title: Structural insights into TDP-43 in nucleic-acid binding and domain interactions.
abstract: TDP-43 is a pathogenic protein: its normal function in binding to UG-rich RNA is related to cystic fibrosis, and inclusion of its C-terminal fragments in brain cells is directly linked to frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Here we report the 1.65 A crystal structure of the C-terminal RRM2 domain of TDP-43 in complex with a single-stranded DNA. We show that TDP-43 is a dimeric protein with two RRM domains, both involved in DNA and RNA binding. The crystal structure reveals the basis of TDP-43's TG/UG preference in nucleic acids binding. It also reveals that RRM2 domain has an atypical RRM-fold with an additional beta-strand involved in making protein-protein interactions. This self association of RRM2 domains produced thermal-stable RRM2 assemblies with a melting point greater than 85 degrees C as monitored by circular dichroism at physiological conditions. These studies thus characterize the recognition between TDP-43 and nucleic acids and the mode of RRM2 self association, and provide molecular models for understanding the role of TDP-43 in cystic fibrosis and the neurodegenerative diseases related to TDP-43 proteinopathy.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Pan-Hsien
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Lyudmila G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Doudeva
authors.forename: Yi-Ting
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Che-Kun James
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Hanna S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D019281:Dimerization; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011485:Protein Binding; D054730:Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA