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Crystal structure of the LUFS domain of human single-stranded DNA binding Protein 2 (SSBP2)

Hongyang Wang1,2,3, Zhizhi Wang3, Qun Tang1

  • 1National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China.

Protein Science : a Publication of the Protein Society
|January 25, 2019
PubMed

Insights

The study reveals the 3D structure of the human SSBP2 LUFS domain, showing it forms a homo-tetramer. This finding explains how the protein tetramerizes, a mechanism potentially shared by other LUFS domains.

Area of Science:

  • Structural Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Human single-stranded DNA binding Protein 2 (SSBP2) acts as a tumor suppressor.
  • SSBP2 and related proteins contain a conserved N-terminal LUFS domain, crucial for function but lacking structural data.
  • LUFS domains, featuring a LisH motif, are present in transcriptional co-repressors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the 3D structure of the human SSBP2 LUFS domain.
  • To elucidate the oligomerization state and mechanism of the SSBP2 LUFS domain.
  • To investigate the structural basis for LUFS domain interactions.

Main Methods:

  • X-ray crystallography was employed to obtain the crystal structure.
  • High-resolution (1.52 Å) structural analysis was performed.
  • Bioinformatic analysis of conserved interfaces was conducted.

Main Results:

  • The crystal structure of the human SSBP2 LUFS domain was determined.
  • The SSBP2 LUFS domain was shown to form a homo-tetramer.
  • An alpha-helix C-terminal to the LisH motif was identified as mediating tetramerization.

Conclusions:

  • The SSBP2 LUFS domain forms a stable homo-tetramer through a novel mechanism involving a C-terminal alpha-helix.
  • This tetramerization interface is conserved among LUFS domains, suggesting a common oligomerization strategy.
  • The structural insights provide a foundation for understanding SSBP2 function in cancer and other cellular processes.
Keywords:
LUFS (LUG/LUH, Flo8 and SSBP/SSDP) domainLis homology (LisH) motifSSBP proteinsX-ray crystallographysingle-stranded DNA binding Protein 2tetramerizationtumor suppressor

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