POU‐specific domain of Oct‐2 factor confers ‘octamer’ motif DNA binding specificity on heterologous Antennapedia homeodomain

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Abstract
The bipartite DNA binding domain of the POU family of transcription factors contains a ‘POU‐specific’ domain unique to this class of factors and a ‘POU homeodomain’ homologous to other homeodomains. We compared DNA binding of the Oct‐2 factor POU domain and the Antennapedia (Antp) homeodomain with a chimeric Oct‐2/Antp protein in which the distantly related Antp homeodomain was substituted for the Oct‐2 POU homeodomain. The Oct‐2/Antp chimeric protein bound both the octamer and the Antp sites efficiently, indicating that DNA binding specificity is contributed by both components of the POU domain.