Detailed analysis of a thermostable protein-DNA complex: the case of
Sac7d as a prototype for protein-DNA interaction
Abstract
Sac7d is a 7 kDa protein belonging to the class of the small chromosomal
proteins from archeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. Sac7d was
discovered in 1974 in Yellowtone National Parks geysers, and studied
extensively since then for its remarkable stability at large pH and
temperature ranges. Sac7d binds to DNA minor groove, thereby protecting
the host genome from extreme conditions by increasing the DNA melting
temperature. In this study, we analyzed the Sac7d-DNA complex using 1 µs
molecular dynamics simulations. The interaction energy of the interface
was decomposed using Molecular Mechanics with Generalized Born Surface
Area (MM/GBSA) to determine the residues that contributed most
significantly to DNA binding. Out of twelve amino acids considered
essential for DNA binding, three were newly identified in this study and
had not been previously reported. One of these new amino acids, R63, may
be involved in a dynamic protein-DNA interaction. The simulations
performed also revealed a sliding motion of Sac7d over double-stranded
DNA, suggesting a minimal sequence dependence interaction. Our analysis
thus provides novel insights into how the Sac7d chaperones allow to
protect DNA from degradation in extreme conditions.