Structure and regulatory role of the C-terminal winged helix domain of the archaeal minichromosome maintenance complex.
Wiedemann, C., Szambowska, A., Hafner, S., Ohlenschlager, O., Guhrs, K.H., Gorlach, M.(2015) Nucleic Acids Res 43: 2958-2967
- PubMed: 25712103 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkv120
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
2M45, 2MA3 - PubMed Abstract: 
The minichromosome maintenance complex (MCM) represents the replicative DNA helicase both in eukaryotes and archaea. Here, we describe the solution structure of the C-terminal domains of the archaeal MCMs of Sulfolobus solfataricus (Sso) and Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus (Mth). Those domains consist of a structurally conserved truncated winged helix (WH) domain lacking the two typical 'wings' of canonical WH domains. A less conserved N-terminal extension links this WH module to the MCM AAA+ domain forming the ATPase center. In the Sso MCM this linker contains a short α-helical element. Using Sso MCM mutants, including chimeric constructs containing Mth C-terminal domain elements, we show that the ATPase and helicase activity of the Sso MCM is significantly modulated by the short α-helical linker element and by N-terminal residues of the first α-helix of the truncated WH module. Finally, based on our structural and functional data, we present a docking-derived model of the Sso MCM, which implies an allosteric control of the ATPase center by the C-terminal domain.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Research Group Biomolecular NMR Spectroscopy, Leibniz Institute for Age Research-Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), Beutenbergstr. 11, D-07745 Jena, Germany.