title: Structural differences in the DNA binding domains of human p53 and its C. elegans ortholog Cep-1.
abstract: The DNA binding domains of human p53 and Cep-1, its C. elegans ortholog, recognize essentially identical DNA sequences despite poor sequence similarity. We solved the three-dimensional structure of the Cep-1 DNA binding domain in the absence of DNA and compared it to that of human p53. The two domains have similar overall folds. However, three loops, involved in DNA and Zn binding in human p53, contain small alpha helices in Cep-1. The alpha helix in loop L3 of Cep-1 orients the side chains of two conserved arginines toward DNA; in human p53, both arginines are mutation hotspots, but only one contacts DNA. The alpha helix in loop L1 of Cep-1 repositions the entire loop, making it unlikely for residues of this loop to contact bases in the major groove of DNA, as occurs in human p53. Thus, during evolution there have been considerable changes in the structure of the p53 DNA binding domain.
authors.affiliation: Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Yentram
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huyen
authors.forename: Philip D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Jeffrey
authors.forename: W Brent
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Derry
authors.forename: Joel H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Rothman
authors.forename: Nikola P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Pavletich
authors.forename: Elena S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Stavridi
authors.forename: Thanos D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Halazonetis
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000378:metabolism*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D003460:Crystallization; D003625:Data Collection; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D040681:Structural Homology, Protein; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C438244:CEP-1 protein, C elegans; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53