Zinc Fingers in Sex Determination: Only One of the Two C. Elegans Tra-1 Proteins Binds DNA in Vitro

Overview

Journal Nucleic Acids Res

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Biochemistry

Date 1993 Aug 11

PMID 8367286

Citations 30

Authors

D Zarkower

J Hodgkin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The tra-1 gene of Caenorhabditis elegans is a major developmental regulator that promotes female development. Two mRNAs are expressed from the tra-1 locus as a result of alternative mRNA processing. One mRNA encodes a protein with five zinc fingers and the other a protein with only the first two zinc fingers. We have derived a preferred in vitro DNA binding site for the five finger protein by selection from random oligonucleotides. The two finger protein does not bind to DNA in vitro. Moreover, removal of the first two fingers from the five finger protein does not eliminate binding and has little effect on its preferred binding site. We find that a protein sequence amino-terminal to the finger domain also appears to play a role in DNA binding.

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