Title data
Rao Jampani, Nageswara ; Schweimer, Kristian ; Wenzel, Sabine ; Wöhrl, Birgitta M. ; Rösch, Paul:
NELF-E RRM undergoes major structural changes in flexible protein regions on target RNA binding.
In: Biochemistry.
Vol. 47
(2008)
Issue 12
.
- pp. 3756-3761.
ISSN 1520-4995
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/bi702429m
Abstract in another language
The E subunit of the human heterotetrameric negative transcription elongation factor (NELF-E) contains a canonical betaalphabetabetaalphabeta RNA recognition motif (RRM) that binds to a wide variety of RNA sequences. These induce very similar conformational changes in the RRM as determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Although the RNA binding interface of a canonical RRM is mainly located at its beta-sheet surface, for NELF-E RRM large chemical shift perturbations are observed for residues in the flexible C-terminal region and the loop between beta 3 and alpha 2, and both regions are distant from the interface. We determined the solution structure of single-stranded transactivator responsive element (TAR) RNA-bound NELF-E RRM. This structure clearly shows that RNA binding to NELF-E RRM induces formation of a helix in the C-terminus. The RNA-bound form of NELF-E RRM is very similar to the RNA-bound form of U1A RRM, although the C-terminus of the NELF-E RRM is unstructured in the free protein, whereas it is helical in the U1A protein. Thus, RNA binding to NELF-E RRM induces a conformational change toward the U1A structure, resulting in highly similar RNA binding conformations for both proteins.