Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH, EC: 1.2.1.12) is an essential enzyme in the glycolytic pathway. However, recent evidence demonstrates that GAPDH displays a range of new functions unrelated to its glycolytic function. GAPDH has long been known as a 3' AU-rich element-binding protein; however, its RNA recognition mechanism is still not well understood. Here, we present the first crystal structure of GAPDH3 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and identify its RNA-binding specificity and propose an RNA recognition model based on structural and biochemical studies. This study sheds light on the RNA-binding mechanism of GAPDH3 and contributes to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of its RNA-related functions.
Keywords: GAPDH3; RNA binding; RNA recognition model; crystal structure; sequence specificity.
© 2014 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.