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Structural basis of G-quadruplex unfolding by the DEAH/RHA helicase DHX36

Journal Article · · Nature (London)
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [4];  [2];  [3]
  1. National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (United States). National Heart, Lung and Blood Inst.; Univ. of Cambridge (United Kingdom)
  2. Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States)
  3. National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD (United States). National Heart, Lung and Blood Inst.
  4. Univ. of Cambridge (United Kingdom)
Guanine-rich nucleic acid sequences challenge the replication, transcription, and translation machinery by spontaneously folding into G-quadruplexes, the unfolding of which requires forces greater than most polymerases can exert. Eukaryotic cells contain numerous helicases that can unfold G-quadruplexes. The molecular basis of the recognition and unfolding of G-quadruplexes by helicases remains poorly understood. DHX36 (also known as RHAU and G4R1), a member of the DEAH/RHA family of helicases, binds both DNA and RNA G-quadruplexes with extremely high affinity, is consistently found bound to G-quadruplexes in cells, and is a major source of G-quadruplex unfolding activity in HeLa cell lysates. DHX36 is a multi-functional helicase that has been implicated in G-quadruplex-mediated transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation, and is essential for heart development, haematopoiesis, and embryogenesis in mice. Here we report the co-crystal structure of bovine DHX36 bound to a DNA with a G-quadruplex and a 3' single-stranded DNA segment. Furthermore, we show that the N-terminal DHX36-specific motif folds into a DNA-binding-induced α-helix that, together with the OB-fold-like subdomain, selectively binds parallel G-quadruplexes. Comparison with unliganded and ATP-analogue-bound DHX36 structures, together with single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) analysis, suggests that G-quadruplex binding alone induces rearrangements of the helicase core; by pulling on the single-stranded DNA tail, these rearrangements drive G-quadruplex unfolding one residue at a time.
Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
Sponsoring Organization:
American Chemical Society; Cancer Research UK; European Research Council (ERC); NIH-Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program; National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI); National Institutes of Health (NIH); National Science Foundation (NSF) Physics Frontiers Center Program; USDOE; Wellcome Trust
OSTI ID:
1544820
Journal Information:
Nature (London), Journal Name: Nature (London) Journal Issue: 7710 Vol. 558; ISSN 0028-0836
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH

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Cited By (35)

Adenine‐Driven Structural Switch from a Two‐ to Three‐Quartet DNA G‐Quadruplex journal November 2018
RNA G-Quadruplex is Resolved by Repetitive and ATP Dependent Mechanism of DHX36 journal February 2019
HIV-1 Nucleocapsid Protein Unfolds Stable RNA G-Quadruplexes in the Viral Genome and Is Inhibited by G-Quadruplex Ligands journal October 2019
A guanine-flipping and sequestration mechanism for G-quadruplex unwinding by RecQ helicases journal October 2018
DHX36 prevents the accumulation of translationally inactive mRNAs with G4-structures in untranslated regions journal June 2019
Structural and functional analysis of the nucleotide and DNA binding activities of the human PIF1 helicase journal January 2019
The Cellular Functions and Molecular Mechanisms of G-Quadruplex Unwinding Helicases in Humans journal November 2021
m6A mRNA Destiny: Chained to the rhYTHm by the YTH-Containing Proteins journal January 2019
Replication of G Quadruplex DNA journal January 2019
Developing Novel G-Quadruplex Ligands: from Interaction with Nucleic Acids to Interfering with Nucleic Acid–Protein Interaction journal January 2019
Integrative characterization of G-Quadruplexes in the three-dimensional chromatin structure text January 2019
Genetic interactions of G-quadruplexes in humans journal July 2019
Adenine‐Driven Structural Switch from a Two‐ to Three‐Quartet DNA G‐Quadruplex journal November 2018
Sensing of cocaine using polarized optical microscopy by exploiting the conformational changes of an aptamer at the water/liquid crystal interface journal October 2019
RNA G-quadruplex is resolved by repetitive and ATP-dependent mechanism of DHX36 journal April 2019
Structure and functional reselection of the Mango-III fluorogenic RNA aptamer journal April 2019
DEAD-box RNA helicases Dbp2, Ded1 and Mss116 bind to G-quadruplex nucleic acids and destabilize G-quadruplex RNA journal January 2019
Programming a split G-quadruplex in a DNA nanocage and its microRNA imaging in live cells journal January 2019
Cyclization of a G4-specific peptide enhances its stability and G-quadruplex binding affinity journal January 2020
DDX5 helicase resolves G-quadruplex and is involved in MYC gene transcriptional activation journal September 2019
Pif1 helicase unfolding of G-quadruplex DNA is highly dependent on sequence and reaction conditions journal September 2018
G 2 -quadruplex in the 3’UTR of IE180 regulates Pseudorabies virus replication by enhancing gene expression journal March 2020
Integrative characterization of G-Quadruplexes in the three-dimensional chromatin structure journal June 2019
Structural basis for RNA translocation by DEAH-box ATPases journal March 2019
The DEAH-box RNA helicase Dhr1 contains a remarkable carboxyl terminal domain essential for small ribosomal subunit biogenesis journal June 2019
Quantifying the impact of small molecule ligands on G-quadruplex stability against Bloom helicase journal September 2019
DNA transistors switched by the Hofmeister effect posted_content January 2019
Molecular mechanism of the RNA helicase DHX37 and its activation by UTP14A in ribosome biogenesis journal March 2019
An RNA guanine quadruplex regulated pathway to TRAIL-sensitization by DDX21 journal October 2019
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Genetic interactions of G-quadruplexes in humans. text January 2019
Structural basis for RNA translocation by DEAH-box ATPases text January 2019
Molecular mechanism of the RNA helicase DHX37 and its activation by UTP14A in ribosome biogenesis text January 2019
Molecular mechanism of the RNA helicase DHX37 and its activation by UTP14A in ribosome biogenesis text January 2019
Integrative characterization of G-Quadruplexes in the three-dimensional chromatin structure text January 2019

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