Allosteric regulation of the nickel-responsive NikR transcription factor from Helicobacter pylori.

ABSTRACT: Nickel is essential for the survival of the pathogenic bacteria Helicobacter pylori in the fluctuating pH of the human stomach. Due to its inherent toxicity and limited availability, nickel homeostasis is maintained through a network of pathways that are coordinated by the nickel-responsive transcription factor NikR. Nickel binding to H. pylori NikR (HpNikR) induces an allosteric response favoring a conformation that can bind specific DNA motifs, thereby serving to either activate or repress transcription of specific genes involved in nickel homeostasis and acid adaptation. Here, we examine how nickel induces this response using ¹⁹F-NMR, which reveals conformational and dynamic changes associated with nickel-activated DNA complex formation. HpNikR adopts an equilibrium between a

SUBMITTER: Baksh KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7949043 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature