title: Structural studies on the full-length LysR-type regulator TsaR from Comamonas testosteroni T-2 reveal a novel open conformation of the tetrameric LTTR fold.
abstract: LysR-type transcriptional regulators (LTTRs) constitute the largest family of regulators in prokaryotes. The full-length structures of the LTTR TsaR from Comamonas testosteroni T-2 and its complex with the natural inducer para-toluensulfonate have been characterized by X-ray diffraction. Both ligand-free and complexed forms reveal a dramatically different quaternary structure from that of CbnR from Ralstonia eutropha, or a putative LysR-type regulator from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the only other determined full-length structures of tetrameric LTTRs. Although all three show a head-to-head tetrameric ring, TsaR displays an open conformation, whereas CbnR and PA01-PR present additional contacts in opposing C-terminal domains that close the ring. Such large differences may be due to a broader structural versatility than previously assumed or either, reflect the intrinsic flexibility of tetrameric LTTRs. On the grounds of the sliding dimer hypothesis of LTTR activation, we propose a structural model in which the closed structures could reflect the conformation of a ligand-free LTTR, whereas inducer binding would bring about local changes to disrupt the interface linking the two compact C-terminal domains. This could lead to a TsaR-like, open structure, where the pairs of recognition helices are closer to each other by more than 10 A.
authors.affiliation: IBMB-CSIC, Baldiri Reixach 15, Barcelona Science Park, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Monferrer
authors.forename: Tewes
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tralau
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kertesz
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dix
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Solà
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Usón
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D001557:Benzenesulfonates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D020604:Comamonas testosteroni / Q000201:enzymology*; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D008954:Models, Biological; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011487:Protein Conformation; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001557:Benzenesulfonates; D014157:Transcription Factors; C104111:TsaR protein, Comamonas testosteroni; C029501:4-toluenesulfonic acid