A simple motif for protein recognition in DNA secondary structures

Folding and hydrodynamics of a DNA i-motif from the c-MYC promoter determined by fluorescent cytidine analogs

The four-stranded i-motif (iM) conformation of cytosine-rich DNA has importance to a wide variety of biochemical systems that range from their use in nanomaterials to potential roles in oncogene regulation. The iM structure is formed at slightly acidic pH, where hemiprotonation of cytosine results in a stable C-C(+) basepair. Here, we performed fundamental studies to examine iM formation from a C-rich strand from the promoter of the human c-MYC gene. We used a number of biophysical techniques to characterize both the hydrodynamic properties and folding kinetics of a folded iM. Our hydrodynamic studies using fluorescence anisotropy decay and analytical ultracentrifugation show that the iM structure has a compact size in solution and displays the rigidity of a double strand. By studying the rates of circular dichroism spectral changes and quenching of fluorescent cytidine analogs, we also established a mechanism for the folding of a random coil oligo into the iM. In the course of determining this folding pathway, we established that the fluorescent dC analogs tC° and PdC can be used to monitor individual residues of an iM structure and to determine the pKa of an iM. We established that the C-C(+) hydrogen bonding of certain bases initiates the folding of the iM structure. We also showed that substitutions in the loop regions of iMs give a distinctly different kinetic signature during folding compared with bases that are intercalated. Our data reveal that the iM passes through a distinct intermediate form between the unfolded and folded forms. Taken together, our results lay the foundation for using fluorescent dC analogs to follow structural changes during iM formation. Our technique may also be useful for examining folding and structural changes in more complex iMs.

The arginine-rich RNA-binding motif of HIV-1 Rev is intrinsically disordered and folds upon RRE binding

Arginine-rich motifs (ARMs) capable of binding diverse RNA structures play critical roles in transcription, translation, RNA trafficking, and RNA packaging. The regulatory HIV-1 protein Rev is essential for viral replication and belongs to the ARM family of RNA-binding proteins. During the early stages of the HIV-1 life cycle, incompletely spliced and full-length viral mRNAs are very inefficiently recognized by the splicing machinery of the host cell and are subject to degradation in the cell nucleus. These transcripts harbor the Rev Response Element (RRE), which orchestrates the interaction with the Rev ARM and the successive Rev-dependent mRNA export pathway. Based on established criteria for predicting intrinsic disorder, such as hydropathy, combined with significant net charge, the very basic primary sequences of ARMs are expected to adopt coil-like structures. Thus, we initiated this study to investigate the conformational changes of the Rev ARM associated with RNA binding. We used multidimensional NMR and circular dichroism spectroscopy to monitor the observed structural transitions, and described the conformational landscapes using statistical ensemble and molecular-dynamics simulations. The combined spectroscopic and simulated results imply that the Rev ARM is intrinsically disordered not only as an isolated peptide but also when it is embedded into an oligomerization-deficient Rev mutant. RRE recognition triggers a crucial coil-to-helix transition employing an induced-fit mechanism.

An unusual topological structure of the HIV-1 Rev response element

Nuclear export of unspliced and singly spliced viral mRNA is a critical step in the HIV life cycle. The structural basis by which the virus selects its own mRNA among more abundant host cellular RNAs for export has been a mystery for more than 25 years. Here, we describe an unusual topological structure that the virus uses to recognize its own mRNA. The viral Rev response element (RRE) adopts an "A"-like structure in which the two legs constitute two tracks of binding sites for the viral Rev protein and position the two primary known Rev-binding sites ~55 Å apart, matching the distance between the two RNA-binding motifs in the Rev dimer. Both the legs of the "A" and the separation between them are required for optimal RRE function. This structure accounts for the specificity of Rev for the RRE and thus the specific recognition of the viral RNA.

