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ABSTRACT: Gene expression is coordinated in part by interactions between transcriptional activators and other transcription factors such as coactivators. The KIX domain of the coactivator and histone acetyltransferase CREB binding protein (CBP) binds numerous mammalian and viral transcriptional activators such as BRCA1, CREB, c-Jun, c-Myb, p53, papillomavirus E2, and HTLV-1 Tax. Formation of the CREB-CBP complex depends on phosphorylation of the KID region of CREB and involves induced folding of KID upon binding a hydrophobic groove of the KIX domain of CBP. Here we investigate the formation of the complex formed by human KIX and the N-terminal activation domain of human c-Jun. The c-Jun activation domain and KID do not share significant sequence similarity. Circular dichroism spectroscopy shows that the Jun N-terminal activation domain is intrinsically disordered in isolation and that KIX binding is independent of Jun phosphorylation. In contrast to the mode of binding exhibited by CREB, NMR chemical shift mapping indicates that the c-Jun activation domain binds to a distinctly different surface of KIX than used by CREB. Moreover, NMR and sedimentation equilibrium studies show that the activation domains of c-Jun and CREB can simultaneously bind the KIX domain of CBP. The results illustrate a new mode of binding and combinatorial recruitment via the KIX domain of CBP by multiple transcriptional activators.
Biochemistry 12/2002; 41(47):13956-64. · 3.42 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The coiled coil is an attractive target for protein design. The helices of coiled coils are characterized by a heptad repeat of residues denoted a to g. Residues at positions a and d form the interhelical interface and are usually hydrophobic. An established strategy to confer structural uniqueness to two-stranded coiled coils is the use of buried polar Asn residues at position a, which imparts dimerization and conformational specificity at the expense of stability. Here we show that polar interactions involving buried position-a Lys residues that can interact favorably only with surface e' or g' Glu residues also impart structural uniqueness to a designed heterodimeric coiled coil with the nativelike properties of sigmoidal thermal and urea-induced unfolding transitions, slow hydrogen exchange and lack of ANS binding. The position-a Lys residues do not, however, confer a single preference for helix orientation, likely reflecting the ability of Lys at position a to from favorable interactions with g' or e' Glu residues in the parallel and antiparallel orientations, respectively. The Lys-Glu polar interaction is less destabilizing than the Asn-Asn a-->a' interaction, presumably reflecting a higher desolvation penalty associated with the completely buried polar position-a groups. Our results extend the range of approaches for two-stranded coiled-coil design and illustrate the role of complementing polar groups associated with buried and surface positions of proteins in protein folding and design.
Biochemistry 07/2002; 41(22):7169-75. · 3.42 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Coiled coils comprise two or more helices characterized by a heptad repeat of amino acids denoted a through g. The buried a and d positions are usually occupied by hydrophobic residues. Fos dimerizes via a coiled coil (leucine zipper) with Jun family members to form the transcription factor AP-1. Fos homodimers are relatively unstable due to unfavorable interhelical electrostatic interactions within the Fos two-stranded coiled coil. The Fos coiled coil contains two polar position a Lys residues (Lys 16 and Lys 30 of Fos-p1, a peptide corresponding to the coiled-coil domain of v-Fos). Lys 16 and Lys 30 of Fos-p1 were replaced individually and together with the unnatural amino acid norleucine (2-aminohexanoic acid), which corresponds to a deletion of the Lys epsilon-amino group. The midpoint of thermal denaturation (T(m)) of Fos-p1 (10 microM) is 30 degrees C at pH 7. The Lys 16 --> Nle variant forms predominantly homodimers that are relatively unstable (T(m) = 46 degrees C). The Lys 30 --> Nle variant forms a stable homotetramer (T(m) = 60 degrees C). The Lys 16/Lys 30 --> Nle variant forms a very stable homotetramer (T(m) = 80 degrees C). The results show that (i) the effects of buried position a Lys residues on coiled-coil oligomerization are context dependent and (ii) electrostatic destabilization of the Fos homodimer can be mitigated by an oligomerization switch moderated by a single buried Lys residue.
Biochemistry 04/2002; 41(15):4866-71. · 3.42 Impact Factor
