title: A novel open-barrel structure of octameric translin reveals a potential RNA entryway.
abstract: The single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)/RNA binding protein translin was suggested to be involved in chromosomal translocations, telomere metabolism, and mRNA transport and translation. Oligonucleotide binding surfaces map within a closed cavity of translin octameric barrels, raising the question as to how DNA/RNA gain access to this inner cavity, particularly given that, to date, none of the barrel structures reported hint to an entryway. Here, we argue against a mechanism by which translin octamers may "dissociate and reassemble" upon RNA binding and report a novel "open"-barrel structure of human translin revealing a feasible DNA/RNA entryway into the cavity. Additionally, we report that translin not only is confined to binding of ssDNA oligonucleotides, or single-stranded extensions of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), but also can bind single-stranded sequences internally embedded in dsDNA molecules.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 320003, Israel.
authors.forename: Elad
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eliahoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 320003, Israel.
authors.forename: Ailie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marx
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 320003, Israel.
authors.forename: Haim
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Manor
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 320003, Israel. Electronic address: alian@tx.technion.ac.il.
authors.forename: Akram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alian
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D011485:Protein Binding; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C095563:TSN protein, human
keywords: RNA; TRAX; octamer; open barrel; translin