Identification and in silico analysis of a new group of double-histone fold-containing proteins

J Mol Model. 2005 Dec;12(1):76-84. doi: 10.1007/s00894-005-0008-8. Epub 2005 Oct 25.

Abstract

The double-histone fold is a rare protein fold in which two consecutive regions characterized by the typical structure of histones assemble together, thus giving a histone pseudodimer. Previously, this fold was found in a few prokaryotic histones and in the regulatory region of guanine-nucleotide exchange factors of the Sos family. Standard methods of sequence comparison did not allow us to find new proteins containing a histone pseudodimer, as previously reported (Sondermann et al. 2003). However, a deeper investigation of protein sequences showed that the two histone folds included in Sos proteins share significant sequence similarity with nucleosomal histones. On the basis of this observation, we applied a specific strategy of sequence-homology search, which led to the identification of a new group of histone pseudodimers in Cca3 and proteins similar to Cca3 (Cca3S). A homology model of the histone pseudodimer included in rat Cca3 was constructed. A subsequent structure-function relationship study revealed that the histone pseudodimers included in Cca3 and Cca3S proteins, but not those present in Sos proteins, could retain the ability of mediating protein-DNA interactions, and could consequently act as DNA-binding modules.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry
  • Carrier Proteins / classification
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Computational Biology
  • Conserved Sequence
  • Dimerization
  • Histones / chemistry*
  • Histones / classification
  • Histones / genetics
  • Histones / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phylogeny
  • Protein Folding*
  • Protein Structure, Quaternary
  • SOS1 Protein / chemistry
  • SOS1 Protein / classification
  • SOS1 Protein / genetics
  • SOS1 Protein / metabolism
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Static Electricity
  • Structural Homology, Protein

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • Histones
  • SOS1 Protein