Structures of mithramycin analogues bound to DNA and implications for targeting transcription factor FLI1.

ABSTRACT: Transcription factors have been considered undruggable, but this paradigm has been recently challenged. DNA binding natural product mithramycin (MTM) is a potent antagonist of oncogenic transcription factor EWS-FLI1. Structural details of MTM recognition of DNA, including the FLI1 binding sequence GGA(A/T), are needed to understand how MTM interferes with EWS-FLI1. We report a crystal structure of an MTM analogue MTM SA-Trp bound to a DNA oligomer containing a site GGCC, and two structures of a novel analogue MTM SA-Phe in complex with DNA. MTM SA-Phe is bound to sites AGGG and GGGT on one DNA, and to AGGG and GGGA(T) (a FLI1 binding site) on the other, revealing how MTM recognizes different DNA sequences. Unexpectedly, at sub-micromolar concentrations MTMs stabilize FLI1-DNA complex on GG

SUBMITTER: Hou C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5063001 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature