A novel bipartite nuclear localization signal with an atypically long linker in DOF transcription factors

Large molecules require a nuclear localization signal (NLS) for translocation into the nucleus. Classical NLSs are rich in basic amino acids and they represent three groups, based on their structural features: SV40 T-antigen-type, yeast mating factor Matα-2-type, and bipartite NLSs. DNA-binding-with-one-finger (DOF) transcription factors play important roles in plants, and although their nuclear localization has been demonstrated in several cases, public protein localization prediction tools fail to detect NLS motifs in these proteins. Here, we demonstrate that an atypical bipartite NLS with a 17 amino acid long linker between its flanking basic regions directs Arabidopsis thaliana DOF proteins to the cell nucleus. The novel bipartite NLS is highly conserved in plant DOF transcription factors, including the single DOF protein in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.