title: Structural mechanism of Smad4 recognition by the nuclear oncoprotein Ski: insights on Ski-mediated repression of TGF-beta signaling.
abstract: The Ski family of nuclear oncoproteins represses TGF-beta signaling through interactions with the Smad proteins. The crystal structure of the Smad4 binding domain of human c-Ski in complex with the MH2 domain of Smad4 reveals specific recognition of the Smad4 L3 loop region by a highly conserved interaction loop (I loop) from Ski. The Ski binding surface on Smad4 significantly overlaps with that required for binding of the R-Smads. Indeed, Ski disrupts the formation of a functional complex between the Co- and R-Smads, explaining how it could lead to repression of TGF-beta, activin, and BMP responses. Intriguingly, the structure of the Ski fragment, stabilized by a bound zinc atom, resembles the SAND domain, in which the corresponding I loop is responsible for DNA binding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Lewis Thomas Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
authors.forename: Jia Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ariel R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Krawitz
authors.forename: Jijie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: Wenyu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fangjiu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Kunxin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Yigong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051901:Smad4 Protein; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000737:chemistry*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C497796:SMAD4 protein, human; D051901:Smad4 Protein; D015534:Trans-Activators; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; C060614:SKI protein, human