title: Identification of a self-association domain in the Ewing's sarcoma protein: a novel function for arginine-glycine-glycine rich motifs?
abstract: The Ewing's sarcoma (EWS) protein is a ubiquitously expressed RNA chaperone. The EWS protein localizes predominantly to the nucleus. Previous reports have suggested that the EWS protein is capable of dimerizing. However, to date this has not been confirmed. Here, using a novel panel of recombinant proteins, we have performed an in vitro biomolecular interaction analysis of the EWS protein. We have demonstrated that all three arginine-glycine-glycine (RGG) motifs are capable of binding directly to the survival motor neuron protein, a Tudor domain containing EWS binding partner. We have also confirmed EWS is capable of self-associating, and we have mapped this binding domain to the RGG motifs. We have also found that self-association may be required for EWS nuclear import. This is the first direct evidence of RGG domains being involved in self-association and has implications on all RGG-containing proteins.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neurobiology, institute of biomedical and Clinical Science, Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK.
authors.forename: Debra J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morse
authors.forename: Adrian G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Eggleton
authors.forename: Christian L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lorson
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism; D001665:Binding Sites; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D005998:Glycine / Q000378:metabolism; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D034802:RNA-Binding Protein EWS / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance; D055533:Survival of Motor Neuron 1 Protein
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D034802:RNA-Binding Protein EWS; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D055533:Survival of Motor Neuron 1 Protein; D001120:Arginine; D005998:Glycine