Abstract
Chromosomal high-mobility-group (HMG) proteins occur ubiquitously in eukaryotes and their common structural and biochemical features indicate a critical role. In this context, we compared structural and functional aspects of HMG proteins from the monocotyledonous plant maize and the dicotyledonous plant Vicia faba. Besides biochemical similarities and immunological differences found between these proteins, the isolation and characterization of a cDNA encoding the V. faba homologue of the maize HMGa protein revealed great similarities between these two proteins, including the HMG-box DNA-binding motif and an acidic domain. Therefore, like the maize HMGa protein, the V. faba HMG protein belongs to the vertebrate HMG1 family, which consists of HMG proteins and transcription factors of various eukaryotes.
References
Brown JWS, Wandelt C, Feix G, Neuhaus G, Schweiger H-G. The upstream regions of zein genes: sequence analysis and expression in the unicellular alga Acetabularia. Eur J Cell Biol 42: 161–170 (1986).
Bustin M, Lehn DA, Landsman D: Structural features of the HMG chromosomal proteins and their genes. Biochim Biophys Acta 1049: 231–243 (1990).
Einck L, Bustin M: The intracellular distribution and function of the high mobility group chromosomal proteins. Exp Cell Res 156: 295–310 (1985).
Fashena SJ, Reeves R, Ruddle NR: A poly (dA-dT) upstream activating sequence binds high-mobility-group I protein and contributes to lymphotoxin (tumor necrosis factor-β) gene regulation. Mol Cell Biol 12: 894–903 (1992).
Frohman MA, Dush MK, Martin GR: Rapid production of full-length cDNAs from rare transcripts: amplification using a single gene-specific oligonucleotide primer. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 85: 8998–9002 (1988).
Grasser KD, Feix G: Isolation and characterization of maize cDNAs encoding a high mobility group protein displaying a HMG-box. Nucl Acids Res 19: 2573–2577 (1991).
Grasser KD, Maier U-G, Feix G: A nuclear casein type II kinase from maize endosperm phosphorylating HMG proteins. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 162: 456–463 (1989).
Grasser KD, Maier U-G, Haass MM, Feix G: Maize high mobility group proteins bind to CCAAT and TATA boxes of a zein gene promoter. J Biol Chem 265: 4185–4188 (1990).
Grasser KD, Wurz A, Feix G: Isolation and characterization of high-mobility-group proteins from maize. Planta 185: 350–355 (1991).
Griess EA, Grasser KD, Feix G: Repeat units from a rDNA external spacer region exhibit DNA-curvature and interact with HMG proteins. Planta, in press (1993).
Griess EA, Rensing SA, Grasser KD, Maier U-G, Feix G: Phylogenetic relationships of HMG box DNA-binding domains. J Mol Evol, in press (1993).
Jacobsen K, Laursen NB, Jensen EO, Marcker A, Poulsen C, Marcker KA: HMGI-like proteins from leaf and nodule nuclei interact with different AT motifs in soybean nodulin promoters. Plant Cell 2: 85–94 (1990).
Kolodrubetz D, Burgum A: Duplicated NHP6 genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encode proteins homologous to bovine high mobility group protein 1. J Biol Chem 265: 3234–3239 (1990).
Kyte J, Doolittle RF: A simple method for displaying the hydropathic character of a protein. J Mol Biol 157: 105–132 (1982).
Landsman D, Bustin M: Assessment of the transcriptional activation potential of the HMG chromosomal proteins. Mol Cell Biol 11: 4483–4489 (1991).
Laux T, Goldberg RB: A plant DNA binding protein shares highly conserved sequence motifs with HMG-box proteins. Nucl Acids Res 19: 4769 (1991).
Maier U-G, Grasser KD, Haass MM, Feix G: Multiple proteins bind to the P2 promoter region of the zein gene pMS1 of maize. Mol Gen Genet 221: 164–170 (1990).
Mithieux G, Roux B: Study of a chromatin domain different from bulk chromatin in barley nuclei. Biochim Biophys Acta 781: 286–293 (1984).
Moehs CP, McElwain EF, Spiker S: Chromosomal proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Mol Biol 11: 507–515 (1988).
Pedersen TJ, Arwood LJ, Spiker S, Guiltinan MJ, Thompson TF: High mobility group proteins bind to AT-rich tracts flanking plant genes. Plat Mol Biol 16: 95–104 (1991).
Schulman IG, Wang T, Wu M, Bowen J, Cook RG, Gorovsky MA, Allis CD: Macronuclei and micronuclei in Tetrahymena thermophila contain high-mobility-group-like chromosomal proteins containing a highly conserved eleven-amino-acid putative DNA-binding sequence. Mol Cell Biol 11: 166–174 (1991).
Singh J, Dixon GH: High mobility group proteins 1 and 2 function as general class II transcription factors. Biochemistry 29: 6295–6302 (1990).
Spiker S: High mobility group chromosomal proteins of wheat. J Biol Chem 259: 12007–12013 (1984).
Spiker S, Everett KM: Blotting index of dissimilarity: Use to study immunological relatedness of plant and animal high mobility group (HMG) chromosomal proteins. Plant Mol Biol 9: 431–442 (1987).
Spiker S, Murray MG, Thompson WF: DNase I sensitivity of transcriptionally active genes in intact nuclei and isolated chromatin of plants. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 80: 815–819 (1983).
Thanos D, Maniatis T: The high mobility group HMG I(Y) is required for NF-κB-dependent virus induction of the human IFN-β gene. Cell 71: 777–789 (1992).
Tremethick DJ, Molloy PL: High mobility group proteins 1 and 2 stiulate transcription in vitro by RNA polymerases II and III. J Biol Chem 261: 6986–6992 (1986).
Ull MA, Herrero ME, Franco L: Putative high mobility group non-histone chromosomal proteins from pea. Plant Sci 75: 55–62 (1991).
Vanderbilt JN, Anderson JN: Monoclonal antibodies as probes for the complexity, phylogeny, and chromatin distribution of high mobility group chromosomal proteins 1 and 2. J Biol Chem 260: 9336–9345 (1985).
Vincentz M, Gigot C: HMG-like protein in barley and corn nuclei. Plant Mol Biol 4: 161–168 (1985).
Wagner CR, Hamana K, Elgin SCR: A high-mobility-group protein and its cDNAs from Drosophila melanogaster. Mol Cell Biol 12: 1915–1923 (1992).
Wisniewski JR, Schulze E: Insect proteins homologous to mammalian high mobility group protein 1. J Biol Chem 267: 17170–17177 (1992).
Yang-Yen H-F, Rothblum LI: Purification and characterization of a high-mobility-group-like DNA-binding protein that stimulates rRNA synthesis in vitro. Mol Cell Biol 8: 3406–3414 (1988).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
these authors have contributed equally and should be considered as senior authors
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Grasser, K.D., Wohlfarth, T., Bäumlein, H. et al. Comparative analysis of chromosomal HMG proteins from monocotyledons and dicotyledons. Plant Mol Biol 23, 619–625 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00019309
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00019309