The complex formed between a synthetic RNA aptamer and the transcription repressor TetR is a structural and functional twin of the operator DNA-TetR regulator complex.

ABSTRACT: RNAs play major roles in the regulation of gene expression. Hence, designer RNA molecules are increasingly explored as regulatory switches in synthetic biology. Among these, the TetR-binding RNA aptamer was selected by its ability to compete with operator DNA for binding to the bacterial repressor TetR. A fortuitous finding was that induction of TetR by tetracycline abolishes both RNA aptamer and operator DNA binding in TetR. This enabled numerous applications exploiting both the specificity of the RNA aptamer and the efficient gene repressor properties of TetR. Here, we present the crystal structure of the TetR-RNA aptamer complex at 2.7 Å resolution together with a comprehensive characterization of the TetR-RNA aptamer versus TetR-operator DNA interaction using site-directed mutagenesis,

SUBMITTER: Grau FC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7102968 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature