Abstract (eng)
The structure of the E. coli ribosome is solved at atomic resolution. In con-trast, hitherto the position and structure of the essential ribosomal protein S1 has not been determined due to its intrinsic flexibility. Since protein S1 is pivotal for translation initiation in all Gram-negative bacteria studied so far, the aim of this project was the structural characterization of protein S1 with a special focus on the site of interaction with the ribosome. Previously, we have obtained evidence that protein S1 requires protein S2 for binding to the 30S ribosomal subunit. In this study, I was able to show that assembly of protein S1 to the ribosome is me-diated by its N-terminal domain D1 that directly interacts with the coiled-coil do-main of protein S2. Using an NMR-based approach, I determined that the N-terminal domain D1 consists of a folded core of four β-strands that are flanked by flexible N- and C-terminal regions. Surprisingly, the flexible N-terminal region of domain D1 of protein S1 comprising eighteen amino acids (referred to as S118) is indispensable for binding of protein S1 and its truncated variants to the ribo-some. Moreover, I showed that peptide S118 binds to the ribosome and competes with native protein S1 for its binding pocket on the 30S ribosomal subunit.
In addition, my results indicate that the coiled-coil domain of protein S2 is required and sufficient to allow binding of protein S1 to the ribosome. Noteworthy, changing residue Asn145 of protein S2, the side chain of which is oriented towards the cleft of the head, body, and neck of the 30S ribosomal subunit where protein S1 has been proposed to bind, abrogates the interaction between the coiled-coil domain of protein S2 and the N-terminal region of protein S1. Likewise, two glycine residues of the coiled-coil domain located close to the globular domain of S2 are required for the interaction with the N-terminus of protein S1, since glycine to alanine mutations at these positions (Gly148 and Gly149) also abolish the interaction between proteins S1 and S2.
Taken together, my data support the notion that the flexible region of eigh-teen amino acids in length located at the N-terminus of protein S1 could serve as a primary interaction site for S1 on the 30S subunit. Due to its intrinsic flexibil-ity the S118 region could act as an anchoring domain, which interacts specifi-cally with residues at the boundary between the coiled-coil and globular domain of protein S2 via an induced fit mechanism. Thus, during the course of these studies I was able to narrow down the site of interaction between proteins S1 and S2. Moreover, I identified several residues which might be directly involved in this interaction. Since assembly of protein S1 to the ribosome is essential for the viability of Gram-negative bacteria, this interaction surface might serve as potential target for the design of novel antimicrobial compounds that act semi-selective against Gram-negative pathogens without affecting the Gram-positive flora, which do not harbor functional homologues of protein S1.