Positional mapping and candidate gene analysis of the mouse Ccs3 locus that regulates differential susceptibility to carcinogen-induced colorectal cancer

The Ccs3 locus on mouse chromosome 3 regulates differential susceptibility of A/J (A, susceptible) and C57BL/6J (B6, resistant) mouse strains to chemically-induced colorectal cancer (CRC). Here, we report the high-resolution positional mapping of the gene underlying the Ccs3 effect. Using phenotype/genotype correlation in a series of 33 AcB/BcA recombinant congenic mouse strains, as well as in groups of backcross populations bearing unique recombinant chromosomes for the interval, and in subcongenic strains, we have delineated the maximum size of the Ccs3 physical interval to a ∼2.15 Mb segment. This interval contains 12 annotated transcripts. Sequencing of positional candidates in A and B6 identified many either low-priority coding changes or non-protein coding variants. We found a unique copy number variant (CNV) in intron 15 of the Nfkb1 gene. The CNV consists of two copies of a 54 bp sequence immediately adjacent to the exon 15 splice site, while only one copy is found in CRC-susceptible A. The Nfkb1 protein (p105/p50) expression is much reduced in A tumors compared to normal A colonic epithelium as analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Studies in primary macrophages from A and B6 mice demonstrate a marked differential activation of the NfκB pathway by lipopolysaccharide (kinetics of stimulation and maximum levels of phosphorylated IκBα), with a more robust activation being associated with resistance to CRC. NfκB has been previously implicated in regulating homeostasis and inflammatory response in the intestinal mucosa. The interval contains another positional candidate Slc39a8 that is differentially expressed in A vs B6 colons, and that has recently been associated in CRC tumor aggressiveness in humans.

A short GC-rich palindrome of human mannose receptor gene coding region displays a conformational switch

Conformational switching in DNA is fundamental to biological processes. The structural status of a palindromic GC-rich dodecamer DNA sequence, integral part of human MRC2 coding region, and a related sequence of opposite polarity from human FDX1 gene were characterized and compared. UV-melting, circular dichroism, and gel electrophoresis experiments demonstrated the formation of intermolecular structures. Although stability and molecularity of both the oligomeric structures were found to be almost identical, their secondary structures differed remarkably as A1 MRC2 sequence showed A-like and B-like DNA conformation, whereas the A2 FDX1 sequence exhibited only the A-like signatures. The study is relevant for understanding structural polymorphism at genomic locations depending on DNA sequence and solution environment.

Structural basis for cooperative RNA binding and export complex assembly by HIV Rev

HIV replication requires nuclear export of unspliced viral RNAs to translate structural proteins and package genomic RNA. Export is mediated by cooperative binding of the Rev protein to the Rev response element (RRE) RNA, to form a highly specific oligomeric ribonucleoprotein (RNP) that binds to the Crm1 host export factor. To understand how protein oligomerization generates cooperativity and specificity for RRE binding, we solved the crystal structure of a Rev dimer at 2.5-Å resolution. The dimer arrangement organizes arginine-rich helices at the ends of a V-shaped assembly to bind adjacent RNA sites and structurally couple dimerization and RNA recognition. A second protein-protein interface arranges higher-order Rev oligomers to act as an adaptor to the host export machinery, with viral RNA bound to one face and Crm1 to another, the oligomers thereby using small, interconnected modules to physically arrange the RNP for efficient export.

A solution to limited genomic capacity: using adaptable binding surfaces to assemble the functional HIV Rev oligomer on RNA

Many ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes assemble into large, organized structures in which protein subunits are positioned by interactions with RNA and other proteins. Here we demonstrate that HIV Rev, constrained in size by a limited viral genome, also forms an organized RNP by assembling a homo-oligomer on the Rev response element (RRE) RNA. Rev subunits bind cooperatively to discrete RNA sites using an oligomerization domain and an adaptable protein-RNA interface, forming a complex with 500-fold higher affinity than the tightest single interaction. High-affinity binding correlates strongly with RNA export activity. Rev utilizes different surfaces of its alpha-helical RNA-binding domain to recognize several low-affinity binding sites, including the well-characterized stem IIB site and an additional site in stem IA. We propose that adaptable RNA-binding surfaces allow the Rev oligomer to assemble economically into a discrete, stable RNP and provide a mechanistic role for Rev oligomerization during the HIV life cycle.