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Mol. Cell. Biol., Apr 1995, 2166-2172, Vol 15, No. 4
E Jaffray, KM Wood and RT Hay
The DNA-binding activity and cellular distribution of the transcription
factor NF-kappa B are regulated by the inhibitor protein I kappa B alpha. I
kappa B alpha belongs to a family of proteins that contain multiple repeats
of a 30- to 35-amino-acid sequence that was initially recognized in the
erythrocyte protein ankyrin. Partial proteolysis has been used to study the
domain structure of I kappa B alpha and to determine the sites at which it
interacts with NF-kappa B. The data reveal a tripartite structure for I
kappa B alpha in which a central, protease-resistant domain composed of
five ankyrin repeats is flanked by an unstructured N-terminal extension and
a compact, highly acidic C- terminal domain that is connected to the core
of the protein by a flexible linker. Functional analysis of V8 cleavage
products indicates that I kappa B alpha molecules lacking the N-terminal
region can interact with and inhibit the DNA-binding activity of the p65
subunit of NF-kappa B, whereas I kappa B alpha molecules which lack both
the N- and C-terminal regions are incapable of doing so. Protease cleavage
of the N terminus of I kappa B alpha was unaffected by the presence of the
p65 subunit of NF-kappa B, whereas bound p65 blocked cleavage of the
flexible linker connecting the C-terminal domain to the ankyrin repeat-
containing core of the protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Copyright © 1995, American Society for Microbiology
Domain organization of I kappa B alpha and sites of interaction with NF- kappa B p65
School of Biological and Medical Sciences, University of St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland.
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