Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of Pit-1 POU domain complexed to a 28 base pair DNA element

The POU domain, representing an approximately 150 amino acid conserved region, serves as the DNA-recognition domain for a large number of eukaryotic transcription factors, Bipartite in nature, the POU domain is comprised of a N-terminal POU-specific domain connected by a linker of variable length to a C-terminal homeodomain, We report here cocrystals of pituitary-specific factor Pit-1 POU domain bound as a dimer to a 28 bp DNA fragment, The crystals diffract to at least 2.3 Angstrom in resolution and belong to space group PI with unit cell dimensions of a = 42.5 Angstrom, b = 50.1 Angstrom, c = 55.8 Angstrom, alpha = 76.7 degrees, beta = 79.3 degrees, and gamma = 67.2 degrees. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.