Identification of functional domains in TdIF1 and its inhibitory mechanism for TdT activity

Genes Cells. 2007 Aug;12(8):941-59. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2443.2007.01105.x.

Abstract

TdT interacting factor 1 (TdIF1) was identified as a protein that binds to terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase (TdT) to negatively regulate TdT activity. TdT is a template-independent DNA polymerase that catalyzes the incorporation of deoxynucleotides to the 3'-hydroxyl end of DNA templates to increase the junctional diversity of immunoglobulin or T-cell receptor (TcR) genes. Here, using bioinformatics analysis, we identified the TdT binding, DNA binding and dimerization regions, and nuclear localization signal (NLS) in TdIF1. TdIF1 bound to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) through three DNA binding regions: residues 1-75, the AT-hook-like motif (ALM) and the predicted helix-turn-helix (HTH) motif. ALM in TdIF1 preferentially bound to AT-rich DNA regions. NLS was of the bipartite type and overlapped ALM. TdIF1 bound to the Pol beta-like region in TdT and blocked TdT access to DNA ends. In the presence of dsDNA, however, TdIF1 bound to dsDNA to release TdT from the TdIF1/TdT complex and to exhibit TdT activity, implying that active TdT released microenvironmentally concentrates around AT-rich DNA to synthesize DNA.

MeSH terms

  • AT Rich Sequence
  • Amino Acid Motifs
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry*
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • DNA, Single-Stranded / metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / metabolism
  • Dimerization
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nuclear Localization Signals
  • Nuclear Proteins / chemistry*
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Transcription Factors

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • DNA, Single-Stranded
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • DNTTIP1 protein, human
  • Nuclear Localization Signals
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • DNA polymerase X
  • DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase
  • DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase