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Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Genetic Modification of Cyanobacteria by Conjugation Using the CyanoGate Modular Cloning Toolkit
Published on: October 31, 2019
Structure of transcription factor HetR required for heterocyst differentiation in cyanobacteria
Youngchang Kim1, Grazyna Joachimiak, Zi Ye
1Midwest Center for Structural Genomics and Structural Biology Center, Biosciences, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Building 202, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
Abstract:
HetR is an essential regulator of heterocyst development in cyanobacteria. HetR binds to a DNA palindrome upstream of the hetP gene. We report the crystal structure of HetR from Fischerella at 3.0 Å. The protein is a dimer comprised of a central DNA-binding unit containing the N-terminal regions of the two subunits organized with two helix-turn-helix motifs; two globular flaps extending in opposite directions; and a hood over the central core formed from the C-terminal subdomains. The flaps and hood have no structural precedent in the protein database, therefore representing new folds. The structural assignments are supported by site-directed mutagenesis and DNA-binding studies. We suggest that HetR serves as a scaffold for assembly of transcription components critical for heterocyst development.
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