Oct-2 DNA binding transcription factor: functional consequences of phosphorylation and glycosylation

Phosphorylation and O-GlcNAc modification often induce conformational changes and allow the protein to specifically interact with other proteins. Interplay of phosphorylation and O-GlcNAc modification at the same conserved site may result in the protein undergoing functional switches. We describe that at conserved Ser/Thr residues of human Oct-2, alternative phosphorylation and O-GlcNAc modification (Yin Yang sites) can be predicted by the YinOYang1.2 method. We propose here that alternative phosphorylation and O-GlcNAc modification at Ser191 in the N-terminal region, Ser271 and 274 in the linker region of two POU sub-domains and Thr301 and Ser323 in the POUh subdomain are involved in the differential binding behavior of Oct-2 to the octamer DNA motif. This implies that phosphorylation or O-GlcNAc modification of the same amino acid may result in a different binding capacity of the modified protein. In the C-terminal domain, Ser371, 389 and 394 are additional Yin Yang sites that could be involved in the modulation of Oct-2 binding properties.     

DNA conformation and its changes upon binding transcription factors

Pyrimidine-purine steps are flexible and can roll around the major groove. This feature is used to follow the protein surface and thereby create a particular superstructure of DNA. The interaction of the two molecules can be understood in terms of a close fitting of the two surfaces, in particular, how the DNA surface adapts to the protein surface. For analysing the fitting the widths of two DNA grooves are useful parameters.Much progress has been made since Schrödinger predicted “a gene to be an aperiodic solid (or a crystal)” (29) and we hope that our review may contribute in a small way.