Structural basis and mechanism of action of NrdR, a bacterial master regulator of ribonucleotide reduction

Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) are the essential enzymes responsible for synthesizing dNTPs, the building blocks of DNA. In bacteria, the entire RNR network is controlled by the master regulator NrdR. As a regulator of an essential pathway with no eukaryotic equivalent, NrdR is a promising antimicrobial target. Recent studies have outlined a mechanism of action for NrdR, in which ATP and dATP induce changes in the protein quaternary structure, regulating RNR repression. However, due to a lack of functional studies linking the known structures to their biological roles, the role of NrdR is not yet fully understood.

Here, we conducted a comprehensive study of NrdR in Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . We delimited the NrdR regulon, combining transcriptomics and motif-based sequence analysis. We crystallized NrdR and obtained structural data on nucleotide binding and its relation to the stability of protein-protein interfaces involved in NrdR oligomerization. We examined the quaternary structures of NrdR using SEC-MALS and atomic force microscopy and correlated structure to function using point mutations, EMSAs, and in vitro transcription assays.

Overall, our results demonstrate the mechanism used by NrdR to modulate its quaternary structure and activity and provide structural data that pave the way for targeted antimicrobial therapies.