Intrinsically disordered RGG/RG domains mediate degenerate specificity in RNA binding.
Nucleic Acids Res 2017;
45:7984-7996. [PMID:
28575444 PMCID:
PMC5570134 DOI:
10.1093/nar/gkx460]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
RGG/RG domains are the second most common RNA binding domain in the human genome, yet their RNA-binding properties remain poorly understood. Here, we report a detailed analysis of the RNA binding characteristics of intrinsically disordered RGG/RG domains from Fused in Sarcoma (FUS), FMRP and hnRNPU. For FUS, previous studies defined RNA binding as mediated by its well-folded domains; however, we show that RGG/RG domains are the primary mediators of binding. RGG/RG domains coupled to adjacent folded domains can achieve affinities approaching that of full-length FUS. Analysis of RGG/RG domains from FUS, FMRP and hnRNPU against a spectrum of contrasting RNAs reveals that each display degenerate binding specificity, while still displaying different degrees of preference for RNA.
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