Interactions between HMG proteins and the core sequence of DNaseI hypersensitive site 2 in the locus control region (LCR) of the human β-like globin gene cluster

HMG proteins are abundant chromosomal non-histone proteins. It has been suggested that the HMG proteins may play an important role in the structure and function of chromatin. In the present study, the binding of HMG proteins (HMG1/2 and HMG14/17) to the core DNA sequence of DNasel hypersensitive site 2 (HS2core DNA sequence, -10681-10970 bp) in the locus control region (LCR) of the human beta -like globin gene cluster has been examined by using both the in vitro nucleosome reconstitution and the gel mobility shift assays. Here we show that HMG1/2 can bind to the naked HS2core DNA sequence, however, HMG14/17 cannot. Using the in vitro nucleosome reconstitution we demonstrate that HMG14/17 can bind to the HS2core DNA sequence which is assembled into nucleosomes with the core histone octamer transferred from chicken erythrocytes. in contrast, HMG1/2 cannot bind to the nucleosomes reconstituted in vitro with the HS2core DNA sequence. These results indicate that the binding patterns between HMG proteins and the HS2core DNA sequence which exists in different states (the naked DNA or the in vitro reconstituted nucleosomal DNA) are quite different. We speculate that HMG proteins might play a critical role in the regulation of the human beta -like globin gene's expression.