Interactions between HMG proteins and the core sequence of DNaseI hypersensitive site 2 in the locus control region (LCR) of the human β-like globin gene cluster

HMG proteins are abundant chromosomal non-histone proteins. It has been suggested that the HMG proteins may play an important role in the structure and function of chromatin. In the present study, the binding of HMG proteins (HMG1/2 and HMG14/17) to the core DNA sequence of DNaseI hypersensitive site 2 (HS2core DNA sequence, -10681--10970 bp) in the locus control region (LCR) of the human b-like globin gene cluster has been examined by using both the in vitro nucleosome reconstitution and the gel mobility shift assays. Here we show that HMG1/2 can bind to the naked HS2core DNA sequence, however, HMG14/17 cannot. Using the in vitro nucleosome reconstitution we demonstrate that HMG14/17 can bind to the HS2core DNA sequence which is assembled into nucleosomes with the core histone octamer transferred from chicken erythrocytes. In contrast, HMG1/2 cannot bind to the nucleosomes reconstituted in vitro with the HS2core DNA sequence. These results indicate that the binding patterns between HMG proteins and the HS2core DNA sequence which exists in different states (the naked DNA or the in vitro reconstituted nucleosomal DNA) are quite different. We speculate that HMG proteins might play a critical role in the regulation of the human β-like globin gene's expression.     

大鼠C3基因TATA区结合核蛋白与其转录活性关系的研究

大鼠Ｃ３基因的转录受雄激素调控且只在大鼠腹侧前列腺中表达。本文报道用凝胶电泳带漂移分析和离体ＤＮａｇｅＩ足迹法分析研究了大鼠Ｃ３基因ＴＡＴＡ区结合核蛋白与其组织专一的和雄激素调控的转录活性间的关系。结果表示：相同的（－５０到－１０）４ｂｐ的ＴＡＴＡ区ＤＮＡ片段在不同组织的细胞核中结合的核蛋白是不同的。通过与一个仅在ＴＡＴＡ区－２９．位核苷酸Ａ变为Ｇ的天然存在的不表达的Ｃ３（２）等位基因上此片段的核蛋白结合能力作比较后提示在Ｃ３基因唯一表达的组织—腹侧前列腺中，结合在此区的核蛋白是－２９位Ａ依赖的，而在所研究的不表达组织—肝和睾丸中则否。而且此类蛋白质还可能具有与雄激素调控此基因表达有关的其他反式作用因子相互作用的结构域．