Fig. 9: Model for multivalent association of Dsup with the genome to protect from oxidative DNA damage. | Nature Communications

Fig. 9: Model for multivalent association of Dsup with the genome to protect from oxidative DNA damage.

From: Multivalent binding of the tardigrade Dsup protein to chromatin promotes yeast survival and longevity upon exposure to oxidative damage

Fig. 9

Dsup chromatin-interacting regions include the histone tails / acid-patch binding HMGN-like motif (aa 363-370) and DNA-binding C-terminus (aa 372-455). Multivalent binding of tardigrade Dsup to the chromatinized yeast genome protects against oxidative DNA damage (as induced by H2O2 or elevated when SOD1 (Superoxide dismutase 1) is deleted (e.g., Figs. 1, 3 and 7). Independent mutations of the Dsup HMGN-like motif or C-terminal region weaken its association with nucleosomes, but these alleles still protect from oxidative DNA damage (e.g., Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 7). However simultaneous deletion of both regions (as in Dsup ΔHMGN ΔC or Dsup ΔHMGN ΔC + NLS) eliminates chromatin binding and genome protection (e.g., Fig. 4 and Supplementary Figs. 4 and 8). Created in BioRender. Khan, L.F. (2025) https://BioRender.com/16wiptg.

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