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Using gel retardation and DNase I protection techniques, we have demonstrated that the Escherichia coli integration host factor (IHF) stabilizes the interaction between Mu repressor and its cognate operator-binding sites in vitro. These results are discussed in terms of a model in which IHF may commit the phage to the lyric or lysogenic pathway depending on the occupancy of the operator sites by the repressor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have generated a series of 3′ deletions of a cloned copy of the bacteriophage Mu transposase (A) gene. The corresponding truncated proteins, expressed under the control of the λ PI promoter, were analysed in vivo for their capacity to complement a super-infecting MuAam phage, both for lytic growth and lysogeny, and for their effect on growth of wild-type Mu following infection or induction of a lysogen. Using crude cell extracts, we have also examined binding properties of these proteins to the ends of Mu. The results allow us to further define regions of the protein important in replicative transposition, establishment of lysogeny and DNA binding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show, using gel retardation, that crude Escherichia coli cell extracts contain a protein which binds specifically to DNA fragments carrying either end of the phage Mu genome. We have identified this protein as Fis, a factor involved in several site-specific recombinational switches. Furthermore, we show that induction of a Mucts62 prophage in a fis lysogen occurs at a lower temperature than that of a wild-type strain, and that spontaneous induction of Mucfs62 is increased in the fis mutant. DNasel footprinting using either crude extracts or purified Fis indicate that binding on the left end of Mu occurs at a site which overlaps a weak transposase binding site. Thus, Fis may modulate Mu growth by influencing the binding of transposase, or other proteins, to the transposase binding site(s), in a way similar to its influence on Xis binding in phage λ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report describes the first purification procedure of the human full-length N Oct-3 protein in amounts suitable for structural studies and proteomic investigations. N Oct-3 is a transcription factor member of the POU protein family. It possesses a large N-terminal transactivation domain and a DNA-binding domain (DBD) which is composed of two subdomains, POUs and POUh, which are joined by a linker peptide. N Oct-3 is a master gene for central nervous system development but also for melanoma progression. Previous structural studies have all been performed using N Oct-3 DBD only. In this study, the full-length N Oct-3 protein was bacterially expressed and purified to homogeneity. The purified protein gave a single band at approximately 53 kDa on SDS-PAGE, while cDNA sequence analysis revealed a calculated molecular mass of 47 kDa confirmed by mass spectroscopy. Size-exclusion chromatography experiments indicated that in solution, full-length N Oct-3 was a monomer. Circular dichroïsm and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence showed that full-length N Oct-3 was folded, with a significant alpha-helix content probably located in its DBD. Comparison with the purified N Oct-3 DBD demonstrated that, at least in vitro, the affinity of the protein for its DNA targets was similar. This suggests that the transactivation domain of N Oct-3 was not involved in N Oct-3 DNA interaction.

The 'POU' (acronym of Pit-1, Oct-1, Unc-86) family of transcription factors share a common DNA-binding domain of approximately 160 residues, comprising so-called 'POUs' and 'POUh' sub-domains connected by a flexible linker. The importance of POU proteins as developmental regulators and tumor-promoting agents is due to linker flexibility, which allows them to adapt to a considerable variety of DNA targets. However, because of this flexibility, it has not been possible to determine the Oct-1/Pit-1 linker structure in crystallographic POU/DNA complexes. We have previously shown that the neuronal POU protein N-Oct-3 linker contains a structured region. Here, we have used a combination of hydrodynamic methods, DNA footprinting experiments, molecular modeling and small angle X-ray scattering to (i) structurally interpret the N-Oct-3-binding site within the HLA DRalpha gene promoter and deduce from this a novel POU domain allosteric conformation and (ii) analyze the molecular mechanisms involved in conformational transitions. We conclude that there might exist a continuum running from free to 'pre-bound' N-Oct-3 POU conformations and that regulatory DNA regions likely select pre-existing conformers, in addition to molding the appropriate DBD structure. Finally, we suggest that a specific pair of glycine residues in the linker might act as a major conformational switch.

N-Oct-3 is a neuronal transcription factor widely expressed in the developing mammalian central nervous system, and necessary to maintain neural cell differentiation. The key role of N-Oct-3 in the transcriptional regulation of a multiplicity of genes is primarily due to the structural plasticity of its so-called 'POU' (acronym of Pit, Oct, Unc) DNA-binding domain. We have recently reported about the unusual dual neuro-specific transcriptional regulation displayed by N-Oct-3 [Blaud,M., Vossen,C., Joseph,G., Alazard,R., Erard,M. and Nieto,L. (2004) J. Mol. Biol., 339, 1049-1058]. To elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms, we have now made use of molecular modeling, DNA footprinting and electrophoretic mobility shift assay techniques. This combined approach has allowed us to uncover a novel mode of homodimerization adopted by the N-Oct-3 POU domain bound to the neuronal aromatic amino acids de-carboxylase and corticotropin-releasing hormone gene promoters and to demonstrate that this pattern is induced by a structural motif that we have termed 'NORE' (N-Oct-3 responsive element), comprising the 14 bp sequence element TNNRTAAATAATRN. In addition, we have been able to explain how the same structural motif can also induce the formation of a heterodimer in association with hepatocyte nuclear factor 3beta(/Forkhead box a2). Finally, we discuss the possible role of the NORE motif in relation to neuroendocrine lung tumor formation, and in particular the development of small cell lung cancer.

N Oct-3, a neurospecific POU protein, homodimerizes in a non-cooperative fashion on the neuronal aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase gene promoter and generates heterodimers with HNF-3beta. Several other neuronal gene promoters, the corticotropin releasing hormone and the aldolase C gene promoters also contain overlapping binding sites for N Oct-3 and HNF-3beta. We have demonstrated that N Oct-3 presents a non-cooperative homodimerization on these two additional targets and can also give rise to heterodimers with HNF-3beta. Surprisingly, despite the high degree of conservation of the respective POU subunits, the ubiquitous POU protein Oct-1 can only form monomers even in the presence of either N Oct-3 or HNF-3beta on these DNA targets. Our data indicate that this difference is correlated with the specific ability of a portion of the N Oct-3 linker to fold as an alpha-helix, a property shared by class III POU proteins. These results suggest that this novel binding pattern permits the heterodimerization of N Oct-3 and HNF-3beta on the neuronal promoters, which could be a key issue in the development of the nervous system and possibly tumors of neural origin.

The regulation of the lytic and lysogenic development in the life cycle of bacteriophage Mu is regulated in part by its repressor, c, which binds to three operator sites, O1, O2 and O3, overlapping two divergent promoters. The oligomeric structure of this repressor protein was investigated by hydrodynamic and biochemical methods. Size-exclusion chromatography, analytical ultracentrifugation, dynamic light scattering, crosslinking and direct electron microscopy observations suggest that c exists primarily as a hexamer with a molecular mass of 120-140 kDa at low concentrations, i.e. in the 10-microM range. This molecule undergoes a self-assembly process leading to dodecamers and higher order species as the concentration is further increased in a manner depending on the nature of the solvent. Our results also suggest that these species have an elongated structure, and a possible arrangement of the subunits within the hexamer is proposed. The implication of this unusual quaternary structure for a repressor in its interaction with the operator sites O1 and O2 remains to be elucidated.

The repressor of bacteriophage Mu, c, binds to three operator sites, O1, O2, and O3, overlapping two divergent promoters, which regulate the lytic and lysogenic pathways. Its binding to this operator region generates several complexes, which were analyzed by DNase I protection experiments. We demonstrate that c first binds to two 11-base pair partially repeated sequences in O2 that could represent "core" binding sites for the repressor. This initial interaction serves as an organizer of a more complex nucleoprotein structure in which O2, O1, and O3 become successively occupied. The quaternary structure of the repressor was also investigated. Size exclusion chromatography and protein-protein crosslinking experiments with chemicals that possess linking arms of various lengths indicate that the repressor oligomerizes in solution. A model is proposed describing the successive interactions of c with the operator sites O2, O1, and O3 leading to the elaboration of a higher order structure in which the early lytic functions are repressed.

Integration host factor (IHF) binds in a sequence-specific manner to the bacteriophage Mu early operator. It participates with bound Mu repressor, c, in building stable, large molecular mass nucleoprotein complexes in vitro and enhances repression of early transcription in vivo. We demonstrate that, when the specific IHF binding site with the operator is mutated, the appearance of large molecular mass complexes still depends on IHF and c, but the efficiency of their formation is reduced. Moreover, the IHF-like HU protein, which binds DNA in a non-sequence-specific way, can substitute for IHF and participate in complex formation. Since the complexes require both c and a host factor (IHF or HU), the results imply that these proteins stabilise each other within the nucleoprotein structures. These results suggest that IHF and HU are directed to the repressor-operator complexes, even in the absence of detectable sequence-specific binding. This could be a consequence of their preferential recognition of DNA containing a distortion such as that introduced by repressor binding to the operator. The histone-like proteins could then stabilise the nucleoprotein complexes simply by their capacity to maintain a bend in DNA rather than by specific protein-protein interactions with c. This model is supported by the observation that the unrelated eukaryotic HMG-1 protein, which exhibits a similar marked preference for structurally deformed DNA, is also able to participate in the formation of higher-order complexes with c and the operator DNA.

The Escherichia coli FIS (factor for inversion stimulation) protein has been implicated in assisting bacteriophage Mu repressor, c, in maintaining the lysogenic state under certain conditions. In a fis strain, a temperature-inducible Mucts62 prophage is induced at lower temperatures than in a wild-type host (M. Bétermier, V. Lefrère, C. Koch, R. Alazard, and M. Chandler, Mol. Microbiol. 3:459-468, 1989). Increasing the prophage copy number rendered Mucts62 less sensitive to this effect of the fis mutation, which thus seems to depend critically on the level of repressor activity. The present study also provides evidence that FIS affects the control of Mu gene expression and transposition. As judged by the use of lac transcriptional fusions, repression of early transcription was reduced three- to fourfold in a fis background, and this could be compensated by an increase in cts62 gene copy number. c was also shown to inhibit Mu transposition two- to fourfold less strongly in a fis host. These modulatory effects, however, could not be correlated to sequence-specific binding of FIS to the Mu genome, in particular to the strong site previously identified on the left end. We therefore speculate that a more general function of FIS is responsible for the observed modulation of Mu lysogeny.

A 9.3-kb Eco RI fragment obtained by partial digestion of the plasmid pDR2000 and containing the uvrA and ssbA genes was subcloned in the insertion vector lambda gt4. Two hybrid bacteriophages carrying this fragment inserted in opposite orientations were isolated and used to lysogenize a uvrA and an ssbA mutant of Escherichia coli. Both phages conferred to these host bacteria the ultraviolet resistance of the wild-type parent indicating full complementation of the uvrA and of the ssbA defect. Two polypeptides corresponding to the molecular weights of the UVRA protein (115 000 dalton) and of the SSB protein (18 500 dalton) were synthesized and amplified after infection of a UV-irradiated lambda ind- lysogen with these 2 hybrid phages. The UVRA protein was not amplified after infection of a lex A3 host while SSB was still produced in large amount. These results establish that uvrA is repressed by lexA in vivo whereas ssbA is not.

Complex formation between bovine neurophysin II and oxytocin molecules containing 85% 13C enrichment in specific amino acid residues was studied using 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Chemical shift and relaxation time values of the analogue [13C-Leu3]oxytocin, [13C-Gly9]oxytocin, and the doubly labeled [13C-Ile3 Gly9]oxytocin were obtained for the hormones in the absence and presence of neurophysin. The results showed that certain 13C nuclear magnetic resonance parameters of residue 3 but not of residue 9 of oxytocin are altered upon binding to neurophysin. These observations suggest that residue 3 but not residue 9 is involved in the protein-hormone interaction and they demonstrate the general applicability of selective 13C enrichment for the study of peptide-protein interactions.

Treatment of wild type Escherichia coli with cis -Pt(NH3)2Cl2 increased the survival and frequency of clear plaques formation of lambda phage damaged by UV radiation. The reactivation process was present in an uvrA mutant and abolished in a lexA host. Trans-Pt(NH3)2Cl2 and [Pt(dien) Cl]Cl (dien = 2HN-CH2-CH2NH-CH2-CH2-NH2) which, inhibited DNA synthesis less than the cis isomer or not at all, respectively, induced only a slight increase in survival of UV irradiated phage while mutagenesis was not affected. A relation exists between the reactivation of UV damaged phage in bacteria treated with these three compounds and their recently reported abilities to inhibit DNA synthesis and induce recA protein.

A simple three-step procedure for the large scale purification of DNA ligase has been developed. THe source of enzyme is a strain of Escherichia coli with a hybrid lambda prophage constructed in vitro that bears the ligase overproducing gene lop 11 lig+ (Panasenko, S., Cameron, J., Davis, R. W., and Lehman, I. R. (1977) Science 196, 188-189). The procedure yields homogeneous enzyme in approximately 40% yield.

We devised a method for isolating mutations in the bacteriophage Mu A gene which encodes the phage transposase. Nine new conditional defective A mutations were isolated. These, as well as eight previously isolated mutations, were mapped with a set of defined deletions which divided the gene into 13 100- to 200-base-pair segments. Phages carrying these mutations were analyzed for their ability to lysogenize and to transpose in nonpermissive hosts. One Aam mutation, Aam7110, known to retain the capacity to support lysogenization of a sup0 host (M. M. Howe, K. J. O'Day, and D. W. Shultz, Virology 93:303-319, 1979) and to map 91 base pairs from the 3' end of the gene (R. M. Harshey and S. D. Cuneo, J. Genet. 65:159-174, 1987) was shown to be able to complement other A mutations for lysogenization, although it was incapable of catalyzing either the replication of Mu DNA or the massive conservative integration required for phage growth. Four Ats mutations which map at different positions in the gene were able to catalyze lysogenization but not phage growth at the nonpermissive temperature. Phages carrying mutations located at different positions in the Mu B gene (which encodes a product necessary for efficient integration and lytic replication) were all able to lysogenize at the same frequency. These results suggest that the ability of Mu to lysogenize is not strictly correlated with its ability to perform massive conservative and replicative transposition.