title: Solution structure of CEH-37 homeodomain of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans protein CEH-37 belongs to the paired OTD/OTX family of homeobox-containing homeodomain proteins. CEH-37 shares sequence similarity with homeodomain proteins, although it specifically binds to double-stranded C. elegans telomeric DNA, which is unusual to homeodomain proteins. Here, we report the solution structure of CEH-37 homeodomain and molecular interaction with double-stranded C. elegans telomeric DNA using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. NMR structure shows that CEH-37 homeodomain is composed of a flexible N-terminal region and three α-helices with a helix-turn-helix (HTH) DNA binding motif. Data from size-exclusion chromatography and fluorescence spectroscopy reveal that CEH-37 homeodomain interacts strongly with double-stranded C. elegans telomeric DNA. NMR titration experiments identified residues responsible for specific binding to nematode double-stranded telomeric DNA. These results suggest that C. elegans homeodomain protein, CEH-37 could play an important role in telomere function via DNA binding.
authors.affiliation: Structural Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Lab, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sunjin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: Department of Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Woo
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Woo Taek
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Structural Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Lab, Department of Biochemistry, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: wlee@spin.yonsei.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Weontae
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000737:chemistry*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary
chemical_list: C476585:CEH-37 protein, C elegans; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins
keywords: C. elegans; CEH-37; Caenorhabditis elegans; HD; HSQC; Homeodomain; NMR; NMR spectroscopy; NOE; Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans; Solution structure; TBP; Telomere-binding protein; heteronuclear single quantum coherence; homeodomain; nuclear Overhauser effect; nuclear magnetic resonance; telomere-binding protein