Heterodimer formation within universal stress protein classes revealed by an in silico and experimental approach.

• Universal stress proteins (Usps) are found in all kingdoms of life and can be divided into four classes by phylogenic analysis. According to available structures, Usps exist as homodimers, and genetic studies show that their cellular assignments are extensive, including functions relating to stress resistance, carbon metabolism, cellular adhesion, motility, and bacterial virulence. We approached the question of how Usps can achieve such a variety of functions in a cell by using a new procedure for statistical analysis of multiple sequence alignments, based on physicochemically related values for each amino acid residue of Usp dimer interfaces. The results predicted that Usp proteins within a class may, in addition to forming homodimers, be able to form heterodimers. Using Escherichia coli Usps as model proteins, we confirmed the existence of such interactions. We especially focused on class I UspA and UspC and demonstrated that they are able to form homo- and heterodimers in vitro and in vivo. We suggest that this ability to form both homo- and heterodimers may allow for an expansion of the functional repertoire of Usps and explains why organisms usually contain multiple usp paralogues.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Mikrobiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Microbiology (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Cellbiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Cell Biology (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Bioinformatik och systembiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Strukturbiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Structural Biology (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Biokemi och molekylärbiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Amino Acid Sequence

Dimerization

Escherichia coli Proteins

chemistry

classification

genetics

Heat-Shock Proteins

chemistry

classification

genetics

Models

Molecular

Molecular Sequence Data

Phylogeny

Protein Structure

Quaternary

Sequence Analysis

Protein

Two-Hybrid System Techniques

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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