The Binding Specificity of PAB1 with Poly(A) mRNA, Regulated by Its Structural Folding

The poly(A)-binding protein cytoplasmic 1 (PAB1 or PABPC1) protein is associated with the long poly(A) mRNA tails, inducing stability. Herein, we investigated the dynamics of the PABPC1 protein, along with tracing its mRNA binding specificity. During molecular dynamics simulations (MDS), the R176-Y408 amino acids (RRM3–4 domains; RNA recognition motifs) initiated a folded structure that resulted in the formation of different conformations. The RRM4 domain formed high-frequency intramolecular interactions, despite such induced flexibility. Residues D45, Y54, Y56, N58, Q88, and N100 formed long-lasting interactions, and specifically, aromatic residues (Y14, Y54, Y56, W86, and Y140) gained a unique binding pattern with the poly(A) mRNA. In addition, the poly(A) mRNA motif assembled a PABPC1-specific conformation, by inducing movement of the center three nucleotides to face towards RRM1–2 domains. The majority of the high-frequency cancer mutations in PAB1 reside within the RRM4 domain and amino acids engaging in high-frequency interactions with poly(A) mRNA were found to be preserved in different cancer types. Except for the G123C variant, other studied cancer-derived mutants hindered the stability of the protein. Molecular details from this study will provide a detailed understanding of the PABPC1 structure, which can be used to modulate the activity of this gene, resulting in production of mutant peptide or neoantigens in cancer.