Solution Structure of the N-Terminal Domain of Mediator Subunit MED26 and Molecular Characterization of Its Interaction with EAF1 and TAF7.

MED26 is a subunit of Mediator, a large complex central to the regulation of gene transcription by RNA Polymerase II. MED26 plays a role in the switch between the initiation and elongation phases of RNA Polymerase II-mediated transcription process. Regulation of these steps requires successive binding of MED26 N-terminal domain (NTD) to TATA-binding protein-associated factor 7 (TAF7) and Eleven-nineteen lysine-rich in leukemia-Associated Factor 1 (EAF1). In order to investigate the mechanism of regulation by MED26, MED26-NTD structure was solved by NMR, revealing a 4-helix bundle. EAF1 (239-268) and TAF7 (205-235) peptide interactions were both mapped to the same groove formed by H3 and H4 helices of MED26-NTD. Both interactions are characterized by dissociation constants in the 10-µM range. Further experiments revealed a folding-upon-binding mechanism that leads to the formation of EAF1 (N247-S260) and TAF7 (L214-S227) helices. Chemical shift perturbations and nuclear Overhauser enhancement contacts support the involvement of residues I222/F223 in anchoring TAF7 helix to a hydrophobic pocket of MED26-NTD, including residues L48, W80 and I84. In addition, Ala mutations of charged residues located in the C-terminal disordered part of TAF7 and EAF1 peptides affected the binding, with a loss of affinity characterized by a 10-time increase of dissociation constants. A structural model of MED26-NTD/TAF7 complex shows bi-partite components, combining ordered and disordered segments, as well as hydrophobic and electrostatic contributions to the binding. This study provides molecular detail that will help to decipher the mechanistic basis for the initiation to elongation switch-function mediated by MED26-NTD.

1H, 15N and 13C assignments of the N-terminal domain of the Mediator complex subunit MED26.

MED26 is a subunit of the Mediator, a very large complex involved in regulation of gene transcription by RNA Polymerase II. MED26 regulates the switch between initiation and elongation phases of the transcription. This function requires interaction of its N-terminal domain (NTD) with several protein partners implicated in transcriptional regulation. Molecular details of the structure and interaction mode of MED26 NTD would improve understanding of this complex regulation. As a first step towards structural characterization, sequence specific (1)H, (13)C and (15)N assignments for MED26 NTD was performed based on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy. TALOS+ analysis of the chemical shifts data revealed a domain solely composed of helices. Assignments will be further used to solve NMR structure and dynamics of MED26 NTD and investigate the molecular details of its interaction with protein partners.

N-terminal domains mediate [2Fe-2S] cluster transfer from glutaredoxin-3 to anamorsin.

In eukaryotes, cytosolic monothiol glutaredoxins are proteins implicated in intracellular iron trafficking and sensing via their bound [2Fe-2S] clusters. We define a new role of human cytosolic monothiol glutaredoxin-3 (GRX3) in transferring its [2Fe-2S] clusters to human anamorsin, a physical and functional protein partner of GRX3 in the cytosol, whose [2Fe-2S] cluster-bound form is involved in the biogenesis of cytosolic and nuclear Fe-S proteins. Specific protein recognition between the N-terminal domains of the two proteins is the mandatory requisite to promote the [2Fe-2S] cluster transfer from GRX3 to anamorsin.

Structural characterization of CHCHD5 and CHCHD7: two atypical human twin CX9C proteins.

Twin CX(9)C proteins constitute a large protein family among all eukaryotes; are putative substrates of the mitochondrial Mia40-dependent import machinery; contain a coiled coil-helix-coiled coil-helix (CHCH) fold stabilized by two disulfide bonds as exemplified by three structures available for this family. However, they considerably differ at the primary sequence level and this prevents an accurate prediction of their structural models. With the aim of expanding structural information on CHCH proteins, here we structurally characterized human CHCHD5 and CHCHD7. While CHCHD5 has two weakly interacting CHCH domains which sample a range of limited conformations as a consequence of hydrophobic interactions, CHCHD7 has a third helix hydrophobically interacting with an extension of helix α2, which is part of the CHCH domain. Upon reduction of the disulfide bonds both proteins become unstructured exposing hydrophobic patches, with the result of protein aggregation/precipitation. These results suggest a model where the molecular interactions guiding the protein recognition between Mia40 and the disulfide-reduced CHCHD5 and CHCHD7 substrates occurs in vivo when the latter proteins are partially embedded in the protein import pore of the outer membrane of mitochondria.

Targeting and maturation of Erv1/ALR in the mitochondrial intermembrane space.

The interaction of Mia40 with Erv1/ALR is central to the oxidative protein folding in the intermembrane space of mitochondria (IMS) as Erv1/ALR oxidizes reduced Mia40 to restore its functional state. Here we address the role of Mia40 in the import and maturation of Erv1/ALR. The C-terminal FAD-binding domain of Erv1/ALR has an essential role in the import process by creating a transient intermolecular disulfide bond with Mia40. The action of Mia40 is selective for the formation of both intra and intersubunit structural disulfide bonds of Erv1/ALR, but the complete maturation process requires additional binding of FAD. Both of these events must follow a specific sequential order to allow Erv1/ALR to reach the fully functional state, illustrating a new paradigm for protein maturation in the IMS.

Exclusively heteronuclear NMR experiments to obtain structural and dynamic information on proteins.

Provided that (13)C-detected NMR experiments are either preferable or complementary to (1)H detection, we report here tools to determine C(alpha)-C', C'-N, and C(alpha)-H(alpha) residual dipolar couplings on the basis of the CON experiment. The coupling constants determined on ubiquitin are consistent with the subset measured with the (1)H-detected HNCO sequences. Since the utilization of residual dipolar couplings may depend on the mobility of the involved nuclei, we also provide tools to measure longitudinal and transverse relaxation rates of N and C'. This new set of experiments is a further development of a whole strategy based on (13)C direct-detection NMR spectroscopy for the study of biological macromolecules.