title: Metal binding studies and EPR spectroscopy of the manganese transport regulator MntR.
abstract: Manganese transport regulator (MntR) is a member of the diphtheria toxin repressor (DtxR) family of transcription factors that is responsible for manganese homeostasis in Bacillus subtilis. Prior biophysical studies have focused on the metal-mediated DNA binding of MntR [Lieser, S. A., Davis, T. C., Helmann, J. D., and Cohen, S. M. (2003) Biochemistry 42, 12634-12642], as well as metal stabilization of the MntR structure [Golynskiy, M. V., Davis, T. C., Helmann, J. D., and Cohen, S. M. (2005) Biochemistry 44, 3380-3389], but only limited data on the metal-binding affinities for MntR are available. Herein, the metal-binding affinities of MntR were determined by using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, as well as competition experiments with the fluorimetric dyes Fura-2 and Mag-fura-2. MntR was not capable of competing with Fura-2 for the binding of transition metal ions. Therefore, the metal-binding affinities and stoichiometries of Mag-fura-2 for Mn2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Zn2+, and Cd2+ were determined and utilized in MntR/Mag-fura-2 competition experiments. The measured Kd values for MntR metal binding are comparable to those reported for DtxR metal binding [Kd from 10(-)7 to 10(-4) M; D'Aquino, J. A., et al. (2005) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 102, 18408-18413], AntR [a homologue from Bacillus anthracis; Sen, K. I. et al. (2006) Biochemistry 45, 4295-4303], and generally follow the Irving-Williams series. Direct detection of the dinuclear Mn2+ site in MntR with EPR spectroscopy is presented, and the exchange interaction was determined, J = -0.2 cm-1. This value is lower in magnitude than most known dinuclear Mn2+ sites in proteins and synthetic complexes and is consistent with a dinuclear Mn2+ site with a longer Mn...Mn distance (4.4 A) observed in some of the available crystal structures. MntR is found to have a surprisingly low binding affinity (approximately 160 microM) for its cognate metal ion Mn2+. Moreover, the results of DNA binding studies in the presence of limiting metal ion concentrations were found to be consistent with the measured metal-binding constants. The metal-binding affinities of MntR reported here help to elucidate the regulatory mechanism of this metal-dependent transcription factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0358, USA.
authors.forename: Misha V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Golynskiy
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Gunderson
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Hendrich
authors.forename: Seth M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001665:Binding Sites; D002104:Cadmium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002413:Cations, Divalent; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D008345:Manganese / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002413:Cations, Divalent; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C433792:MntR protein, bacteria; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D002104:Cadmium; D008345:Manganese