The mechanism of ATP-dependent RNA unwinding by DEAD box proteins

Hilbert, Manuel; Karow, Anne R.; Klostermeier, Dagmar

doi:10.1515/bc.2009.135

Cited by 140 publications

(183 citation statements)

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“…The ability to unwind duplexes is thought to arise from the exclusion of dsRNAs when the two RecA domains are closed upon each other (33,60,61; reviewed in refs. 1,3,5). Considering Rok1's preference for dsRNA over ssRNA and its ability to stabilize RNA duplexes, we tested Rok1's ability to promote annealing of an RNA duplex.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cofactor-dependent specificity of a DEAD-box protein

Young

Khoshnevis

Karbstein

2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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DEAD-box proteins, a large class of RNA-dependent ATPases, regulate all aspects of gene expression and RNA metabolism. They can facilitate dissociation of RNA duplexes and remodeling of RNA-protein complexes, serve as ATP-dependent RNA-binding proteins, or even anneal duplexes. These proteins have highly conserved sequence elements that are contained within two RecA-like domains; consequently, their structures are nearly identical. Furthermore, crystal structures of DEAD-box proteins with bound RNA reveal interactions exclusively between the protein and the RNA backbone. Together, these findings suggest that DEAD-box proteins interact with their substrates in a nonspecific manner, which is confirmed in biochemical experiments. Nevertheless, this contrasts with the need to target these enzymes to specific substrates in vivo. Using the DEAD-box protein Rok1 and its cofactor Rrp5, which both function during maturation of the small ribosomal subunit, we show here that Rrp5 provides specificity to the otherwise nonspecific biochemical activities of the Rok1 DEAD-domain. This finding could reconcile the need for specific substrate binding of some DEAD-box proteins with their nonspecific binding surface and expands the potential roles of cofactors to specificity factors. Identification of helicase cofactors and their RNA substrates could therefore help define the undescribed roles of the 19 DEAD-box proteins that function in ribosome assembly.RNA helicases | annealing D EAD-box proteins are RNA-binding ATPases that are involved in all aspects of RNA metabolism: translation initiation, pre-mRNA splicing, mRNA export and decay, and ribosome biogenesis. In these processes, their functions include RNA duplex unwinding, RNA-protein complex remodeling, RNA duplex annealing, and ATP-dependent RNA binding (1-5).In vivo, these enzymes have specific functions that often involve the recognition of specific RNAs and the discrimination against a myriad of nonsubstrates. Nevertheless, only DbpA, a DEAD-box protein involved in bacterial ribosome assembly (6-8), has sequence-specific ATPase activity (6, 9), which arises from unique sequences in its C terminus (10). Such sequence specificity has not been demonstrated for any other DEAD-box protein and is consistent with their highly conserved structures and the almost universal conservation of residues that contact the RNA. Furthermore, analysis of the structures of RNA-bound DEAD-box proteins reveals that RNA contacts are made with the sugarphosphate backbone (11-17), largely precluding sequence-specific interactions between DEAD-box proteins and RNA.Many DEAD-box and related DEAH-box proteins function in conjunction with cofactors (ref. 18 and references therein). These cofactors can regulate the activity of DEAD-box or DEAH-box proteins by stimulating or inhibiting their ATPase, helicase, RNAbinding, or nucleotide-binding activities. Interestingly, cofactors are often RNA-binding proteins (19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25). We and others therefore postulated that these cofactors could als...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In these processes, their functions include RNA duplex unwinding, RNA-protein complex remodeling, RNA duplex annealing, and ATP-dependent RNA binding (1)(2)(3)(4)(5).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cofactor-dependent specificity of a DEAD-box protein

Young

Khoshnevis

Karbstein

2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…2c,d). All of these studies show that the cleft between the two domains must be closed to productively bind and hydrolyse ATP 11 . In addition, the studies show how the functional groups that are involved in ATP binding and hydrolysis must be arranged in a highly defined manner (FIG.…”

Section: Structures Of Dead Box Rna Helicasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The arrangement of the oligomerization domain in bacterial HerA has been mapped 22 , and fluorescence studies on bacterial YxiN have determined the location of the terminal RRM relative to the helicase core 24 . Each of the terminal domains analysed so far is oriented differently with respect to the helicase core 11 .…”

