title: Four KH domains of the C. elegans Bicaudal-C ortholog GLD-3 form a globular structural platform.
abstract: Caenorhabditis elegans GLD-3 is a five K homology (KH) domain-containing protein involved in the translational control of germline-specific mRNAs during embryogenesis. GLD-3 interacts with the cytoplasmic poly(A)-polymerase GLD-2. The two proteins cooperate to recognize target mRNAs and convert them into a polyadenylated, translationally active state. We report the 2.8-Å-resolution crystal structure of a proteolytically stable fragment encompassing the KH2, KH3, KH4, and KH5 domains of C. elegans GLD-3. The structure reveals that the four tandem KH domains are organized into a globular structural unit. The domains are involved in extensive side-by-side interactions, similar to those observed in previous structures of dimeric KH domains, as well as head-to-toe interactions. Small-angle X-ray scattering reconstructions show that the N-terminal KH domain (KH1) forms a thumb-like protrusion on the KH2-KH5 unit. Although KH domains are putative RNA-binding modules, the KH region of GLD-3 is unable in isolation to cross-link RNA. Instead, the KH1 domain mediates the direct interaction with the poly(A)-polymerase GLD-2, pointing to a function of the KH region as a protein-protein interaction platform.
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural Cell Biology, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakel
authors.forename: Sophia A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hartung
authors.forename: Fabien
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bonneau
authors.forename: Christian R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Eckmann
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Conti
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011485:Protein Binding; D017510:Protein Folding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C469731:GLD-3 protein, C elegans; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins
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