A combined NMR and EPR investigation on the effect of the disordered RGG regions in the structure and the activity of the RRM domain of FUS

Sci Rep. 2020 Dec 1;10(1):20956. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-77899-x.

Abstract

Structural disorder represents a key feature in the mechanism of action of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). Recent insights revealed that intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) linking globular domains modulate their capability to interact with various sequences of RNA, but also regulate aggregation processes, stress-granules formation, and binding to other proteins. The FET protein family, which includes FUS (Fused in Sarcoma), EWG (Ewing Sarcoma) and TAF15 (TATA binding association factor 15) proteins, is a group of RBPs containing three different long IDRs characterized by the presence of RGG motifs. In this study, we present the characterization of a fragment of FUS comprising two RGG regions flanking the RNA Recognition Motif (RRM) alone and in the presence of a stem-loop RNA. From a combination of EPR and NMR spectroscopies, we established that the two RGG regions transiently interact with the RRM itself. These interactions may play a role in the recognition of stem-loop RNA, without a disorder-to-order transition but retaining high dynamics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Protein Domains
  • RNA Recognition Motif*
  • RNA-Binding Protein FUS / chemistry*

Substances

  • RNA-Binding Protein FUS