Protein-DNA interactions: Characterization of a definitive DNA binding sequence consensus for full length mammalian DEAF-1 and determination of the DNA binding potential of the tumor metastasis related protein, MTA1

Abstract

DEAF-1 is a SAND domain family protein critically important in development. DEAF-1 contains a novel DNA binding fold and may play a role in certain types of cancer as well as in epigenetic molecular events such as DNA methylation and transcriptional silencing within the cell. A flexibly spaced bipartite DNA binding consensus for full length mammalian expressed DEAF-1 is described of the form TTCGGGN_6-8TTCGGG. CpG dinucleotides contained within the binding half sites are shown to be critically important to DEAF-1 interaction. DEAF-1 binding is shown to be sensitive to cytosine methylation within this CpG dinucleotide and to encompass a flexibility in CpG spacing of between 6 and 11 bases. DEAF-1 binding sites are found in over 2000 promoter sequences implying a broad range of potential physiological action. MTA1 was found not to interact with DNA at a level detectable by the methods employed.