Generation of high specificity of effect through low‐specificity binding of proteins to DNA

FEBS Letters

Zuckerkandl, Emile²  Villet, Ruxton¹ 

[1] USDA, Agricultural Research Service/NPA, Bldg 055, BARC-West, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA;Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine, 440 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306 USA

关键词: Gene regulation;    Noncoding sequence;    Sequence motif;    Cooperative binding;    Distributive specificity;    c-Value paradox;    Genetic load;    Determination;   

DOI  :  10.1016/0014-5793(88)80836-6

学科分类：生物化学/生物物理

来源: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

【 摘 要 】

It is proposed that proteins can bind with relatively low-affinity and specificity to multiple sites, defined as sequence motifs, on polynucleotide chains, and that such binding can collectively be turned into high-affinity, high-specificity binding through cooperative effects, especially when the sequence motifs recur periodically. The selection of individual nucleotides has in general been thought to be the condition of the existence and conservation of function in most of the noncoding sequences. This condition seems unnecessary. Calculations are presented as a step in the direction of giving credibility to a model of stable gene repression.

【 授权许可】

Unknown