Cooperative Interactions Between the Caenorhabditis elegans Homeoproteins UNC-86 and MEC-3

作者：Ding Xue, Yuan Tu, Martin Chalfie · 发表于：Science · 年份：1993 · DOI：10.1126/science.8103239 · 被引用次数：216 · 研究领域：Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms、CRISPR and Genetic Engineering、Signaling Pathways in Disease

The POU-type homeodomain protein UNC-86 and the LIM-type homeodomain protein MEC-3, which specify neuronal cell fate in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, bind cooperatively as a heterodimer to the mec-3 promoter. Heterodimer formation increases DNA binding stability and, therefore, increases DNA binding specificity. The in vivo significance of this heterodimer formation in neuronal differentiation is suggested by (i) a loss-of-function mec-3 mutation whose product in vitro binds DNA well but forms heterodimers with UNC-86 poorly and (ii) a mec-3 mutation with wild-type function whose product binds DNA poorly but forms heterodimers well.