CHARACTERIZATION OF THE DNA-BINDING AND TRANSCRIPTIONAL ACTIVATION DOMAINS OF THE ERG PROTEIN

erg, an ets related gene encodes a sequence specific DNA binding trans criptional activator protein. We have identified four functional domai ns of erg protein that are responsible for DNA binding, transcriptiona l activation and negative regulation of transcriptional activation. De letion analysis revealed that the 3'-ets domain of the erg protein is sufficient for DNA binding activity. Analysis of these deletion mutant s also revealed the presence of two autonomous transcriptional activat ion domains, one at the amino and the other at the carboxy-terminal re gion. This aminoterminal transcriptional activator domain (5'-ets doma in) is conserved in six of the ets genes suggesting that it (ETA, ets Transcriptional Activation domain) may contribute to a common function among these genes. The transcriptional activation function of the car boxy terminal transcriptional activation domain (CTA) was inhibited by the presence of a Negative Regulatory Transcriptional activation doma in (NRT), which is located at the amino terminal region of erg DNA bin ding domain. These results may help in understanding the structure/fun ction relationship of other erg/ets related proteins.