Two publications from the Schlundt lab address the specific recognition of nucleic acids in immune-regulatory proteins.
For the zinc finger protein Roquin, we present the first structure of the exact zinc finger domain almost 20 years after the first description of the protein involved in immune regulation and crucial for preventing autoimmunity. This missing link now also describes the specific recognition of AU-rich RNA motifs in target mRNAs acting in concert with the other RNA-binding domains.
For the transcriptional regulator Arid5a, described as a potential antagonist of Roquin in the immune system, we for the first time, on the atom-resolved level, present its capacity for dual nucleic acid-recognition both in vitro and in vivo. These findings underline the role of Arid5a at the transcript-chromatin interface.
Links to publications:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107457