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Publication Abstract from PubMed

The OmpR/PhoB subfamily protein GlnR of actinomycetes is an orphan response regulator that globally coordinates the expression of genes related to nitrogen metabolism. Biochemical and genetic analyses reveal that the functional GlnR from Amycolatopsis mediterranei is unphosphorylated at the potential phosphorylation Asp50 residue in the N-terminal receiver domain. The crystal structure of this receiver domain demonstrates that it forms a homodimer through the alpha4-beta5-alpha5 dimer interface highly similar to the phosphorylated typical response regulator, whereas the so-called "phosphorylation pocket" is not conserved, with its space being occupied by an Arg52 from the beta3-alpha3 loop. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments confirm that GlnR forms a functional homodimer via its receiver domain and suggest that the charge interactions of Asp50 with the highly conserved Arg52 and Thr9 in the receiver domain may be crucial in maintaining the proper conformation for homodimerization, as also supported by molecular dynamics simulations of the wild type GlnR versus the deficient mutant GlnR(D50A). This model is backed by the distinct phenotypes of the total deficient GlnR(R52A/T9A) double mutant versus the single mutants of GlnR (i.e. D50N, D50E, R52A and T9A), which have only minor effects upon both dimerization and physiological function of GlnR in vivo, albeit their DNA binding ability is weakened compared with that of the wild type. By integrating the supportive data of GlnRs from the model Streptomyces coelicolor and the pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis, we conclude that the actinomycete GlnR is atypical with respect to its unphosphorylated conserved Asp residue being involved in the critical Arg/Asp/Thr charge interactions, which is essential for maintaining the biologically active homodimer conformation.

Atypical OmpR/PhoB Subfamily Response Regulator GlnR of Actinomycetes Functions as a Homodimer, Stabilized by the Unphosphorylated Conserved Asp-focused Charge Interactions.,Lin W, Wang Y, Han X, Zhang Z, Wang C, Wang J, Yang H, Lu Y, Jiang W, Zhao GP, Zhang P J Biol Chem. 2014 May 30;289(22):15413-15425. Epub 2014 Apr 14. PMID:24733389^[1]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.