Structural Characterization of Human RPA Sequential Binding to Single-Stranded DNA Using ssDNA as a Molecular Ruler
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-17-2007
Description
Human replication protein A (RPA), a heterotrimer composed of RPA70, RPA32, and RPA14 subunits, contains four single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) binding domains (DBD): DBD-A, DBD-B, and DBD-C in RPA70 and DBD-D in RPA32. Although crystallographic or NMR structures of these DBDs and a trimerization core have been determined, the structure of the full length of RPA or the RPA-ssDNA complex remains unknown. In this article, we have examined the structural features of RPA interaction with ssDNA by fluorescence spectroscopy. Using a set of oligonucleotides (dT) with varying lengths as a molecular ruler and also as the substrate, we have determined at single-nucleotide resolution the relative positions of the ssDNA with interacting intrinsic tryptophans of RPA. Our results revealed that Trp528 in DBD-C and Trp107 in DBD-D contact ssDNA at the 16th and 24th nucleotides (nt) from the 5′-end of the substrate, respectively. Evaluation of the relative spatial arrangement of RPA domains in the RPA-ssDNA complex suggested that DBD-B and DBD-C are spaced by about 4 nt (∼19 Å) apart, whereas DBD-C and DBD-D are spaced by about 7 nt (∼34 Å). On the basis of these geometric constraints, a global structure model for the binding of the major RPA DBDs to ssDNA was proposed.
Citation Information
Cai, Lifeng; Roginskaya, Marina; Qu, Youxing; Yang, Zhengguan; Xu, Ying; and Zou, Yue. 2007. Structural Characterization of Human RPA Sequential Binding to Single-Stranded DNA Using ssDNA as a Molecular Ruler. Biochemistry. Vol.46(28). 8226-8233. https://doi.org/10.1021/bi7004976 PMID: 17583916 ISSN: 0006-2960