Publications [#375322] of Lucia C. Strader
search PubMed.Papers Published
- Theisen, FF; Prestel, A; Elkjær, S; Leurs, YHA; Morffy, N; Strader, LC; O'Shea, C; Teilum, K; Kragelund, BB; Skriver, K, Molecular switching in transcription through splicing and proline-isomerization regulates stress responses in plants.,
Nature communications, vol. 15 no. 1
(January, 2024),
pp. 592, Springer Science and Business Media LLC [doi] .
(last updated on 2026/01/17)Abstract:
The Arabidopsis thaliana DREB2A transcription factor interacts with the negative regulator RCD1 and the ACID domain of subunit 25 of the transcriptional co-regulator mediator (Med25) to integrate stress signals for gene expression, with elusive molecular interplay. Using biophysical and structural analyses together with high-throughput screening, we reveal a bivalent binding switch in DREB2A containing an ACID-binding motif (ABS) and the known RCD1-binding motif (RIM). The RIM is lacking in a stress-induced DREB2A splice variant with retained transcriptional activity. ABS and RIM bind to separate sites on Med25-ACID, and NMR analyses show a structurally heterogeneous complex deriving from a DREB2A-ABS proline residue populating cis- and trans-isomers with remote impact on the RIM. The cis-isomer stabilizes an α-helix, while the trans-isomer may introduce energetic frustration facilitating rapid exchange between activators and repressors. Thus, DREB2A uses a post-transcriptionally and post-translationally modulated switch for transcriptional regulation.