title: Alanine scanning mutagenesis of anti-TRAP (AT) reveals residues involved in binding to TRAP.
abstract: The trp RNA-binding attenuation protein (TRAP) regulates expression of the tryptophan biosynthetic (trp) genes in response to changes in intracellular levels of free l-tryptophan in many Gram-positive bacteria. When activated by binding tryptophan, TRAP binds to the mRNAs of several genes involved in tryptophan metabolism, and down-regulates transcription or translation of these genes. Anti-TRAP (AT) is an antagonist of TRAP that binds to tryptophan-activated TRAP and prevents it from binding to its RNA targets, and thereby up-regulates trp gene expression. The crystal structure shows that AT is a cone-shaped trimer (AT(3)) with the N-terminal residues of the three subunits assembled at the apex of the cone and that these trimers can further assemble into a dodecameric (AT(12)) structure. Using alanine-scanning mutagenesis we found four residues, all located on the "top" region of AT(3), that are essential for binding to TRAP. Fluorescent labeling experiments further suggest that the top region of AT is in close juxtaposition to TRAP in the AT-TRAP complex. In vivo studies confirmed the importance of these residues on the top of AT in regulating TRAP mediated gene regulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260-1300, USA.
authors.forename: Yanling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gollnick
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed / Q000379:methods; D011485:Protein Binding; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C079092:MtrB protein, Bacteria; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C435924:yczA protein, Bacillus subtilis; D000409:Alanine