title: Crystallization and characterization of Pumilo: a novel RNA binding protein.
abstract: Axis determination in early Drosophila embryos is controlled, in part, by regulation of translation of mRNAs transcribed in maternal cells during oogenesis. The Pumilio protein is essential in posterior determination, binding to hunchback mRNA in complex with Nanos to suppress hunchback translation. In order to understand the structural basis of RNA binding, Nanos recruitment, and translational control, we have crystallized a domain of the Drosophila Pumilio protein that binds RNA. The crystals belong to the space group P6(3) with unit cell dimensions of a = b = 94.5 A, c = 228.9 A, alpha = beta = 90 degrees, gamma = 120 degrees and diffract to 2.6 A with synchrotron radiation. We show that the purified protein actively binds RNA and is likely to have a novel RNA binding fold due to a very high content of alpha-helical secondary structure.
authors: Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA.
authors: T A
authors: TA
authors: Edwards
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Trincao
authors: C R
authors: CR
authors: Escalante
authors: R P
authors: RP
authors: Wharton
authors: A K
authors: AK
authors: Aggarwal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D003460:Crystallization; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C074333:pum protein, Drosophila