Crystal structure and RNA binding of the Rpb4/Rpb7 subunits of human RNA polymerase II.

The Rpb4 and Rpb7 subunits of eukaryotic RNA polymerase II (RNAP(II)) form a heterodimer that protrudes from the 10-subunit core of the enzyme. We have obtained crystals of the human Rpb4/Rpb7 heterodimer and determined the structure to 2.7 A resolution.

Structural insights into FtsZ protofilament formation.

The prokaryotic tubulin homolog FtsZ polymerizes into a ring structure essential for bacterial cell division. We have used refolded FtsZ to crystallize a tubulin-like protofilament. The N- and C-terminal domains of two consecutive subunits in the filament assemble to form the GTPase site, with the C-terminal domain providing water-polarizing residues.

The crystal structure of AF1521 a protein from Archaeoglobus fulgidus with homology to the non-histone domain of macroH2A.

MacroH2A is an unusual histone H2A variant that has an extensive C-terminal tail that comprises approximately two thirds of the protein. The C-terminal non-histone domain of macroH2A is also found in a number of other proteins and has been termed the macro domain. Here we report the crystal structure to 1.

Crystal structure of the SOS cell division inhibitor SulA and in complex with FtsZ.

SulA halts cell division in Escherichia coli by binding to the major component of the division machinery FtsZ. We have solved the crystal structure of SulA alone and in complex with FtsZ from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. SulA is expressed when the SOS response is induced.