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CD Spectroscopy to Study DNA-Protein Interactions
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Molecular basis for SMC rod formation and its dissolution upon DNA binding
Young-Min Soh1, Frank Bürmann2, Ho-Chul Shin1
1Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST Institute for the Biocentury, Cancer Metastasis Control Center, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-701, Korea.
Molecular Cell
|January 6, 2015
Summary
Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes (SMC) complexes form rod-like structures. ATP binding causes a conformational change, regulating DNA interaction and offering insights into Cornelia de Lange syndrome.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Structural Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes (SMC) complexes are crucial for chromosome organization across all life forms.
- These complexes feature a conserved architecture with hinge and head dimerization domains connected by a long coiled-coil.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the structural arrangement of coiled-coil regions within SMC complexes.
- To elucidate the mechanism of DNA interaction regulation by SMC complexes.
Main Methods:
- Structural analysis of prokaryotic Smc-ScpAB and eukaryotic condensin.
- Investigating conformational changes upon ATP binding and DNA interaction.
Main Results:
- SMC complexes, including prokaryotic Smc-ScpAB and eukaryotic condensin, adopt a rod-like structure with juxtaposed coiled coils anchored to the hinge.
- ATP binding induces a switch to a more open configuration, suggesting long-distance transmission of structural changes from head to hinge domains.
- This dynamic regulation impacts Smc-ScpAB's DNA association.
Conclusions:
- A conserved, rod-like architecture is fundamental to SMC complexes.
- ATP-dependent conformational changes provide a mechanism for dynamic chromosome engagement.
- These findings offer a molecular basis for understanding Cornelia de Lange syndrome, a disorder linked to SMC protein dysfunction.
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