Function and Structural highlights
Here we show the molecule structure while binding to the DNA, with each subunit represented in a different color: NF-YA in blue, NF-YB in green and NF-YC in pink, while the DNA is represented in grey. Here is its and its with alpha-helixes colored in pink, and beta-sheets colored in yellow. Using the representation we can see the secondary structures in each subunit.
The NF-Y binding to the DNA depends initially on the hetrodimerization of NF-YB and NF-YC subunits, which associate and then allow NF-YA to associate with the complex, which is now ready for binding to the CCAAT sequence in the DNA. NF-YA has a specific C-terminal domain responsible for CCAAT recognition, and the binding is shown in the image below.
Although NF-YA is responsible for DNA site recognition, all of the 3 NF-Y subunits can contact DNA after CCAAT binding, and the contact regions are shown in the image below.
