LaTBP1: a Leishmania amazonensis DNA-binding protein that associates in vivo with telomeres and GT-rich DNA using a Myb-like domain

Arch Biochem Biophys. 2007 Sep 15;465(2):399-409. doi: 10.1016/j.abb.2007.06.020. Epub 2007 Jun 29.

Abstract

Different species of Leishmania can cause a variety of medically important diseases, whose control and treatment are still health problems. Telomere binding proteins (TBPs) have potential as targets for anti-parasitic chemotherapy because of their importance for genome stability and cell viability. Here, we describe LaTBP1 a protein that has a Myb-like DNA-binding domain, a feature shared by most double-stranded telomeric proteins. Binding assays using full-length and truncated LaTBP1 combined with spectroscopy analysis were used to map the boundaries of the Myb-like domain near to the protein only tryptophan residue. The Myb-like domain of LaTBP1 contains a conserved hydrophobic cavity implicated in DNA-binding activity. A hypothetical model helped to visualize that it shares structural homology with domains of other Myb-containing proteins. Competition assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation confirmed the specificity of LaTBP1 for telomeric and GT-rich DNAs, suggesting that LaTBP1 is a new TBP.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Binding Sites
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / chemistry*
  • Leishmania / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oncogene Proteins v-myb / chemistry*
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Telomere / chemistry*

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Oncogene Proteins v-myb
  • DNA

Associated data

  • GENBANK/DQ087596