Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-30-2018
Abstract
Human estrogen receptor alpha (hERα) is a hormone-responsive nuclear receptor (NR) involved in cell growth and survival that contains both a DNA-binding domain (DBD) and a ligand-binding domain (LBD). Functionally relevant inter-domain interactions between the DBD and LBD have been observed in several other NRs, but for hERα, the detailed structural architecture of the complex is unknown. By utilizing integrated complementary techniques of small-angle X-ray scattering, hydroxyl radical protein footprinting and computational modeling, here we report an asymmetric L-shaped “boot” structure of the multidomain hERα and identify the specific sites on each domain at the domain interface involved in DBD–LBD interactions. We demonstrate the functional role of the proposed DBD–LBD domain interface through site-specific mutagenesis altering the hERα interfacial structure and allosteric signaling. The L-shaped structure of hERα is a distinctive DBD–LBD organization of NR complexes and more importantly, reveals a signaling mechanism mediated by inter-domain crosstalk that regulates this receptor’s allosteric function.
Keywords
computational biophysics, nuclear receptors, SAXS
Publication Title
Nature Communications
Volume
9
Rights
©TheAuthor(s)2018
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Huang, W., Peng, Y., Kiselar, J. et al. Multidomain architecture of estrogen receptor reveals interfacial cross-talk between its DNA-binding and ligand-binding domains. Nat Commun 9, 3520 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-06034-2