Genetic switching by the Lac repressor is based on two-state Monod–Wyman–Changeux allostery

Julija Romanuka, Gert e. Folkers, Manuel Gnida, Lidija Kovačič, Hans Wienk, Robert Kaptein, Rolf Boelens*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

High-resolution NMR spectroscopy enabled us to characterize allosteric transitions between various functional states of the dimeric Escherichia coli Lac repressor. In the absence of ligands, the dimer exists in a dynamic equilibrium between DNA-bound and inducer-bound conformations. Binding of either effector shifts this equilibrium toward either bound state. Analysis of the ternary complex between repressor, operator DNA, and inducer shows how adding the inducer results in allosteric changes that disrupt the interdomain contacts between the inducer binding and DNA binding domains and how this in turn leads to destabilization of the hinge helices and release of the Lac repressor from the operator. Based on our data, the allosteric mechanism of the induction process is in full agreement with the well-known Monod–Wyman–Changeux model.
Original languageEnglish
Article number2311240120
Pages (from-to)1-8
Number of pages8
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Volume120
Issue number49
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 5 Dec 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by PNAS. This article is distributed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND).

Funding

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. Dr. J. Grinstead is acknowledged for critical reading of the manuscript.S.J.de Vries is acknowledged for providing scripts for theanalysis of some chemical shift data. R.K. and R.B. were supported by the Netherlands Foundation for Chemical Research (NWO-CW, 175.107.301.10; 700.52.303; and 700.53.103). R.B. was supported by the European Commission (project 031220, Spine2-complexes; project RII3-026145,EU-NMR; project 261863,BioNMR; and project 228461, East-NMR). M.G. was supported by a stipend of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, project 5444273).

FundersFunder number
Netherlands Foundation for Chemical Research
European CommissionRII3-026145, 228461, 261863, 031220
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft5444273
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek175.107.301.10, 700.53.103, 700.52.303

    Keywords

    • NMR
    • allostery
    • gene regulation
    • repressor
    • structural biology

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