Figure 5 - full size

Figure 5.
Figure 5. The MORE- and PORE-Type Interfaces Are Structurally Conserved in the POU Transcription Factor Family(A) Sequence alignment of POU domains from different transcription factors reported to dimerize in a DNA sequence-dependent fashion. Amino acid residues conserved to Oct-1 are indicated by dots. Residues involved in POU[S]-POU[H] interface formation in the Oct-1/MORE and Oct-1/PORE crystal structures are highlighted red and blue, respectively. Serine and threonine residues that are candidates for posttranslational modification are marked in yellow.(B and C) Oct-4/MORE and Oct-4/PORE homology model built with WHAT IF (Vriend, 1990) using the coordinate file of the respective crystal structures with Oct-1. Due to sequence variation in the two interfaces, both models predict new side chain-specific H bond formations between the two POU molecules. This finding demonstrates the versatile nature of the MORE- and the PORE-type interface. Ser159 and Ser107 play a central role in the MORE- and PORE-like interaction, respectively.(D) EMSA using an Oct-4 mutant containing a phosphorylation imitating mutation in the MORE dimerization interface (S159E). The Ser159Glu mutation selectively disrupts dimerization only on the MORE but not on the PORE motif. WT, wild-type Oct-4 protein; Igκ, oligonucleotide containing the octamer motif from the immunoglobulin kappa chain promoter; M, monomer; and D, dimer