Recognition of T-rich single-stranded DNA by the cold shock protein Bs-CspB in solution

Nucleic Acids Res. 2006;34(16):4561-71. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkl376. Epub 2006 Sep 6.

Abstract

Cold shock proteins (CSP) belong to the family of single-stranded nucleic acid binding proteins with OB-fold. CSP are believed to function as 'RNA chaperones' and during anti-termination. We determined the solution structure of Bs-CspB bound to the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) fragment heptathymidine (dT7) by NMR spectroscopy. Bs-CspB reveals an almost invariant conformation when bound to dT7 with only minor reorientations in loop beta1-beta2 and beta3-beta4 and of few aromatic side chains involved in base stacking. Binding studies of protein variants and mutated ssDNA demonstrated that Bs-CspB associates with ssDNA at almost diffusion controlled rates and low sequence specificity consistent with its biological function. A variation of the ssDNA affinity is accomplished solely by changes of the dissociation rate. 15N NMR relaxation and H/D exchange experiments revealed that binding of dT7 increases the stability of Bs-CspB and reduces the sub-nanosecond dynamics of the entire protein and especially of loop beta3-beta4.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacillus subtilis*
  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • DNA, Single-Stranded / chemistry*
  • DNA, Single-Stranded / metabolism
  • Deuterium Exchange Measurement
  • Kinetics
  • Models, Molecular
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Protein Conformation
  • Thermodynamics
  • Thymidine / chemistry*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • DNA, Single-Stranded
  • cold-shock protein CspB, Bacteria
  • Thymidine