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The Intrinsically Disordered N-terminal Region of AtREM1.3 Remorin Protein Mediates Protein-Protein Interactions

Marín et al. (2012); J Biol Chem (Ott lab)

16.11.2012

logo_genetics_publicationMacarena Marín, Veronika Thallmair and Thomas Ott

Abstract
The longstanding structure-function paradigm, which states that a protein only serves a biological function in a structured state, had to be substantially revised with the description of intrinsic disorder in proteins. Intrinsically disordered regions that undergo a stimulus-dependent disorder-to-order transition are common to a large number of signaling proteins. However, little is known about the functionality of intrinsically disordered regions in plant proteins. Here we investigated intrinsic disorder in a plant-specific remorin protein that has been described as a signaling component in plant-microbe interactions. Using bioinformatic, biochemical, and biophysical approaches, we characterized the highly abundant remorin AtREM1.3, showing that its N-terminal region is intrinsically disordered. Although only the AtREM1.3 C-terminal domain is essential for stable homo-oligomerization, the N-terminal region facilitates this interaction. Furthermore, we confirmed the stable interaction between AtREM1.3 and four isoforms of the importin α protein family in a yeast two-hybrid system and by an in planta bimolecular fluorescent complementation assay. Phosphorylation of Ser-66 in the intrinsically disordered N-terminal region decreases the interaction strength with the importin α proteins. Hence, the N-terminal region may constitute a regulatory domain, stabilizing these interactions.

Link to article:
Journal of Biological Chemistry, 287: 39982-39991