays we demonstrate that the HDZip class I protein ATHB5 forms a homodimeric complex in solution. Consistent with this finding we have demonstrated the sequence-specific interaction of ATHB5 with a 9 bp pseudopalindromic DNA sequence, CAATNATTG, composed of two half-sites overlapping at a central position, by use of a PCR-assisted binding-site selection assay and competitive EMSA experiments. A majority of other known members of HDZip class I interacted with similar DNA sequences, but differed in their preference for A/T versus G/C in the central position of the binding site. Selective heterodimerization in vitro was demonstrated between ATHB5 and different class I HDZip proteins. Heterodimer formation between class I HDZip proteins is of potential functional significance for the integration of information from different signalling pathways in the control of plant development.

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  1. Department of Evolutionary Biology, Physiological Botany, Villavägen 6, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden

    Henrik Johannesson, Yan Wang & Peter Engström

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  1. Henrik Johannesson
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  2. Yan Wang
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Johannesson, H., Wang, Y. & Engström, P. DNA-binding and dimerization preferences of Arabidopsis homeodomain-leucine zipper transcription factors in vitro. Plant Mol Biol 45, 63–73 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006423324025

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006423324025

  • Arabidopsis thaliana
  • homeobox
  • homeodomain
  • leucine zipper
  • plant