Molecular Modelling of the Ni(II)-Responsive <i>Synechocystis</i> PCC 6803 Transcriptional Regulator InrS in the Metal Bound Form

InrS (internal nickel-responsive sensor) is a transcriptional regulator found in cyanobacteria that represses the transcription of the nickel exporter NrsD in the apo form and de-represses expression of the exporter upon Ni(II) binding. Although a crystal structure of apo-InrS from <i>Synechoc...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Elia Barchi, Francesco Musiani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2019-06-01
Series:Inorganics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6740/7/6/76
Description
Summary:InrS (internal nickel-responsive sensor) is a transcriptional regulator found in cyanobacteria that represses the transcription of the nickel exporter NrsD in the apo form and de-represses expression of the exporter upon Ni(II) binding. Although a crystal structure of apo-InrS from <i>Synechocystis</i> PCC 6803 has been reported, no structure of the protein with metal ions bound is available. Here we report the results of a computational study aimed to reconstruct the metal binding site by taking advantage of recent X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) data and to envisage the structural rearrangements occurring upon Ni(II) binding. The modelled Ni(II) binding site shows a square planar geometry consistent with experimental data. The structural details of the conformational changes occurring upon metal binding are also discussed in the framework of trying to rationalize the different affinity of the apo- and holo-forms of the protein for DNA.
ISSN:2304-6740