Tafuri S R, Wolffe A P
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda MD 20892.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1990 Nov;87(22):9028-32. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.22.9028.
We describe the cloning and characterization of two cDNAs from Xenopus laevis that encode sequence-specific DNA binding proteins called FRG Y1 and FRG Y2 (frog Y-box proteins 1 and 2). During oogenesis and embryogenesis, the genes encoding these proteins are differentially expressed. FRG Y1 mRNA is present in oocytes, embryos, and all adult tissues examined, whereas FRG Y2 mRNA is found only in testis and immature oocytes. The FRG Y1 and FRG Y2 proteins are shown to stimulate transcription from a promoter containing a Y box (CTGATTGGCCAA). This promoter element is found in both mammalian major histocompatibility complex class II and Xenopus germ-cell-specific genes. FRG Y1, FRG Y2, and a human Y-box binding protein are homologous and represent a distinct family of sequence-specific DNA binding proteins. We identify protamine-like regions that are present within this family of transcription factors, suggesting that they use unusual means of binding to DNA.
我们描述了从非洲爪蟾中克隆和鉴定出的两个cDNA，它们编码名为FRG Y1和FRG Y2（蛙Y盒蛋白1和2）的序列特异性DNA结合蛋白。在卵子发生和胚胎发生过程中，编码这些蛋白的基因呈差异表达。FRG Y1 mRNA存在于卵母细胞、胚胎以及所有检测的成体组织中，而FRG Y2 mRNA仅在睾丸和未成熟卵母细胞中发现。FRG Y1和FRG Y2蛋白被证明可刺激来自含有Y盒（CTGATTGGCCAA）的启动子的转录。该启动子元件在哺乳动物主要组织相容性复合体II类基因和非洲爪蟾生殖细胞特异性基因中均有发现。FRG Y1、FRG Y2和一种人类Y盒结合蛋白具有同源性，代表了一个独特的序列特异性DNA结合蛋白家族。我们鉴定出该转录因子家族中存在的鱼精蛋白样区域，这表明它们采用不同寻常的方式与DNA结合。
