A.Volbeda
et al.
(2015).
The crystal structure of the global anaerobic transcriptional regulator FNR explains its extremely fine-tuned monomer-dimer equilibrium.
Sci Adv,
1,
e1501086.
PubMed id: 26665177
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1501086
The structure of the dimeric holo-fumarate and nitrate reduction regulator (FNR)
from Aliivibrio fischeri has been solved at 2.65 Å resolution. FNR globally
controls the transition between anaerobic and aerobic respiration in facultative
anaerobes through the assembly/degradation of its oxygen-sensitive [4Fe-4S]
cluster. In the absence of O2, FNR forms a dimer and specifically binds to DNA,
whereas in its presence, the cluster is degraded causing FNR monomerization and
DNA dissociation. We have used our crystal structure and the information
previously gathered from numerous FNR variants to propose that this process is
governed by extremely fine-tuned interactions, mediated by two salt bridges near
the amino-terminal cluster-binding domain and an "imperfect"
coiled-coil dimer interface. [4Fe-4S] to [2Fe-2S] cluster degradation propagates
a conformational signal that indirectly causes monomerization by disrupting the
first of these interactions and unleashing the "unzipping" of the FNR
dimer in the direction of the carboxyl-terminal DNA binding domain.