The sequence-specific association of the ETS domain of murine PU.1 with DNA exhibits unusual energetics.

PU.1 belongs to the ETS family of transcription factors whose DNA-binding domains recognize purine-rich sequences containing the consensus 5'-GGAA/T-3'. We have characterized the sequence-specific association of the ETS domain of murine PU.1 to the lambdaB site of the Ig(lambda)2-4 enhancer as a function of temperature and pH by electrophoretic mobility shift, filter binding, and CD spectroscopy. From 0 to 25 degrees C, the dissociation equilibrium constant KD is, within experimental uncertainty, insensitive to temperature, and is only a weak function of temperature from 25 to 52 degrees C. van't Hoff analysis yielded a small value of DeltaCp = -2.1 kJ x mol(-1) x K(-1) in phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, containing 250 mM Na+. KD also shows a weak dependence at 25 degrees C on pH from 6.7 to 9.0 in phosphate, cacodylate, and Tris buffers that have disparate heats of ionization. The CD spectrum of the protein-DNA complex could be accounted for by a simple linear combination of the spectra of the free components throughout the binding temperature range. Structural calculations indicate that dehydration of solvent-accessible contact surfaces on the protein and DNA accounts for up to DeltaCp approximately -1 kJ x mol(-1) x K(-1). Taken together, these observations suggest that the hydrophobic effect and, in particular, coupled folding do not contribute significantly to the energetics of sequence-specific association. This is unusual with respect to other sequence-specific protein-DNA interactions for which significant enthalpic contributions and large negative heat capacities are commonly observed.