title: Crystallization and characterization of Smaug: a novel RNA-binding motif.
abstract: During Drosophila embryogenesis, Smaug protein represses translation of Nanos through an interaction with a specific element in its 3(')UTR. The repression occurs in the bulk cytoplasm of the embryo; Nanos is, however, successfully translated in the specialized cytoplasm of the posterior pole. This generates a gradient of Nanos emanating from the posterior pole that is essential for organizing proper abdominal segmentation. To understand the structural basis of RNA binding and translational control, we have crystallized a domain of Drosophila Smaug that binds RNA. The crystals belong to the space group R3 with unit cell dimensions of a=b=129.3A, c=33.1A, alpha=beta=90 degrees, gamma=120 degrees and diffract to 1.80A with synchrotron radiation. Initial characterization of this domain suggests that it encodes a novel RNA-binding motif.
authors.affiliation: Structural Biology Program, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Box 1677, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Justin B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trincao
authors.forename: Carlos R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Escalante
authors.forename: Robin P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Wharton
authors.forename: Aneel K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000818:Animals; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D029721:Drosophila Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D017353:Gene Deletion; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D011485:Protein Binding; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D029721:Drosophila Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C402587:smg protein, Drosophila; D012313:RNA