Sequence specificity is obtained from the majority of modular C2H2 zinc-finger arrays.

ABSTRACT: C2H2 zinc fingers (C2H2-ZFs) are the most prevalent type of vertebrate DNA-binding domain, and typically appear in tandem arrays (ZFAs), with sequential C2H2-ZFs each contacting three (or more) sequential bases. C2H2-ZFs can be assembled in a modular fashion, providing one explanation for their remarkable evolutionary success. Given a set of modules with defined three-base specificities, modular assembly also presents a way to construct artificial proteins with specific DNA-binding preferences. However, a recent survey of a large number of three-finger ZFAs engineered by modular assembly reported high failure rates (∼70%), casting doubt on the generality of modular assembly. Here, we used protein-binding microarrays to analyze 28 ZFAs that failed in the aforementioned study. Most (17) pref

SUBMITTER: Lam KN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3113560 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature