1pzw

Publication Abstract from PubMed

About one-third of the more than 300 C2H2 zinc finger proteins of Drosophila contain a conserved sequence motif, the zinc finger-associated domain (ZAD). Genes that encode ZAD proteins are specific for and expanded in the genomes of insects. Only three ZAD-encoding gene functions are established, and the role of ZAD is unknown. Here we present the crystal structure of the ZAD of Grauzone (ZAD(Grau)), a Drosophila transcription factor that specifically controls the maternal Cdc20-like APC subunit Cortex. ZAD forms an atypical treble-clef-like zinc-coordinating fold. Head-to-tail arrangement of two ZAD(Grau) molecules in the crystals suggests dimer formation, an observation supported by crosslinking and dynamic light scattering. The results indicate that ZAD provides a novel protein-protein interaction module that characterizes a large family of insect transcription factors.

The zinc finger-associated domain of the Drosophila transcription factor grauzone is a novel zinc-coordinating protein-protein interaction module.,Jauch R, Bourenkov GP, Chung HR, Urlaub H, Reidt U, Jackle H, Wahl MC Structure. 2003 Nov;11(11):1393-402. PMID:14604529^[3]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.