Characterization of the dimerization domain in the FNR transcription factor.
The global anaerobic regulator FNR from Escherichia coli is a dimeric Fe-S protein that is inactivated by O(2) through disruption of its [4Fe-4S] cluster and conversion to a monomeric form. As a first step in elucidating the molecular interactions that control FNR dimerization, we have performed alanine-scanning mutagenesis of a potential dimerization domain. Replacement of many hydrophobic residues (Met-143, Met-144, Leu-146, Met-147, Ile-151, Met-157, and Ile-158) and two charged residues (Arg-140 and Arg-145) with Ala decreased FNR activity in vivo. Size exclusion chromatography and Fe-S cluster analysis of three representative mutant proteins, FNR-M147A, FNR-I151A, and FNR-I158A, showed that the Ala substitutions produced specific defects in dimerization. Because hydrophobic side chains are known to stabilize subunit-subunit interactions between alpha-helices, we propose that Met-147, Ile-151, and Ile-158 lie on the same face of an alpha-helix that constitutes a dimerization interface. This alignment would also position Arg-140, Met-144, and Asp-154 on the same helical face. In support of the unusual positioning of a negatively charged residue at the dimer interface, we found that replacing Asp-154 with Ala repaired the defects caused by Ala substitutions of other residues located on the same helical face. These data also suggest that Asp-154 has an inhibitory effect on dimerization, which may be a key element in the control of FNR dimerization by O(2) availability.
Moore
L J
LJ
Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.
Kiley
P J
PJ
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D019281:Dimerization; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C060704:FNR protein, E coli; D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors