Abstract
The mouse Brachyury (T) gene is required for differentiation of the notochord and formation of mesoderm during posterior development. Homozygous embryos lacking T activity do not develop a trunk and tail and die in utero. The T gene is specifically expressed in notochord and early mesoderm cells in the embryo. recent data have demonstrated that the T protein is localized in the cell nucleus and specifically binds to a palindrome of 20 bp (the T site) in vitro. We show that the T protein activates expression of a reporter gene in HeLa cells through binding to the T site. Thus T is a novel tissue-specific transcription factor. It consists of a large N-terminal DNA binding domain (amino acids 1-229) and two pairs of transactivation and repression domains in the C-terminal protein half. T can also transactivate transcription through variously oriented and spaced T sites, a fact that may be relevant in the search for genes controlled by T protein and important in mesoderm development.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Base Sequence
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Cell Nucleus / chemistry
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Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase / genetics
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DNA / metabolism
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DNA-Binding Proteins / analysis
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DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
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DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
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DNA-Binding Proteins / physiology*
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Fetal Proteins / analysis
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Fetal Proteins / genetics
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Fetal Proteins / metabolism
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Fetal Proteins / physiology*
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Fungal Proteins / genetics
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Gene Expression Regulation / physiology
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Genes, Reporter / genetics
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HeLa Cells
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Humans
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Mice
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / metabolism
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Recombinant Fusion Proteins / biosynthesis
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Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid / genetics
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Repressor Proteins / genetics
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Repressor Proteins / metabolism
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Repressor Proteins / physiology*
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Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins*
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Sequence Deletion
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T-Box Domain Proteins*
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Trans-Activators / genetics
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Trans-Activators / metabolism
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Trans-Activators / physiology*
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Transcription Factors / genetics
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Transcription, Genetic / physiology
Substances
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DNA-Binding Proteins
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Fetal Proteins
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Fungal Proteins
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GAL4 protein, S cerevisiae
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Oligodeoxyribonucleotides
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Recombinant Fusion Proteins
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Repressor Proteins
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Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
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T-Box Domain Proteins
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Trans-Activators
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Transcription Factors
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DNA
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Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase
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Brachyury protein