Published on Nov. 1, 2019 in Nat Commun volume 10, 1.
PubMed ID: 31695039
Abstract:
N-methyladenosine (mA) modification provides an important epitranscriptomic mechanism that critically regulates RNA metabolism and function. However, how mA writers attain substrate specificities remains unclear. We report the 3.1 Å-resolution crystal structure of human CCHC zinc finger-containing protein ZCCHC4, a 28S rRNA-specific mA methyltransferase, bound to S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine. The methyltransferase (MTase) domain of ZCCHC4 is packed against N-terminal GRF-type and C2H2 zinc finger domains and a C-terminal CCHC domain, creating an integrated RNA-binding surface. Strikingly, the MTase domain adopts an autoinhibitory conformation, with a self-occluded catalytic site and a fully-closed cofactor pocket. Mutational and enzymatic analyses further substantiate the molecular basis for ZCCHC4-RNA recognition and a role of the stem-loop structure within substrate in governing the substrate specificity. Overall, this study unveils unique structural and enzymatic characteristics of ZCCHC4, distinctive from what was seen with the METTL family of mA writers, providing the mechanistic basis for ZCCHC4 modulation of mA RNA methylation.