skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Conservation and divergence of C-terminal domain structure in the retinoblastoma protein family

Journal Article · · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

The retinoblastoma protein (Rb) and the homologous pocket proteins p107 and p130 negatively regulate cell proliferation by binding and inhibiting members of the E2F transcription factor family. Here, the structural features that distinguish Rb from other pocket proteins have been unclear but are critical for understanding their functional diversity and determining why Rb has unique tumor suppressor activities. We describe here important differences in how the Rb and p107 C-terminal domains (CTDs) associate with the coiled-coil and marked-box domains (CMs) of E2Fs. We find that although CTD–CM binding is conserved across protein families, Rb and p107 CTDs show clear preferences for different E2Fs. A crystal structure of the p107 CTD bound to E2F5 and its dimer partner DP1 reveals the molecular basis for pocket protein–E2F binding specificity and how cyclin-dependent kinases differentially regulate pocket proteins through CTD phosphorylation. Our structural and biochemical data together with phylogenetic analyses of Rb and E2F proteins support the conclusion that Rb evolved specific structural motifs that confer its unique capacity to bind with high affinity those E2Fs that are the most potent activators of the cell cycle.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities Division; National Inst. of Health
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357; R01CA132685
OSTI ID:
1373775
Journal Information:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 114, Issue 19; ISSN 0027-8424
Publisher:
National Academy of SciencesCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 23 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (53)

The retinoblastoma protein binds to a family of E2F transcription factors. journal December 1993
RB1 : a prototype tumor suppressor and an enigma journal July 2016
Loss of pRB and p107 disrupts cartilage development and promotes enchondroma formation journal November 2012
PHENIX: a comprehensive Python-based system for macromolecular structure solution. text January 2010
New Algorithms and Methods to Estimate Maximum-Likelihood Phylogenies: Assessing the Performance of PhyML 3.0 journal March 2010
Punctuated evolution and transitional hybrid network in an ancestral cell cycle of fungi journal May 2016
Accounting For Alignment Uncertainty in Phylogenomics journal January 2012
Rb-Mediated Neuronal Differentiation through Cell-Cycle–Independent Regulation of E2f3a journal July 2007
A genetic analysis of the E2F1 gene distinguishes regulation by Rb, p107, and adenovirus E4. journal October 1993
p107 and p130: Versatile Proteins with Interesting Pockets journal March 2001
Molecular mechanisms underlying RB protein function journal April 2013
Decision-making in structure solution using Bayesian estimates of map quality: the PHENIX AutoSol wizard. text January 2009
The pRB-related protein p107 contains two growth suppression domains: independent interactions with E2F and cyclin/cdk complexes. journal May 1995
Deciphering the retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation code journal January 2013
Structure of the Rb C-Terminal Domain Bound to E2F1-DP1: A Mechanism for Phosphorylation-Induced E2F Release journal December 2005
Decision-making in structure solution using Bayesian estimates of map quality: the PHENIX AutoSol wizard journal May 2009
Redeployment of Myc and E2f1–3 drives Rb-deficient cell cycles journal July 2015
Phylogenomic Insights into Animal Evolution journal October 2015
Pocket proteins and cell cycle control journal April 2005
New algorithms and methods to estimate maximum-likelihood phylogenies: assessing the performance of PhyML 3.0 text January 2010
Sibling rivalry in the E2F family journal January 2002
Structural Conservation and E2F Binding Specificity within the Retinoblastoma Pocket Protein Family journal October 2016
The retinoblastoma gene family: cousins with overlapping interests journal June 1998
Specificity in the activation and control of transcription factor E2F-dependent apoptosis journal September 2003
MAFFT Multiple Sequence Alignment Software Version 7: Improvements in Performance and Usability journal January 2013
An RB-EZH2 Complex Mediates Silencing of Repetitive DNA Sequences journal December 2016
The Evolutionarily Conserved C-terminal Domains in the Mammalian Retinoblastoma Tumor Suppressor Family Serve as Dual Regulators of Protein Stability and Transcriptional Potency journal April 2015
The retinoblastoma protein binds to a family of E2F transcription factors journal December 1993
RAxML version 8: a tool for phylogenetic analysis and post-analysis of large phylogenies journal January 2014
A genetic analysis of the E2F1 gene distinguishes regulation by Rb, p107, and adenovirus E4 journal October 1993
ProtTest 3: fast selection of best-fit models of protein evolution journal February 2011
Cavin1 intrinsically disordered domains are essential for fuzzy electrostatic interactions and caveola formation journal February 2021
Accelerated Profile HMM Searches journal October 2011
Cancer Cell Cycles journal December 1996
A review of long-branch attraction journal April 2005
Novel functions for the transcription factor E2F4 in development and disease journal August 2016
PHENIX: a comprehensive Python-based system for macromolecular structure solution journal January 2010
How the Rb tumor suppressor structure and function was revealed by the study of Adenovirus and SV40 journal February 2009
A Retinoblastoma Allele That Is Mutated at Its Common E2F Interaction Site Inhibits Cell Proliferation in Gene-Targeted Mice journal March 2014
Identification of a growth suppression domain within the retinoblastoma gene product. journal June 1992
Cellular mechanisms of tumour suppression by the retinoblastoma gene journal July 2008
The ancient function of RB-E2F Pathway: insights from its evolutionary history journal January 2010
Systematic discovery of pseudomonad genetic factors involved in sensitivity to tailocins journal March 2021
New Algorithms and Methods to Estimate Maximum-Likelihood Phylogenies: Assessing the Performance of PhyML 3.0 text January 2010
The biochemical basis of CDK phosphorylation-independent regulation of E2F1 by the retinoblastoma protein journal February 2011
The E2F family: specific functions and overlapping interests journal November 2004
Combinatorial gene control involving E2F and E Box family members journal March 2004
The retinoblastoma tumour suppressor in development and cancer journal December 2002
RAxML version 8: a tool for phylogenetic analysis and post-analysis of large phylogenies text January 2014
A cDNA encoding a pRB-binding protein with properties of the transcription factor E2F journal July 1992
Phaser crystallographic software journal July 2007
E2F4 loss suppresses tumorigenesis in Rb mutant mice journal December 2002
Analysis of p107-associated proteins: p107 associates with a form of E2F that differs from pRB-associated E2F-1. journal January 1993

Cited By (8)

DREAM and RB cooperate to induce gene repression and cell-cycle arrest in response to p53 activation journal August 2019
Short linear motif core and flanking regions modulate retinoblastoma protein binding affinity and specificity journal January 2018
The putative tumour suppressor miR-1-3p modulates prostate cancer cell aggressiveness by repressing E2F5 and PFTK1 journal September 2018
Cell cycle transcription control: DREAM/MuvB and RB-E2F complexes journal August 2017
Non-canonical functions of the RB protein in cancer journal April 2018
An alternatively spliced form affecting the Marked Box domain of Drosophila E2F1 is required for proper cell cycle regulation journal February 2018
Conservation analysis of core cell cycle regulators and their transcriptional behavior during limb regeneration in Ambystoma mexicanum journal December 2020
Loss of the Caenorhabditis elegans pocket protein LIN-35 reveals MuvB's innate function as the repressor of DREAM target genes journal November 2017