title: Diverse architectural properties of Sso10a proteins: Evidence for a role in chromatin compaction and organization.
abstract: Sso10a proteins are small DNA-binding proteins expressed by the crenarchaeal model organism Sulfolobus solfataricus. Based on the structure of Sso10a1, which contains a winged helix-turn-helix motif, it is believed that Sso10a proteins function as sequence-specific transcription factors. Here we show that Sso10a1 and Sso10a2 exhibit different distinct DNA-binding modes. While the ability to bend DNA is shared between the two proteins, DNA bridging is observed only for Sso10a1 and only Sso10a2 exhibits filament formation along DNA. The architectural properties of Sso10a proteins suggest that these proteins fulfil generic roles in chromatin organization and compaction. As these proteins exhibit different binding behaviour depending on their DNA binding stoichiometry, altered levels of expression in the cell can be exploited to drive changes in local genome folding, which may operate to modulate transcription.
authors.affiliation: Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Cell Observatory and Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rosalie P C
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Driessen
authors.affiliation: Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Cell Observatory and Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands.|Department of Physics and Astronomy, VU University, Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Szu-Ning
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Cell Observatory and Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Willem-Jan
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Waterreus
authors.affiliation: Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Cell Observatory and Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Alson L H
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: van der Meulen
authors.affiliation: Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Cell Observatory and Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ramon A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: van der Valk
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, VU University, Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Laurens
authors.affiliation: Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Cell Observatory and Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Geri F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Moolenaar
authors.affiliation: Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Cell Observatory and Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Navraj S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Pannu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, VU University, Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gijs J L
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Wuite
authors.affiliation: Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Cell Observatory and Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goosen
authors.affiliation: Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Cell Observatory and Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Remus T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Dame
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D019766:Genes, Archaeal; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D048229:Sulfolobus solfataricus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D002843:Chromatin; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C444360:Sso10b protein, Sulfolobus solfataricus