Nigar D. Babayeva

Crystal structure of HIV-1 Tat complexed with human P-TEFb

Regulation of the expression of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) genome is accomplished in large part by controlling transcription elongation. The viral protein Tat hijacks the host cell’s RNA polymerase II elongation control machinery through interaction with the positive transcription elongation factor, P-TEFb, and directs the factor to promote productive elongation of HIV mRNA. Here we describe the crystal structure of the Tat·P-TEFb complex containing HIV-1 Tat, human Cdk9 (also known as CDK9), and human cyclin T1 (also known as CCNT1). Tat adopts a structure complementary to the surface of P-TEFb and makes extensive contacts, mainly with the cyclin T1 subunit of P-TEFb, but also with the T-loop of the Cdk9 subunit. The structure provides a plausible explanation for the tolerance of Tat to sequence variations at certain sites. Importantly, Tat induces significant conformational changes in P-TEFb. This finding lays a foundation for the design of compounds that would specifically inhibit the Tat·P-TEFb complex and block HIV replication.

X-ray structure of the complex of regulatory subunits of human DNA polymerase delta.

The eukaryotic DNA polymerase delta (Pol delta) participates in genome replication, homologous recombination, DNA repair and damage tolerance. Regulation of the plethora of Pol delta functions depends on the interaction between the second (p50) and third (p66) non-catalytic subunits. We report the crystal structure of p50p66N complex featuring oligonucleotide binding and phosphodiesterase domains in p50 and winged helix-turn-helix N-terminal domain in p66. Disruption of the interaction between the yeast orthologs of p50 and p66 by strategic amino acid changes leads to cold-sensitivity, sensitivity to hydroxyurea and to reduced UV mutagenesis, mimicking the phenotypes of strains where the third subunit of Pol delta is absent. The second subunits of all B-family replicative DNA polymerases in archaea and eukaryotes, except Pol delta, share a three-domain structure similar to p50p66N, raising the possibility that a portion of the gene encoding p66 was derived from the second subunit gene relatively late in evolution.

Structural basis for inhibition of DNA replication by aphidicolin

Natural tetracyclic diterpenoid aphidicolin is a potent and specific inhibitor of B-family DNA polymerases, haltering replication and possessing a strong antimitotic activity in human cancer cell lines. Clinical trials revealed limitations of aphidicolin as an antitumor drug because of its low solubility and fast clearance from human plasma. The absence of structural information hampered the improvement of aphidicolin-like inhibitors: more than 50 modifications have been generated so far, but all have lost the inhibitory and antitumor properties. Here we report the crystal structure of the catalytic core of human DNA polymerase α (Pol α) in the ternary complex with an RNA-primed DNA template and aphidicolin. The inhibitor blocks binding of dCTP by docking at the Pol α active site and by rotating the template guanine. The structure provides a plausible mechanism for the selectivity of aphidicolin incorporation opposite template guanine and explains why previous modifications of aphidicolin failed to improve its affinity for Pol α. With new structural information, aphidicolin becomes an attractive lead compound for the design of novel derivatives with enhanced inhibitory properties for B-family DNA polymerases.

Crystal structure of the C-terminal domain of human DNA primase large subunit: implications for the mechanism of the primase-polymerase α switch.

DNA polymerases cannot synthesize DNA without a primer, and DNA primase is the only specialized enzyme capable of de novo synthesis of short RNA primers. In eukaryotes, primase functions within a heterotetrameric complex in concert with a tightly bound DNA polymerase α (Pol α). In humans, the Pol α part is comprised of a catalytic subunit (p180) and an accessory subunit B (p70), and the primase part consists of a small catalytic subunit (p49) and a large essential subunit (p58). The latter subunit participates in primer synthesis, counts the number of nucleotides in a primer, assists the release of the primer-template from primase and transfers it to the Pol α active site. Recently reported crystal structures of the C-terminal domains of the yeast and human enzymes’ large subunits provided critical information related to their structure, possible sites for binding of nucleotides and template DNA, as well as the overall organization of eukaryotic primases. However, the structures also revealed a difference in the folding of their proposed DNA-binding fragments, raising the possibility that yeast and human proteins are functionally different. Here we report new structure of the C-terminal domain of the human primase p58 subunit. This structure exhibits a fold similar to a fold reported for the yeast protein but different than a fold reported for the human protein. Based on a comparative analysis of all three C-terminal domain structures, we propose a mechanism of RNA primer length counting and dissociation of the primer-template from primase by a switch in conformation of the ssDNA-binding region of p58.

Crystal Structure of Mouse Elf3 C-terminal DNA-binding Domain in Complex with Type II TGF-β Receptor Promoter DNA

The Ets family of transcription factors is composed of more than 30 members. One of its members, Elf3, is expressed in virtually all epithelial cells as well as in many tumors, including breast tumors. Several studies observed that the promoter of the type II TGF-beta receptor gene (TbetaR-II) is strongly stimulated by Elf3 via two adjacent Elf3 binding sites, the A-site and the B-site. Here, we report the 2.2 A resolution crystal structure of a mouse Elf3 C-terminal fragment, containing the DNA-binding Ets domain, in complex with the B-site of mouse type II TGF-beta receptor promoter DNA (mTbetaR-II(DNA)). Elf3 contacts the core GGAA motif of the B-site from a major groove similar to that of known Ets proteins. However, unlike other Ets proteins, Elf3 also contacts sequences of the A-site from the minor groove of the DNA. DNA binding experiments and cell-based transcription studies indicate that minor groove interaction by Arg349 located in the Ets domain is important for Elf3 function. Equally interesting, previous studies have shown that the C-terminal region of Elf3, which flanks the Ets domain, is required for Elf3 binding to DNA. In this study, we determined that Elf3 amino acid residues within this flanking region, including Trp361, are important for the structural integrity of the protein as well as for the Efl3 DNA binding and transactivation activity.

