scholarly journals Crystal structure and RNA-binding properties of an Hfq homolog from the deep-branching Aquificae: Conservation of the lateral RNA-binding mode

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly A Stanek ◽  
Jennifer P West ◽  
Peter S Randolph ◽  
Cameron Mura
Keyword(s):  
Rna Binding ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Evolutionary Conservation ◽  
Thermophilic Bacterium ◽  
Aquifex Aeolicus ◽  
Binding Properties ◽  
Bacterial Phyla ◽  
Mrna Targets ◽  
Small Regulatory Rnas

SynopsisThe structure of an Hfq homolog from the deep-branching thermophilic bacterium Aquifex aeolicus, determined to 1.5-Å resolution both in apo form and bound to a uridine-rich RNA, reveals a conserved, pre-organized RNA-binding pocket on the lateral rim of the Hfq hexamer.AbstractThe host factor Hfq, as the bacterial branch of the Sm family, is an RNA-binding protein involved in post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA expression and turnover. Hfq facilitates pairing between small regulatory RNAs (sRNA) and their corresponding mRNA targets by binding both RNAs and bringing them into close proximity. Hfq homologs self-assemble into homo-hexameric rings, with at least two distinct surfaces that bind RNA. Recently, another binding site—dubbed the ‘lateral rim’—has been implicated in sRNA•mRNA annealing; the RNA-binding properties of this site appear to be rather subtle, and its degree of evolutionary conservation is unknown. An Hfq homolog has been identified in the phylogenetically deep-branching thermophile Aquifex aeolicus (Aae), but little is known about the structures and functions of Hfq from basal bacterial lineages such as the Aquificae. Thus, we have cloned, overexpressed, purified, crystallized, and biochemically characterized Aae Hfq. We have determined the structures of Aae Hfq in space-groups P1 and P6, both to 1.5 Å resolution, and we have discovered nanomolar-scale binding affinities for uridine- and adenosine-rich RNAs. Co-crystallization with U6 RNA reveals that the outer rim of the Aae Hfq hexamer features a well-defined binding pocket that is selective for uracil. This Aae Hfq structure, combined with biochemical and biophysical characterization of the homolog, reveals deep evolutionary conservation of the lateral RNA-binding mode, and lays a foundation for further studies of Hfq-associated RNA biology in ancient bacterial phyla.

scholarly journals Crystal structure and RNA-binding properties of an Hfq homolog from the deep-branching Aquificae: conservation of the lateral RNA-binding mode

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 294-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly A. Stanek ◽  
Jennifer Patterson-West ◽  
Peter S. Randolph ◽  
Cameron Mura
Keyword(s):  
Rna Binding ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Evolutionary Conservation ◽  
Aquifex Aeolicus ◽  
Binding Properties ◽  
Bacterial Phyla ◽  
Mrna Targets ◽  
Small Regulatory Rnas ◽  
And Function

The host factor Hfq, as the bacterial branch of the Sm family, is an RNA-binding protein involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA expression and turnover. Hfq facilitates pairing between small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) and their corresponding mRNA targets by binding both RNAs and bringing them into close proximity. Hfq homologs self-assemble into homo-hexameric rings with at least two distinct surfaces that bind RNA. Recently, another binding site, dubbed the `lateral rim', has been implicated in sRNA·mRNA annealing; the RNA-binding properties of this site appear to be rather subtle, and its degree of evolutionary conservation is unknown. An Hfq homolog has been identified in the phylogenetically deep-branching thermophileAquifex aeolicus(Aae), but little is known about the structure and function of Hfq from basal bacterial lineages such as the Aquificae. Therefore,AaeHfq was cloned, overexpressed, purified, crystallized and biochemically characterized. Structures ofAaeHfq were determined in space groupsP1 andP6, both to 1.5 Å resolution, and nanomolar-scale binding affinities for uridine- and adenosine-rich RNAs were discovered. Co-crystallization with U6RNA reveals that the outer rim of theAaeHfq hexamer features a well defined binding pocket that is selective for uracil. ThisAaeHfq structure, combined with biochemical and biophysical characterization of the homolog, reveals deep evolutionary conservation of the lateral RNA-binding mode, and lays a foundation for further studies of Hfq-associated RNA biology in ancient bacterial phyla.

scholarly journals Evolutionary Conservation and Diversification of Puf RNA Binding Proteins and Their mRNA Targets

PLoS Biology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. e1002307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory J. Hogan ◽  
Patrick O. Brown ◽  
Daniel Herschlag
Keyword(s):  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Rna Binding Proteins ◽  
Evolutionary Conservation ◽  
Mrna Targets

scholarly journals Elucidating the tunability of binding behavior for the MERS-CoV macro domain with NAD metabolites

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng-Hsuan Lin ◽  
Chao-Cheng Cho ◽  
Yi-Chih Chiu ◽  
Chia-Yu Chien ◽  
Yi-Ping Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Binding Properties ◽  
Binding Ability ◽  
Nad Metabolism ◽  
Ligand Selectivity ◽  
Physiological Temperature ◽  
Binding Behavior ◽  
Macro Domain

AbstractThe macro domain is an ADP-ribose (ADPR) binding module, which is considered to act as a sensor to recognize nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) metabolites, including poly ADPR (PAR) and other small molecules. The recognition of macro domains with various ligands is important for a variety of biological functions involved in NAD metabolism, including DNA repair, chromatin remodeling, maintenance of genomic stability, and response to viral infection. Nevertheless, how the macro domain binds to moieties with such structural obstacles using a simple cleft remains a puzzle. We systematically investigated the Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) macro domain for its ligand selectivity and binding properties by structural and biophysical approaches. Of interest, NAD, which is considered not to interact with macro domains, was co-crystallized with the MERS-CoV macro domain. Further studies at physiological temperature revealed that NAD has similar binding ability with ADPR because of the accommodation of the thermal-tunable binding pocket. This study provides the biochemical and structural bases of the detailed ligand-binding mode of the MERS-CoV macro domain. In addition, our observation of enhanced binding affinity of the MERS-CoV macro domain to NAD at physiological temperature highlights the need for further study to reveal the biological functions.

scholarly journals A second PI(4,5)P2 binding site determines PI(4,5)P2 sensitivity of the tubby domain

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronika Thallmair ◽  
Lea Schultz ◽  
Siewert J. Marrink ◽  
Dominik Oliver ◽  
Sebastian Thallmair
Keyword(s):  
Binding Site ◽  
Md Simulations ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Phosphatidyl Serine ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Membrane Association ◽  
Membrane Interface ◽  
Binding Properties ◽  
Protein Membrane

ABSTRACTPhosphosinositides (PIs) are lipid signaling molecules that operate by recruiting proteins to cellular membranes via PI recognition domains. Such domains are also used widely as fluorescence-coupled biosensors for cellular PIs. For PI(4,5)P2, the dominant PI of the plasma membrane (PM), only two recognition domains have been characterized in detail and used as sensors. One of them, the tubby domain, which is conserved in the tubby-like protein (TULP) family, is essential for targeting proteins into cilia in a process involving reversible membrane association. However, the PI(4,5)P2 binding properties of tubby domains have remained enigmatic.Here we used coarse-grained molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to explore PI(4,5)P2 binding by the prototypic tubby domain (tubbyCT). While the MD simulations showed a comparatively low PI(4,5)P2 affinity of the previously described canonical binding site, they unexpectedly revealed an adjacent second binding site, consisting of a conserved cationic cluster at the protein-membrane interface. Population of this second site dramatically increased membrane association of tubbyCT. Although less specific than the canonical binding pocket, this second site preferred binding of PI(4,5)P2 over PI(4)P and phosphatidyl serine. Mutations in this site impaired PI(4,5)P2-dependent PM localization in living cells and PI(4,5)P2 interaction in silico.Thus, the second binding site essentially contributes to the effective affinity and hence PM association of the tubby domain. The two-ligand binding mode may serve to sharpen the membrane association-dissociation cycle of TULPs that underlies delivery of ciliary cargo.

scholarly journals Exploring aromatic cage flexibility of the histone methyllysine reader protein Spindlin1 and its impact on binding mode prediction: an in silico study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Luise ◽  
Dina Robaa ◽  
Wolfgang Sippl
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamic ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Molecular Dynamic Simulations ◽  
Flexible Docking ◽  
Dynamic Simulations ◽  
Binding Mode Prediction ◽  
Aromatic Cage ◽  
The Right

AbstractSome of the main challenges faced in drug discovery are pocket flexibility and binding mode prediction. In this work, we explored the aromatic cage flexibility of the histone methyllysine reader protein Spindlin1 and its impact on binding mode prediction by means of in silico approaches. We first investigated the Spindlin1 aromatic cage plasticity by analyzing the available crystal structures and through molecular dynamic simulations. Then we assessed the ability of rigid docking and flexible docking to rightly reproduce the binding mode of a known ligand into Spindlin1, as an example of a reader protein displaying flexibility in the binding pocket. The ability of induced fit docking was further probed to test if the right ligand binding mode could be obtained through flexible docking regardless of the initial protein conformation. Finally, the stability of generated docking poses was verified by molecular dynamic simulations. Accurate binding mode prediction was obtained showing that the herein reported approach is a highly promising combination of in silico methods able to rightly predict the binding mode of small molecule ligands in flexible binding pockets, such as those observed in some reader proteins.

scholarly journals Motif V regulates energy transduction between the flavivirus NS3 ATPase and RNA-binding cleft

2019 ◽  
Vol 295 (6) ◽  
pp. 1551-1564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly E. Du Pont ◽  
Russell B. Davidson ◽  
Martin McCullagh ◽  
Brian J. Geiss
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Atp Hydrolysis ◽  
Nonstructural Protein ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Energy Transduction ◽  
Helicase Domain ◽  
Genome Replication ◽  
Turnover Rates

The unwinding of dsRNA intermediates is critical for the replication of flavivirus RNA genomes. This activity is provided by the C-terminal helicase domain of viral nonstructural protein 3 (NS3). As a member of the superfamily 2 (SF2) helicases, NS3 requires the binding and hydrolysis of ATP/NTP to translocate along and unwind double-stranded nucleic acids. However, the mechanism of energy transduction between the ATP- and RNA-binding pockets is not well-understood. Previous molecular dynamics simulations conducted by our group have identified Motif V as a potential “communication hub” for this energy transduction pathway. To investigate the role of Motif V in this process, here we combined molecular dynamics, biochemistry, and virology approaches. We tested Motif V mutations in both the replicon and recombinant protein systems to investigate viral genome replication, RNA-binding affinity, ATP hydrolysis activity, and helicase-mediated unwinding activity. We found that the T407A and S411A substitutions in NS3 reduce viral replication and increase the helicase-unwinding turnover rates by 1.7- and 3.5-fold, respectively, suggesting that flaviviruses may use suboptimal NS3 helicase activity for optimal genome replication. Additionally, we used simulations of each mutant to probe structural changes within NS3 caused by each mutation. These simulations indicate that Motif V controls communication between the ATP-binding pocket and the helical gate. These results help define the linkage between ATP hydrolysis and helicase activities within NS3 and provide insight into the biophysical mechanisms for ATPase-driven NS3 helicase function.

scholarly journals The C2A-C2B Linker Defines the High Affinity Ca2+ Binding Mode of Rabphilin-3A

2006 ◽  
Vol 282 (7) ◽  
pp. 5015-5025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Montaville ◽  
Christine Schlicker ◽  
Andrei Leonov ◽  
Markus Zweckstetter ◽  
George M. Sheldrick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binding Mode ◽  
Bound State ◽  
C2 Domain ◽  
Binding Assays ◽  
Host Proteins ◽  
Binding Properties ◽  
C2 Domains ◽  
Phospholipid Binding ◽  
Acidic Residues ◽  
Structural Base

The Ca2+ binding properties of C2 domains are essential for the function of their host proteins. We present here the first crystal structures showing an unexpected Ca2+ binding mode of the C2B domain of rabphilin-3A in atomic detail. Acidic residues from the linker region between the C2A and C2B domains of rabphilin-3A interact with the Ca2+-binding region of the C2B domain. Because of these interactions, the coordination sphere of the two bound Ca2+ ions is almost complete. Mutation of these acidic residues to alanine resulted in a 10-fold decrease in the intrinsic Ca2+ binding affinity of the C2B domain. Using NMR spectroscopy, we show that this interaction occurred only in the Ca2+-bound state of the C2B domain. In addition, this Ca2+ binding mode was maintained in the C2 domain tandem fragment. In NMR-based liposome binding assays, the linker was not released upon phospholipid binding. Therefore, this unprecedented Ca2+ binding mode not only shows how a C2 domain increases its intrinsic Ca2+ affinity, but also provides the structural base for an atypical protein-Ca2+-phospholipid binding mode of rabphilin-3A.

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