PMID: 28161714

Authors:

Currie SL, Lau DKW, Doane JJ, Whitby FG, Okon M, McIntosh LP, Graves BJ

Title:

Structured and disordered regions cooperatively mediate DNA-binding autoinhibition of ETS factors ETV1, ETV4 and ETV5.

Journal:

Nucleic Acids Res. 2017 Mar 17;45(5):2223-2241. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkx068.

Abstract:

Autoinhibition enables spatial and temporal regulation of cellular processes by coupling protein activity to surrounding conditions, often via protein partnerships or signaling pathways. We report the molecular basis of DNA-binding autoinhibition of ETS transcription factors ETV1, ETV4 and ETV5, which are often overexpressed in prostate cancer. Inhibitory elements that cooperate to repress DNA binding were identified in regions N- and C-terminal of the ETS domain. Crystal structures of these three factors revealed an alpha-helix in the C-terminal inhibitory domain that packs against the ETS domain and perturbs the conformation of its DNA-recognition helix. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy demonstrated that the N-terminal inhibitory domain (NID) is intrinsically disordered, yet utilizes transient intramolecular interactions with the DNA-recognition helix of the ETS domain to mediate autoinhibition. Acetylation of selected lysines within the NID activates DNA binding. This investigation revealed a distinctive mechanism for DNA-binding autoinhibition in the ETV1/4/5 subfamily involving a network of intramolecular interactions not present in other ETS factors. These distinguishing inhibitory elements provide a platform through which cellular triggers, such as protein-protein interactions or post-translational modifications, may specifically regulate the function of these oncogenic proteins.