title: Crystallographic analysis of the conserved C-terminal domain of transcription factor Cdc73 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals a GTPase-like fold.
abstract: The yeast Paf1 complex (Paf1C), which is composed of the proteins Paf1, Cdc73, Ctr9, Leo1 and Rtf1, accompanies RNA polymerase II from the promoter to the 3'-end formation site of mRNA- and snoRNA-encoding genes. As one of the first identified subunits of Paf1C, yeast Cdc73 (yCdc73) takes part in many transcription-related processes, including binding to RNA polymerase II, recruitment and activation of histone-modification factors and communication with other transcriptional activators. The human homologue of yCdc73, parafibromin, has been identified as a tumour suppressor linked to breast, renal and gastric cancers. However, the functional mechanism of yCdc73 has until recently been unclear. Here, a 2.2 Å resolution crystal structure of the highly conserved C-terminal region of yCdc73 is reported. It revealed that yCdc73 appears to have a GTPase-like fold. However, no GTPase activity was observed. The crystal structure of yCdc73 will shed new light on the modes of function of Cdc73 and Paf1C.
authors.affiliation: Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hongkai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Nuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Yongxiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Maikun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.forename: Liwen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Niu
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003460:Crystallization; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray / Q000379:methods*; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases / Q000737:chemistry*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006657:Histones / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000737:chemistry; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: C104439:CDC73 protein, S cerevisiae; D006657:Histones; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C097698:PAF1 protein, S cerevisiae; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D012319:RNA Polymerase II; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases