Crystal structure of the trithorax group protein ASH2L reveals a forkhead-like DNA binding domain

Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2011 Jun 5;18(7):857-9. doi: 10.1038/nsmb.2093.

Abstract

Absent, small or homeotic discs-like 2 (ASH2L) is a trithorax group (TrxG) protein and a regulatory subunit of the SET1 family of lysine methyltransferases. Here we report that ASH2L binds DNA using a forkhead-like helix-wing-helix (HWH) domain. In vivo, the ASH2L HWH domain is required for binding to the β-globin locus control region, histone H3 Lys4 (H3K4) trimethylation and maximal expression of the β-globin gene (Hbb-1), validating the functional importance of the ASH2L DNA binding domain.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Motifs
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • DNA / metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / chemistry*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Nuclear Proteins / chemistry*
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Transcription Factors / chemistry*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • ASH2L protein, human
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • DNA

Associated data

  • PDB/3S32

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