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Title: Structural basis for gene regulation by a B12-dependent photoreceptor

Journal Article · · Nature (London)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14950· OSTI ID:1225071
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [3];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
  2. Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid (Spain). Inst. of Physical Chemistry "Rocasolano"
  3. Univ. of Murcia (Spain). Faculty of Biology. Dept. of Genetics and Microbiology. Area of Genetics
  4. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry. Dept. of Biology. Howard Hughes Medical Inst.

Photoreceptor proteins enable organisms to sense and respond to light. The newly discovered CarH-type photoreceptors use a vitamin B12 derivative, adenosylcobalamin, as the light-sensing chromophore to mediate light-dependent gene regulation. Here in this paper, we present crystal structures of Thermus thermophilus CarH in all three relevant states: in the dark, both free and bound to operator DNA, and after light exposure. These structures provide visualizations of how adenosylcobalamin mediates CarH tetramer formation in the dark, how this tetramer binds to the promoter -35 element to repress transcription, and how light exposure leads to a large-scale conformational change that activates transcription. In addition to the remarkable functional repurposing of adenosylcobalamin from an enzyme cofactor to a light sensor, we find that nature also repurposed two independent protein modules in assembling CarH. Finally, these results expand the biological role of vitamin B12 and provide fundamental insight into a new mode of light-dependent gene regulation.

Research Organization:
Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States); Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid (Spain); Univ. of Murcia (Spain)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); National Inst. of Health (NIH) (United States); Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Spain); Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) (Spain)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-76SF00515; AC02-06CH11357; GM069857; P41GM103393; P41GM103403; BFU2012-40184-C02-01; BFU2012-40184-C02-02
OSTI ID:
1225071
Journal Information:
Nature (London), Vol. 526, Issue 7574; ISSN 0028-0836
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 124 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (20)

Optogenetically controlled protein kinases for regulation of cellular signaling journal January 2018
Isoprenoid Pyrophosphate-Dependent Transcriptional Regulation of Carotenogenesis in Corynebacterium glutamicum journal April 2017
Plasticity in oligomerization, operator architecture, and DNA binding in the mode of action of a bacterial B 12 -based photoreceptor journal September 2018
A compendium of chemical and genetic approaches to light-regulated gene transcription journal July 2018
Green light lithography: a general strategy to create active protein and cell micropatterns journal January 2019
Chlorophyll-Derived Yellow Phyllobilins of Higher Plants as Medium-Responsive Chiral Photoswitches journal November 2016
Engineering strategy and vector library for the rapid generation of modular light-controlled protein-protein interactions posted_content March 2019
Optogenetics: A Primer for Chemists journal May 2018
Modified vitamin B12 derivatives with a peptide backbone for biomimetic studies and medicinal application text January 2018
B 12 -dependent photoresponsive protein hydrogels for controlled stem cell/protein release journal May 2017
Photochemical Spin Dynamics of the Vitamin B12 Derivative, Methylcobalamin journal May 2019
New light on vitamin B12: The adenosylcobalamin dependent photoreceptor protein CarH [New light on vitamin B12: The adenosylcobalamin dependent photoreceptor protein CarH] journal September 2016
Elucidation of roles for vitamin B 12 in regulation of folate, ubiquinone, and methionine metabolism journal January 2017
Total Synthesis, Structure, and Biological Activity of Adenosylrhodibalamin, the Non-Natural Rhodium Homologue of Coenzyme B 12 journal June 2016
Light-inducible carotenoid production controlled by a MarR-type regulator in Corynebacterium glutamicum journal September 2019
Green-Light-Induced Inactivation of Receptor Signaling Using Cobalamin-Binding Domains journal March 2017
A bacterial light response reveals an orphan desaturase for human plasmalogen synthesis journal October 2019
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The photochemistry and photobiology of vitamin B 12 journal January 2017
Modular Diversity of the BLUF Proteins and Their Potential for the Development of Diverse Optogenetic Tools journal September 2019

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