7 research outputs found
Metalation: nature’s challenge in bioinorganic chemistry
The association of proteins with metals, metalation, is challenging because the tightest binding metals are rarely the correct ones. Inside cells, correct metalation is enabled by controlled bioavailability plus extra mechanisms for tricky combinations such as iron and manganese
A Positively Charged Residue Bound in the Minor Groove Does Not Alter the Bending of a DNA Duplex
Structural Basis for the Metal-Selective Activation of the Manganese Transport Regulator of Bacillus subtilis
The Conformations of the Manganese Transport Regulator of Bacillus subtilis in its Metal-free State
Roles of the A and C Sites in the Manganese-Specific Activation of MntR
The manganese transport regulator (MntR) represses the
expression
of genes involved in manganese uptake in <i>Bacillus subtilis</i>. It selectively responds to Mn<sup>2+</sup> and Cd<sup>2+</sup> over
other divalent metal cations, including Fe<sup>2+</sup>, Co<sup>2+</sup>, and Zn<sup>2+</sup>. Previous work has shown that MntR forms binuclear
complexes with Mn<sup>2+</sup> or Cd<sup>2+</sup> at two binding sites,
labeled A and C, that are separated by 4.4 Å. Zinc activates
MntR poorly and binds only to the A site, forming a mononuclear complex.
The difference in metal binding stoichiometry suggested a mechanism
for selectivity in MntR. Larger metal cations are strongly activating
because they can form the binuclear complex, while smaller metal ions
cannot bind with the geometry needed to fully occupy both metal binding
sites. To investigate this hypothesis, structures of MntR in complex
with two other noncognate metal ions, Fe<sup>2+</sup> and Co<sup>2+</sup>, have been determined. Each metal forms a mononuclear complex with
MntR with the metal ion bound in the A site, supporting the conclusions
drawn from the Zn<sup>2+</sup> complex. Additionally, we investigated
two site-specific mutants of MntR, E11K and H77A, that contain substitutions
of metal binding residues in the A site. While metal binding in each
mutant is significantly altered relative to that of wild-type MntR,
both mutants retain activity and selectivity for Mn<sup>2+</sup> in
vitro and in vivo. That observation, coupled with previous studies,
suggests that the A and C sites both contribute to the selectivity
of MntR