Modulation of transcription factor Ets-1 DNA binding: DNA-induced unfolding of an alpha helix.

Conformational changes, including local protein folding, play important roles in protein-DNA interactions. Here, studies of the transcription factor Ets-1 provided evidence that local protein unfolding also can accompany DNA binding. Circular dichroism and partial proteolysis showed that the secondary structure of the Ets-1 DNA-binding domain is unchanged in the presence of DNA. In contrast, DNA allosterically induced the unfolding of an alpha helix that lies within a flanking region involved in the negative regulation of DNA binding. These findings suggest a structural basis for the intramolecular inhibition of DNA binding and a mechanism for the cooperative partnerships that are common features of many eukaryotic transcription factors.

Structural coupling of the inhibitory regions flanking the ETS domain of murine Ets-1.

Several members of the ets gene family of transcription factors show negative regulation of DNA binding by intramolecular interactions. A structural mechanism for this auto-inhibition is investigated using a 161-residue N-terminal deletion mutant of murine Ets-1, Ets-1 delta N280. This protein shows a similar reduced affinity for DNA as native Ets-1 because it contains the ETS domain in context of the flanking amino- and carboxy-terminal regions that together mediate repression of DNA binding. The secondary structure of Ets-1 delta N280 was determined using NMR chemical shift, NOE, J coupling, and amide hydrogen exchange information. In addition to the winged helix-turn-helix ETS domain, Ets-1 delta N280 contains two alpha-helices in the amino-terminal inhibitory region and one alpha-helix in the carboxy-terminal inhibitory region. Chemical shift comparisons were made between this protein and an activated form of Ets-1 lacking the amino-terminal inhibitory region. The spectral differences demonstrate that the amino- and carboxy-terminal inhibitory sequences are structurally coupled to one another, thus explaining the observation that both regions are required for the repression of DNA binding. Furthermore, these data show that the inhibitory sequences also interact directly with the first helix of the intervening ETS domain, thereby providing a pathway for the repression of DNA binding. These results lead to a model of an inhibitory module in Ets-1 composed of both the amino- and carboxy-terminal regions interfaced with the ETS domain. This establishes the structural framework for understanding the intramolecular inhibition of Ets-1 DNA binding.

Structural features of the epsilon subunit of the Escherichia coli ATP synthase determined by NMR spectroscopy.

The tertiary fold of the epsilon subunit of the Escherichia coli F1F0 ATPsynthase (ECF1F0) has been determined by two- and three-dimensional heteronuclear (13C, 15N) NMR spectroscopy. The epsilon subunit exhibits a distinct two domain structure, with the N-terminal 84 residues of the protein forming a 10-stranded beta-structure, and with the C-terminal 48 amino acids arranged as two alpha-helices running antiparallel to one another (two helix hairpin). The beta-domain folds as a beta-sandwich with a hydrophobic interior between the two layers of the sandwich. The C-terminal two-helix hairpin folds back to the N-terminal domain and interacts with one side of the beta-domain. The arrangement of the epsilon subunit in the intact F1F0 ATP synthase involves interaction of the two helix hairpin with the F1 part, and binding of the open side of the beta-sandwich to the c subunits of the membrane-embedded F0 part.

Secondary structure of the ETS domain places murine Ets-1 in the superfamily of winged helix-turn-helix DNA-binding proteins.

The members of the ets gene family of transcription factors are characterized by a conserved 85-residue DNA-binding region, termed the ETS domain, that lacks sequence homology to structurally characterized DNA-binding motifs. The secondary structure of the ETS domain of murine Ets-1 was determined on the basis of NMR chemical shifts, NOE and J-coupling constraints, amide hydrogen exchange, circular dichroism, and FT-IR spectroscopy. The ETS domain is composed of three alpha-helices (H) and four beta-strands (S) arranged in the order H1-S1-S2-H2-H3-S3-S4. The four-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet is the scaffold for a putative helix-turn-helix DNA recognition motif formed by helices 2 and 3. The 25 residues extending beyond the ETS domain to the native C-terminus of the truncated Ets-1 also contain a helical segment. On the basis of the similarity of this topology with that of catabolite activator protein (CAP), heat shock factor (HSF), and hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF-3 gamma), we propose that ets proteins are members of the superfamily of winged helix-turn-helix DNA-binding proteins.

Solution structure of the ETS domain from murine Ets-1: a winged helix-turn-helix DNA binding motif.

Ets-1 is the prototypic member of the ets family of transcription factors. This family is characterized by the conserved ETS domain that mediates specific DNA binding. Using NMR methods, we have determined the structure of a fragment of murine Ets-1 composed of the 85 residue ETS domain and a 25 amino acid extension that ends at its native C-terminus. The ETS domain folds into a helix-turn-helix motif on a four-stranded anti-parallel beta-sheet scaffold. This structure places Ets-1 in the winged helix-turn-helix (wHTH) family of DNA binding proteins and provides a model for interpreting the sequence conservation of the ETS domain and the specific interaction of Ets-1 with DNA. The C-terminal sequence of Ets-1, which is mutated in the v-Ets oncoprotein, forms an alpha-helix that packs anti-parallel to the N-terminal helix of the ETS domain. In this position, the C-terminal helix is poised to interact directly with an N-terminal inhibitory region in Ets-1 as well as the wHTH motif. This explains structurally the concerted role of residues flanking the ETS domain in the intramolecular inhibition of Ets-1 DNA binding.

Structure of the Ets-1 pointed domain and mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation site.

The Pointed (PNT) domain and an adjacent mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase phosphorylation site are defined by sequence conservation among a subset of ets transcription factors and are implicated in two regulatory strategies, protein interactions and posttranslational modifications, respectively. By using NMR, we have determined the structure of a 110-residue fragment of murine Ets-1 that includes the PNT domain and MAP kinase site. The Ets-1 PNT domain forms a monomeric five-helix bundle. The architecture is distinct from that of any known DNA- or protein-binding module, including the helix-loop-helix fold proposed for the PNT domain of the ets protein TEL. The MAP kinase site is in a highly flexible region of both the unphosphorylated and phosphorylated forms of the Ets-1 fragment. Phosphorylation alters neither the structure nor monomeric state of the PNT domain. These results suggest that the Ets-1 PNT domain functions in heterotypic protein interactions and support the possibility that target recognition is coupled to structuring of the MAP kinase site.

Structural characterization of proteins with an attached ATCUN motif by paramagnetic relaxation enhancement NMR spectroscopy.

The use of a short, three-residue Cu(2+)-binding sequence, the ATCUN motif, is presented as an approach for extracting long-range distance restraints from relaxation enhancement NMR spectroscopy. The ATCUN motif is prepended to the N-termini of proteins and binds Cu(2+) with a very high affinity. Relaxation rates of amide protons in ATCUN-tagged protein in the presence and absence of Cu(2+) can be converted into distance restraints and used for structure refinement by using a new routine, PMAG, that has been written for the structure calculation program CNS. The utility of the approach is demonstrated with an application to ATCUN-tagged ubiquitin. Excellent agreement between measured relaxation rates and those calculated on the basis of the X-ray structure of the protein have been obtained.