Atypical OmpR/PhoB Subfamily Response Regulator GlnR of Actinomycetes Functions as a Homodimer, Stabilized by the Unphosphorylated Conserved Asp-focused Charge Interactions

Background: Orphan response transcription factor GlnR regulates nitrogen metabolism in important actinomycetes. Results: GlnR has no typical phosphorylation pocket, where the only conserved Asp is unphosphorylated but is essential for functional homodimerization. Conclusion: Actinomycete GlnR is an atypical response regulator functioning as a homodimer. Significance: Conserved Asp-focused charge interactions of actinomycete GlnR are probably the mechanism that stabilizes the homodimer for physiological function. The OmpR/PhoB subfamily protein GlnR of actinomycetes is an orphan response regulator that globally coordinates the expression of genes related to nitrogen metabolism. Biochemical and genetic analyses reveal that the functional GlnR from Amycolatopsis mediterranei is unphosphorylated at the potential phosphorylation Asp(50) residue in the N-terminal receiver domain. The crystal structure of this receiver domain demonstrates that it forms a homodimer through the 4-5-5 dimer interface highly similar to the phosphorylated typical response regulator, whereas the so-called phosphorylation pocket is not conserved, with its space being occupied by an Arg(52) from the 3-3 loop. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments confirm that GlnR forms a functional homodimer via its receiver domain and suggest that the charge interactions of Asp(50) with the highly conserved Arg(52) and Thr(9) in the receiver domain may be crucial in maintaining the proper conformation for homodimerization, as also supported by molecular dynamics simulations of the wild type GlnR versus the deficient mutant GlnR(D50A). This model is backed by the distinct phenotypes of the total deficient GlnR(R52A/T9A) double mutant versus the single mutants of GlnR (i.e. D50N, D50E, R52A and T9A), which have only minor effects upon both dimerization and physiological function of GlnR in vivo, albeit their DNA binding ability is weakened compared with that of the wild type. By integrating the supportive data of GlnRs from the model Streptomyces coelicolor and the pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis, we conclude that the actinomycete GlnR is atypical with respect to its unphosphorylated conserved Asp residue being involved in the critical Arg/Asp/Thr charge interactions, which is essential for maintaining the biologically active homodimer conformation.