The Oct-1 POU-specific domain can stimulate small nuclear RNA gene transcription by stabilizing the basal transcription complex SNAP_c

The RNA polymerase II and III human small nuclear RNA promoters have a common basal element, the proximal sequence element, which binds the TATA box-binding protein-containing complex SNAP_c. They also contain an enhancer characterized by a highly conserved octamer sequence, which constitutes a binding site for the broadly expressed POU domain transcription factor Oct-1. The POU domain is a bipartite DNA-binding domain consisting of a POU-homeo (POU_H) domain and a POU-specific (POU_S) domain joined by a flexible linker. Here, we show that the Oct-1 POU domain but not the related Pit-1 POU domain can facilitate the binding of SNAP_c to the proximal sequence element, and activate transcription. The effect is probably mediated by protein-protein contacts, and 1 of 30 amino acid differences between the Oct-1 and Pit-1 POU_S domains is the key determinant for the differential interaction with SNAP_c and the ability to activate transcription. These results show that a function that is the hallmark of activation domains, namely, recruitment of a basal transcription complex resulting in activation of transcription, can be performed by a DNA-binding domain. In this case, subtle changes between activator DNA-binding domains, as subtle as a single amino acid difference, can profoundly affect interaction with the basal transcription machinery.