Analysis

Nature Reviews Microbiology 5, 710-720 (September 2007) | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1717

Ribbon–helix–helix transcription factors: variations on a theme

Eric R. Schreiter1 & Catherine L. Drennan2  About the authors

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The ribbon–helix–helix (RHH) superfamily of transcription factors uses a conserved three-dimensional structural motif to bind to DNA in a sequence-specific manner. This functionally diverse protein superfamily regulates the transcription of genes that are involved in the uptake of metals, amino-acid biosynthesis, cell division, the control of plasmid copy number, the lytic cycle of bacteriophages and, perhaps, many other cellular processes. In this Analysis, the structures of different RHH transcription factors are compared in order to evaluate the sequence motifs that are required for RHH-domain folding and DNA binding, as well as to identify conserved protein–DNA interactions in this superfamily.

Author affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Protein Research Center, University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931, Puerto Rico.
  2. Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.

Correspondence to: Eric R. Schreiter1 Email: eric_sch@mit.edu

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