The DNA binding activity of Translin is mediated by a basic region in the ring-shaped structure conserved in evolution

DNA binding proteins, for the most part, function as dimers or tetramers which recognize their target sequences. Here we show that Translin, a novel single-stranded DNA end binding protein, forms a ring-shaped structure conserved throughout evolution and that this structure is responsible for its DNA binding activity. Point mutations at Leu184 and Leu191 in the leucine zipper motif of human Translin resulted in loss of the multimeric structure and abrogation of DNA binding. Point mutations at R86, H88, H90 to T86, N88, N90 in one of the basic regions, however, completely inhibited the DNA binding activity without affecting the multimeric structure. These results support the view that the DNA binding domain of Translin is formed in the ring-shaped structure in combination with its basic region (amino acids 86-97) polypeptides.     

一种拟南芥ZIP蛋白全长cDNA的克隆及表达

利用异质DNA探针 ,从拟南芥叶片cDNA文库中筛选到一个阳性cDNA克隆———AT10 3。DNA序列分析表明 ,其编码产物含有一个亮氨酸拉链结构域和一个核定位信号肽。GenBank数据库搜寻结果显示 ,AT10 3未与任何已知功能基因有同源性 ,但与裂叶牵牛PNZIP、集胞藻的一个ORF、紫菜的一个ORF ,构成了一个在进化上非常保守的含有亮氨酸拉链结构域的新家族 ,极有可能是一新的核基因转录因子。AT10 3是一个单拷贝基因 ,在叶片组织中强烈表达并受光调节     

Expression of the Avirulence gene Avr9 of the fungal tomato pathogen Cladosporium fulvum is regulated by the global nitrogen response factor NRF1

Here we describe the role of the Cladosporium fulvum nitrogen response factor 1 (Nrf1) gene in regulation of the expression of avirulence gene Avr9 and virulence on tomato. The Nrf1 gene, which was isolated by a polymerase chain reaction-based strategy, is predicted to encode a protein of 918 amino acid residues. The protein contains a putative zinc finger DNA-binding domain that shares 98% amino acid identity with the zinc finger of the major nitrogen regulatory proteins AREA and NIT2 of Aspergillus nidulans and Neurospora crassa, respectively. Functional equivalence of Nrf1 to areA was demonstrated by complementation of an A. nidulans areA loss-of-function mutant with Nrf1. Nrf1-deficient transformants of C. fulvum obtained by homologous recombination were unable to utilize nitrate and nitrite as a nitrogen source. In contrast to what was observed in the C. fulvum wild-type, the Avr9 gene was no longer induced under nitrogen-starvation conditions in Nrf1-deficient strains. On susceptible tomato plants, the Nrf1-deficient strains were as virulent as wild-type strains of C. fulvum, although the expression of the Avr9 gene was strongly reduced. In addition, Nrf1-deficient strains were still avirulent on tomato plants containing the functional Cf-9 resistance gene, indicating that in planta, apparently sufficient quantities of stable AVR9 elicitor are produced. Our results suggest that the NRF1 protein is a major regulator of the Avr9 gene.