Structural basis of Ets1 cooperative binding to palindromic sequences on stromelysin-1 promoter DNA

Ets1 is a member of the Ets family of transcription factors.

Mechanism of Concerted RNA-DNA Primer Synthesis by the Human Primosome.

The human primosome, a 340-kilodalton complex of primase and DNA polymerase α (Polα), synthesizes chimeric RNA-DNA primers to be extended by replicative DNA polymerases δ and ϵ. The intricate mechanism of concerted primer synthesis by two catalytic centers was an enigma for over three decades. Here we report the crystal structures of two key complexes, the human primosome and the C-terminal domain of the primase large subunit (p58C) with bound DNA/RNA duplex. These structures, along with analysis of primase/polymerase activities, provide a plausible mechanism for all transactions of the primosome including initiation, elongation, accurate counting of RNA primer length, primer transfer to Polα, and concerted autoregulation of alternate activation/inhibition of the catalytic centers. Our findings reveal a central role of p58C in the coordinated actions of two catalytic domains in the primosome and ultimately could impact the design of anticancer drugs.

Crystal Structure of the Human Primase

Background: DNA primase synthesizes RNA primers and is indispensable for genome replication. Results: We present a crystal structure of the intact human primase at 2.65 Å resolution. Conclusion: The long linker between two domains of the large subunit is important for RNA priming. Significance: The obtained data provide notable insight into the mechanism of primase function. DNA replication in bacteria and eukaryotes requires the activity of DNA primase, a DNA-dependent RNA polymerase that lays short RNA primers for DNA polymerases. Eukaryotic and archaeal primases are heterodimers consisting of small catalytic and large accessory subunits, both of which are necessary for RNA primer synthesis. Understanding of RNA synthesis priming in eukaryotes is currently limited due to the lack of crystal structures of the full-length primase and its complexes with substrates in initiation and elongation states. Here we report the crystal structure of the full-length human primase, revealing the precise overall organization of the enzyme, the relative positions of its functional domains, and the mode of its interaction with modeled DNA and RNA. The structure indicates that the dramatic conformational changes in primase are necessary to accomplish the initiation and then elongation of RNA synthesis. The presence of a long linker between the N- and C-terminal domains of p58 provides the structural basis for the bulk of enzymes conformational flexibility. Deletion of most of this linker affected the initiation and elongation steps of the primer synthesis.

Crystal structure of HIV-1 Tat complexed with human P-TEFb and AFF4

Developing anti-viral therapies targeting HIV-1 transcription has been hampered by the limited structural knowledge of the proteins involved. HIV-1 hijacks the cellular machinery that controls RNA polymerase II elongation through an interaction of HIV-1 Tat with the positive transcription elongation factor P-TEFb, which interacts with an AF4 family member (AFF1/2/3/4) in the super elongation complex (SEC). Because inclusion of Tat•P-TEFb into the SEC is critical for HIV transcription, we have determined the crystal structure of the Tat•AFF4•P-TEFb complex containing HIV-1 Tat (residues 1–48), human Cyclin T1 (1–266), human Cdk9 (7–332), and human AFF4 (27–69). Tat binding to AFF4•P-TEFb causes concerted structural changes in AFF4 via a shift of helix H5′ of Cyclin T1 and the α-310 helix of AFF4. The interaction between Tat and AFF4 provides structural constraints that explain tolerated Tat mutations. Analysis of the Tat-binding surface of AFF4 coupled with modeling of all other AF4 family members suggests that AFF1 and AFF4 would be preferred over AFF2 or AFF3 for interaction with Tat•P-TEFb. The structure establishes that the Tat-TAR recognition motif (TRM) in Cyclin T1 interacts with both Tat and AFF4, leading to the exposure of arginine side chains for binding to TAR RNA. Furthermore, modeling of Tat Lys28 acetylation suggests that the acetyl group would be in a favorable position for H-bond formation with Asn257 of TRM, thereby stabilizing the TRM in Cyclin T1, and provides a structural basis for the modulation of TAR RNA binding by acetylation of Tat Lys28.

Structural basis of Ets1 activation by Runx1.

Runx1 is required for definitive hematopoiesis and is well known for its frequent chromosomal translocations and point mutations in leukemia. Runx1 regulates a variety of genes via Ets1 activation on an Ets1•Runx1 composite DNA sequence. The structural basis of such regulation remains unresolved. To address this problem, we determined the crystal structure of the ternary complex containing Runx11–242 and Ets1296–441 bound to T-cell receptor alpha (TCRα) enhancer DNA. In the crystal, an Ets1-interacting domain of Runx1 is bound to the Ets1 DNA-binding domain and displaced an entire autoinhibitory module of Ets1, revealing a novel mechanism of Ets1 activation. The DNA-binding and transcriptional studies with a variety of structure-guided Runx1 mutants confirmed a critical role of direct Ets1•Runx1 interaction in Ets1 activation. More importantly, the discovered mechanism provides a plausible explanation for how the Ets1•Runx1 interaction effectively activates not only a wild-type Ets1, but also a highly inhibited phosphorylated form of Ets1.