Section: Mitochondrial Rna Editingmentioning

confidence: 99%

From unwinding to clamping — the DEAD box RNA helicase family

Linder

Jankowsky

2011

Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol

953

1,069

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Nearly all aspects of RNA metabolism, from transcription and translation to mRNA decay, involve RNA helicases, which are enzymes that use ATP to bind or remodel RNA and RNA-protein complexes (ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes) 1 . RNA helicases are found in all three domains of life, and many viruses also encode one or more of these proteins 2,3 . Together with the structurally related DNA helicases that function in replication, recombination and repair, the RNA helicases are classified into superfamilies and families, based on sequence and structural features 3,4 . DEAD box proteins form the largest helicase family, with 37 members in humans and 26 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae 3 , and are characterized by the presence of an Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp (DEAD) motif.DEAD box helicases have central and, in many cases, essential physiological roles in cellular RNA metabolism 5 (FIG. 1). The proteins generally function as part of larger multicomponent assemblies, such as the spliceosom e or the eukaryotic translation initiation machinery 6 . Mutations and deregulation of several DEAD box proteins have been linked to disease states, including cancer 7 . Although all DEAD box proteins contain a structurally highly conserved core with conserved ATP-binding and RNA-binding sites, different proteins have been associated with diverse and seemingly unrelated functions, including the disassembly of RNPs, chaperoning during RNA folding and even stabil ization of protein complexes on RNA 5,6 . How these highly conserved proteins fulfil such an array of different functions has been a long-standing question.Research has now started to illuminate the molecular basis for this functional diversity. In this Review, we summarize how structural data, together with biochemical and biophysical studies, have revealed unexpected modes by which these proteins function. We also discuss how novel molecular and cell biological approaches have better defined the cellular roles of DEAD box helicases. We outline our current view on common structural and mechan istic themes that have emerged, and on physical models of how these 'unusual' RNA helicases work.Structures of DEAD box RNA helicases A number of structural studies have universally shown that members of the DEAD box family contain a highly conserved helicase core that harbours the binding sites for ATP and RNA 3,4,8 . The core is surrounded by variable auxiliary domains, which are thought to be critical for the diverse functions of these enzymes.Structure of the helicase core. DEAD box proteins belong to helicase superfamily 2 (SF2) 2 . Similarly to all SF2 helicases, DEAD box proteins are built around a highly conserved helicase core of two virtually identical domains that resemble the bacterial recombination protein recombinase A (RecA) 3,4,8 (FIG. 2a,b). Within this helicase core, at least 12 characteristic sequence motifs are located at conserved positions (FIG. 2a,b). Some of these motifs are conserved across the entire SF2 family, whereas others are found only in the DEAD box family 3 ....

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“…As such they touch upon virtually all processes of RNA metabolism including transcription, translation, RNA editing, viral replication, and ribosome biogenesis (Cordin et al, 2006). DEAD-box proteins form the largest RNA helicase family (Hilbert et al, 2009). They are named according to the characteristic sequence of their Walker B motif, which is implicated in ATP binding.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changing nucleotide specificity of the DEAD-box helicase Hera abrogates communication between the Q-motif and the P-loop

Strohmeier¹,

Hertel²,

Diederichsen³

et al. 2011

Biological Chemistry

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DEAD-box proteins disrupt or remodel RNA and protein/ RNA complexes at the expense of ATP. The catalytic core is composed of two flexibly connected RecA-like domains. The N-terminal domain contains most of the motifs involved in nucleotide binding and serves as a minimalistic model for helicase/nucleotide interactions. A single conserved glutamine in the so-called Q-motif has been suggested as a conformational sensor for the nucleotide state. To reprogram the Thermus thermophilus RNA helicase Hera for use of oxo-ATP instead of ATP and to investigate the sensor function of the Q-motif, we analyzed helicase activity of Hera Q28E. Crystal structures of the Hera N-terminal domain Q28E mutant (TthDEAD_Q28E) in apo-and ligand-bound forms show that Q28E does change specificity from adenine to 8-oxoadenine. However, significant structural changes accompany the Q28E mutation, which prevent the P-loop from adopting its catalytically active conformation and explain the lack of helicase activity of Hera_Q28E with either ATP or 8-oxo-ATP as energy sources. 8-Oxo-adenosine, 8-oxo-AMP, and 8-oxo-ADP weakly bind to TthDEAD_Q28E but in noncanonical modes. These results indicate that the Q-motif not only senses the nucleotide state of the helicase but could also stabilize a catalytically competent conformation of the Ploop and other helicase signature motifs.

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The mechanism of ATP-dependent RNA unwinding by DEAD box proteins

Cited by 140 publications

References 110 publications

Cofactor-dependent specificity of a DEAD-box protein

Cofactor-dependent specificity of a DEAD-box protein

From unwinding to clamping — the DEAD box RNA helicase family

Changing nucleotide specificity of the DEAD-box helicase Hera abrogates communication between the Q-motif and the P-loop

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