RNAPs (RNA polymerases) are complex molecular machines that contain a highly conserved catalytic site surrounded by conformationally flexible domains. High-throughput mutagenesis in the archaeal model system Methanocaldococcus jannaschii has demonstrated that the nanomechanical properties of one of these domains, the bridge–helix, exert a key regulatory role on the rate of the NAC (nucleotide-addition cycle). Mutations that increase the probability and/or half-life of kink formation in the BH-HC (bridge–helix C-terminal hinge) cause a substantial increase in specific activity (‘superactivity’). Fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulations show that kinking of the BH-HC appears to be driven by cation–π interactions and involve amino acid side chains that are exceptionally highly conserved in all prokaryotic and eukaryotic species.
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Conference Article|
January 19 2011
Cation–π interactions induce kinking of a molecular hinge in the RNA polymerase bridge–helix domain
Hans Heindl;
Hans Heindl
*School of Biosciences, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6UW, U.K.
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Pamela Greenwell;
Pamela Greenwell
*School of Biosciences, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6UW, U.K.
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Noam Weingarten;
Noam Weingarten
†School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6UW, U.K.
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Tamas Kiss;
Tamas Kiss
†School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6UW, U.K.
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Gabor Terstyanszky;
Gabor Terstyanszky
†School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6UW, U.K.
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Robert O.J. Weinzierl
Robert O.J. Weinzierl
1
‡Imperial College London, Department of Life Sciences, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (email r.weinzierl@imperial.ac.uk).
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
July 23 2010
Online ISSN: 1470-8752
Print ISSN: 0300-5127
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2011 Biochemical Society
2011
Biochem Soc Trans (2011) 39 (1): 31–35.
Article history
Received:
July 23 2010
Citation
Hans Heindl, Pamela Greenwell, Noam Weingarten, Tamas Kiss, Gabor Terstyanszky, Robert O.J. Weinzierl; Cation–π interactions induce kinking of a molecular hinge in the RNA polymerase bridge–helix domain. Biochem Soc Trans 1 February 2011; 39 (1): 31–35. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST0390031
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