کد مقاله | کد نشریه | سال انتشار | مقاله انگلیسی | نسخه تمام متن |
---|---|---|---|---|
2186157 | 1096037 | 2010 | 10 صفحه PDF | دانلود رایگان |
![عکس صفحه اول مقاله: Structural Determinants of DNA Binding by a P. falciparum ApiAP2 Transcriptional Regulator Structural Determinants of DNA Binding by a P. falciparum ApiAP2 Transcriptional Regulator](/preview/png/2186157.png)
Putative transcription factors have only recently been identified in the Plasmodium spp., with the major family of regulators comprising the Apicomplexan Apetala2 (AP2) proteins. To better understand the DNA-binding mechanisms of these transcriptional regulators, we characterized the structure and in vitro function of an AP2 DNA-binding domain from a prototypical Apicomplexan AP2 protein, PF14_0633 from Plasmodium falciparum. The X-ray crystal structure of the PF14_0633 AP2 domain bound to DNA reveals a β-sheet fold that binds the DNA major groove through base-specific and backbone contacts; a prominent α-helix supports the β-sheet structure. Substitution of predicted DNA-binding residues with alanine weakened or eliminated DNA binding in solution. In contrast to plant AP2 domains, the PF14_0633 AP2 domain dimerizes upon binding to DNA through a domain-swapping mechanism in which the α-helices of the AP2 domains pack against the β-sheets of the dimer mates. DNA-induced dimerization of PF14_0633 may be important for tethering two distal DNA loci together in the nucleus and/or for inducing functional rearrangements of its domains to facilitate transcriptional regulation. Consistent with a multisite binding mode, at least two copies of the consensus sequence recognized by PF14_0633 are present upstream of a previously identified group of sporozoite-stage genes. Taken together, these findings illustrate how Plasmodium has adapted the AP2 DNA-binding domain for genome-wide transcriptional regulation.
Journal: Journal of Molecular Biology - Volume 395, Issue 3, 22 January 2010, Pages 558–567