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Nucleic Acids Research, 2000, Vol. 28, No. 18 3551-3557
© 2000 Oxford University Press

Prod is a novel DNA-binding protein that binds to the 1.686 g/cm3 10 bp satellite repeat of Drosophila melanogaster

Tibor Török*, Mátyás Gorjánácz, Peter J. Bryant1 and István Kiss

Institute of Genetics, Biological Research Center of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged H-6701, Hungary and 1Developmental Biology Center, University of California, Irvine, CA 92717, USA

The proliferation disrupter (prod) gene of Drosophila melanogaster encodes a novel protein associated with centromeric chromosomal regions that is required for chromatin condensation and cell viability. We have examined the binding of the Prod protein to DNA in vitro. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrate that Prod is a DNA-binding protein that specifically recognizes the 10 bp AGAATAACAT satellite repeat of D.melanogaster. Footprinting experiments show that the protein interacts with a 5–8 bp target sequence in each 10 bp repeat and suggest that it can mediate condensation of this satellite into a superhelix. Gel retardation experiments indicate that Prod does not have a well defined DNA-binding domain and it binds the satellite in a co-operative manner, probably forming Prod multimers. Since Prod localizes to both heterochromatin and euchromatin in vivo, we discuss the possibility that the ability of pre-existing euchromatic proteins to bind DNA in a co-operative manner, might be a prerequisite of satellite compaction and satellite amplification, thereby providing a basic factor in heterochromatin evolution.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed at present address: Institute of Molecular Pathology, Dr. Bohr gasse 7, 1030 Vienna, Austria. Tel: +43 1 797 30; Fax: +43 1 798 7153; Email: torok@nt.imp.univie.ac.at


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