title: A transcriptional-switch model for Slr1738-controlled gene expression in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Protein-DNA interactions play a crucial role in the life of biological organisms in controlling transcription, regulation, as well as DNA recombination and repair. The deep understanding of these processes, which requires the atomic description of the interactions occurring between the proteins and their DNA partners is often limited by the absence of a 3D structure of such complexes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, using a method combining sequence homology, structural analogy modeling and biochemical data, we first build the 3D structure of the complex between the poorly-characterized PerR-like regulator Slr1738 and its target DNA, which controls the defences against metal and oxidative stresses in Synechocystis. In a second step, we propose an expanded version of the Slr1738-DNA structure, which accommodates the DNA binding of Slr1738 multimers, a feature likely operating in the complex Slr1738-mediated regulation of stress responses. Finally, in agreement with experimental data we present a 3D-structure of the Slr1738-DNA complex resulting from the binding of multimers of the FUR-like regulator onto its target DNA that possesses internal repeats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using a combination of different types of data, we build and validate a relevant model of the tridimensional structure of a biologically important protein-DNA complex. Then, based on published observations, we propose more elaborated multimeric models that may be biologically important to understand molecular mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: CEA, Institut de Biologie et de Technologies de Saclay, Service de Biologie Intégrative et Génétique Moléculaire, LBI, CEA-Saclay, F-91191 Gif sur Yvette CEDEX, France.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Garcin
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Delalande
authors.forename: Ju-Yuan
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cassier-Chauvat
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chauvat
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Boulard
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020862:GC Rich Sequence; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000235:genetics; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D008957:Models, Genetic; D056004:Molecular Dynamics Simulation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000235:genetics; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D046939:Synechocystis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D007501:Iron