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Structure of the RecQ C-terminal domain of human Bloom syndrome protein

Overview of Kim SY et al.

AuthorsKim SY  Hakoshima T  Kitano K  
AffiliationStructural Biology Laboratory   Graduate School of Biological Sciences   Nara Institute of Science and Technology   8916-5 Takayama   Ikoma   Nara 630-0192   Japan.  
JournalSci Rep
Year 2013

Abstract


Bloom syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by genomic instability and cancer predisposition. The disease is caused by mutations of the Bloom syndrome protein (BLM). Here we report the crystal structure of a RecQ C-terminal (RQC) domain from human BLM. The structure reveals three novel features of BLM RQC which distinguish it from the previous structures of the Werner syndrome protein (WRN) and RECQ1. First, BLM RQC lacks an aromatic residue at the tip of the β-wing, a key element of the RecQ-family helicases used for DNA-strand separation. Second, a BLM-specific insertion between the N-terminal helices exhibits a looping-out structure that extends at right angles to the β-wing. Deletion mutagenesis of this insertion interfered with binding to Holliday junction. Third, the C-terminal region of BLM RQC adopts an extended structure running along the domain surface, which may facilitate the spatial positioning of an HRDC domain in the full-length protein.