Laity J H, Dyson H J, Wright P E
Department of Molecular Biology, Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Oct 24;97(22):11932-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.97.22.11932.
Alternate splicing, leading to the insertion of the tripeptide KTS in the linker between the third and fourth C(2)H(2) zinc fingers, changes both the DNA-binding function and the subnuclear localization of the Wilms' tumor suppressor protein (WT1). We have used NMR relaxation experiments to determine the molecular basis for the differing DNA recognition properties of the WT1-KTS and WT1+KTS isoforms. Our results show that the KTS insertion increases the flexibility of the linker between fingers 3 and 4 and abrogates binding of the fourth zinc finger to its cognate site in the DNA major groove. This represents a mechanism whereby a single zinc-finger gene can be used, through alternate splicing, to fulfill different functions in the cell.
可变剪接导致在第三个和第四个C(2)H(2)锌指之间的连接区插入三肽KTS,这改变了威尔姆斯肿瘤抑制蛋白(WT1)的DNA结合功能和亚核定位。我们利用核磁共振弛豫实验来确定WT1-KTS和WT1+KTS异构体不同DNA识别特性的分子基础。我们的结果表明,KTS插入增加了3号和4号锌指之间连接区的灵活性,并消除了第四个锌指与DNA大沟中其同源位点的结合。这代表了一种机制,通过可变剪接,单个锌指基因可用于在细胞中发挥不同功能。