Similarities in the structure of the transcriptional repressor AmtR in two different space groups suggest a model for the interaction with GlnK.
Sevvana, M., Hasselt, K., Grau, F.C., Burkovski, A., Muller, Y.A.(2017) Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 73: 146-151
- PubMed: 28291750 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1107/S2053230X17002485
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
5MQQ - PubMed Abstract: 
AmtR belongs to the TetR family of transcription regulators and is a global nitrogen regulator that is induced under nitrogen-starvation conditions in Corynebacterium glutamicum. AmtR regulates the expression of transporters and enzymes for the assimilation of ammonium and alternative nitrogen sources, for example urea, amino acids etc. The recognition of operator DNA by homodimeric AmtR is not regulated by small-molecule effectors as in other TetR-family members but by a trimeric adenylylated P II -type signal transduction protein named GlnK. The crystal structure of ligand-free AmtR (AmtR orth ) has been solved at a resolution of 2.1 Å in space group P2 1 2 1 2. Comparison of its quaternary assembly with the previously solved native AmtR structure (PDB entry 5dy1) in a trigonal crystal system (AmtR tri ) not only shows how a solvent-content reduction triggers a space-group switch but also suggests a model for how dimeric AmtR might stoichiometrically interact with trimeric adenylylated GlnK.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Lehrstuhl für Biotechnik, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, 91052 Erlangen, Germany.