Related Experiment Videos
Winged helix proteins
1Laboratories of Molecular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Current Opinion in Structural Biology
|February 19, 2000
Summary
Winged helix proteins, a diverse DNA-binding family, show varied recognition modes. Recent findings reveal novel DNA interactions by transcription factor RFX1, suggesting distinct protein subclasses.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Structural Biology
Background:
- Winged helix proteins are a subfamily of helix-turn-helix proteins.
- The winged helix/fork head motif was discovered in 1993.
- Numerous winged helix proteins with varied functions have been structurally characterized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the DNA-binding mechanism of winged helix transcription factor RFX1.
- To explore novel DNA recognition interactions within the winged helix protein family.
Main Methods:
- X-ray crystallography
- Solution NMR spectroscopy
Main Results:
- RFX1 binds DNA via unprecedented interactions involving one of its wings and the major groove.
- This interaction mode differs significantly from previously understood winged helix DNA binding.
Conclusions:
- Winged helix proteins can be classified into at least two distinct groups based on their DNA recognition strategies.
- The discovery challenges existing paradigms of winged helix-DNA interactions and highlights functional diversity.