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Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Analyzing and Building Nucleic Acid Structures with 3DNA
Published on: April 26, 2013
Recognition by Max of its cognate DNA through a dimeric b/HLH/Z domain
A R Ferré-D'Amaré1, G C Prendergast, E B Ziff
1Laboratories of Molecular Biophysics, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021.
Abstract:
The three-dimensional structure of the basic/helix-loop-helix/leucine zipper domain of the transcription factor Max complexed with DNA has been determined by X-ray crystallography at 2.9 A resolution. Max binds as a dimer to its recognition sequence CACGTG by direct contacts between the alpha-helical basic region and the major groove. This symmetric homodimer, a new protein fold, is a parallel, left-handed, four-helix bundle, with each monomer containing two alpha-helical segments separated by a loop. The two alpha-helical segments are composed of the basic region plus helix 1 and helix 2 plus the leucine repeat, respectively. As in GCN4, the leucine repeat forms a parallel coiled coil.
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