Insights into the structure and RNA-binding specificity of Caenorhabditis elegans Dicer-related helicase 3 (DRH-3).
Publication Type:
Journal ArticleSource:
Nucleic Acids Res, Volume 49, Issue 17, p.9978-9991 (2021)Keywords:
Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Caenorhabditis elegans, Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins, Crystallography, X-Ray, DEAD Box Protein 58, DEAD-box RNA Helicases, Interferon-Induced Helicase, IFIH1, Protein Domains, RNA Interference, RNA, Double-Stranded, RNA-Binding ProteinsAbstract:
<p>DRH-3 is critically involved in germline development and RNA interference (RNAi) facilitated chromosome segregation via the 22G-siRNA pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans. DRH-3 has similar domain architecture to RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs) and belongs to the RIG-I-like RNA helicase family. The molecular understanding of DRH-3 and its function in endogenous RNAi pathways remains elusive. In this study, we solved the crystal structures of the DRH-3 N-terminal domain (NTD) and the C-terminal domains (CTDs) in complex with 5'-triphosphorylated RNAs. The NTD of DRH-3 adopts a distinct fold of tandem caspase activation and recruitment domains (CARDs) structurally similar to the CARDs of RIG-I and MDA5, suggesting a signaling function in the endogenous RNAi biogenesis. The CTD preferentially recognizes 5'-triphosphorylated double-stranded RNAs bearing the typical features of secondary siRNA transcripts. The full-length DRH-3 displays unique structural dynamics upon binding to RNA duplexes that differ from RIG-I or MDA5. These features of DRH-3 showcase the evolutionary divergence of the Dicer and RLR family of helicases.</p>