HMGA Interactome: New Insights from Phage Display Technology.

High Mobility Group A (HMGA) proteins are architectural factors involved in chromatin remodelling and regulation of gene expression. HMGA are highly expressed during embryogenesis and in cancer cells and are involved in development, cell differentiation, and cancer formation and progression. These factors by binding to DNA and interacting with other nuclear proteins can organize macromolecular complexes involved in transcription, chromatin dynamics, RNA processing and DNA repair. The identification of HMGA protein partners has greatly contributed to our understanding of their multiple functions. He we report the identification of HMGA molecular partners using a gene fragment library in a phage display screening. Using an ORF-enriched cDNA library we have isolated several HMGA interacting clones and demonstrated for two of them, TBP associated factor3 (TAF3) and chromatin assembly factor 1 p150/CAF-1, an in vivo association with HMGA. The identification of these new partners therefore suggests that HMGA can influence also general aspects of transcription and underline once more their involvement in chromatin remodelling and dynamics.