Single-molecule experiments reveal the elbow as an essential folding guide in SMC coiled-coil arms.

ABSTRACT: Structural maintenance of chromosome (SMC) complexes form ring-like structures through exceptional elongated coiled-coils (CCs). Recent studies found that variable CC conformations, including open and collapsed forms, which might result from discontinuities in the CC, facilitate the diverse functions of SMCs in DNA organization. However, a detailed description of the SMC CC architecture is still missing. Here, we study the structural composition and mechanical properties of SMC proteins with optical tweezers unfolding experiments using the isolated Psm3 CC as a model system. We find a comparatively unstable protein with three unzipping intermediates, which we could directly assign to CC features by crosslinking experiments and state-of-the-art prediction software. Particularly, the CC elbo

SUBMITTER: Freitag M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9748247 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature