EGR-1 (Early growth response protein 1) also known as Zif268 (zinc finger protein 225) or NGFI-A (nerve growth factor-induced protein A) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the EGR1gene.
EGR-1 is a mammalian transcription factor. It was also named Krox-24, TIS8, and ZENK. It was originally discovered in mice.
The protein encoded by this gene belongs to the EGR family of Cys2His2-type zinc finger proteins. It is a nuclear protein and functions as a transcriptional regulator. The products of target genes it activates are required for differentiation and mitogenesis. Studies suggest this is a tumor suppressor gene.[1]
It has a distinct pattern of expression in the brain, and its induction has been shown to be associated with neuronal activity. Several studies suggest it has a role in neuronal plasticity.[2]
EGR-1 has also been found to regulate the expression of VAMP2 (a protein important for synapticexocytosis).[3]
Structure
The DNA-binding domain of EGR-1 consists of three zinc finger domains of the Cys2His2 type.
The amino acid structure of the EGR-1 zinc finger domain is given in this table, using the single letter amino acid code. The fingers 1 to 3 are indicated by f1 - f3. The numbers are in reference to the residues (amino acids) of alpha helix (there is no zero). The residues marked 'x' are not part of the zinc fingers, but rather serve to connect them all together.
The crystal structure of DNA bound by the zinc finger domain of EGR-1 was solved in 1991, which greatly aided early research in zinc finger DNA-binding domains.[4]
The human EGR-1 protein contains (in its unprocessed form) 543 amino acids with a molecular weight of 57.5 kDa, and the gene is located on the chromosome 5.
DNA binding specificity
EGR-1 binds the DNA sequence 5'-GCG TGG GCG-3' (and similar ones like 5'-GCG GGG GCG-3').[5][6]
The f1 position 6 binds the 5' G (the first base count from the left); the f1 position 3 to the second base (C); f1 position -1 binds to the third position (G); f2 position 6 to the fourth base (T); and so on.
↑Knapska E, Kaczmarek L (2004). "A gene for Neuronal Plasticity in the Mammalian Brain: Zif286/Egr1/NGFI-A/Krox-24/TIS-8/ZENK?". Progress in Neurobiology. 74: 2004.
↑Petersohn, D and Thiel. G (1996)"Role of zinc-finger proteins Sp1 and zif268/egr-1 in transcriptional regulation of the human synaptobrevin II gene" European Journal of Biochemistry, 239, 1996
↑Pavletich NP, Pabo CO (May 1991). "Zinc finger-DNA recognition: crystal structure of a Zif268-DNA complex at 2.1 A". Science. 252 (5007): 809–17. doi:10.1126/science.2028256. PMID2028256.
↑Zhang F, Lin M, Abidi P, Thiel G, Liu J (Nov 2003). "Specific interaction of Egr1 and c/EBPbeta leads to the transcriptional activation of the human low density lipoprotein receptor gene". The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 278 (45): 44246–54. doi:10.1074/jbc.M305564200. PMID12947119.
↑Liu J, Grogan L, Nau MM, Allegra CJ, Chu E, Wright JJ (Apr 2001). "Physical interaction between p53 and primary response gene Egr-1". International Journal of Oncology. 18 (4): 863–70. doi:10.3892/ijo.18.4.863. PMID11251186.
↑Bae MH, Jeong CH, Kim SH, Bae MK, Jeong JW, Ahn MY, Bae SK, Kim ND, Kim CW, Kim KR, Kim KW (Oct 2002). "Regulation of Egr-1 by association with the proteasome component C8". Biochimica et Biophysica Acta. 1592 (2): 163–7. doi:10.1016/s0167-4889(02)00310-5. PMID12379479.
Further reading
Heath RG (Mar 1975). "Brain function and behavior. I. Emotion and sensory phenomena in psychotic patients and in experimental animals". The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. 160 (3): 159–75. doi:10.1097/00005053-197503000-00002. PMID1090709.
Adamson ED, Mercola D (2002). "Egr1 transcription factor: multiple roles in prostate tumor cell growth and survival". Tumour Biology. 23 (2): 93–102. doi:10.1159/000059711. PMID12065847.
Blaschke F, Bruemmer D, Law RE (Aug 2004). "Egr-1 is a major vascular pathogenic transcription factor in atherosclerosis and restenosis". Reviews in Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders. 5 (3): 249–54. doi:10.1023/B:REMD.0000032413.88756.ee. PMID15211096.
Abdulkadir SA (Nov 2005). "Mechanisms of prostate tumorigenesis: roles for transcription factors Nkx3.1 and Egr1". Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1059: 33–40. doi:10.1196/annals.1339.018. PMID16382041.
