Complete H-1 NMR resonance assignments are presented for the cysteine rich region of the DNA binding domain of the yeast transcriptional activator GAL4. The protein contains short helical regions between Asp-12 and Leu-19 and between Lys-30 and Trp-36. It is clearly distinct from the C2H2 class of zinc finger protein typified by the Xenopus laevis transcription factor (TF)IIIA. We also find that the first SP(X)(X) sequence, a recently proposed DNA binding motif (residues 41 to 44), appears to be tightly packed against the metal binding domain.