Crystal structure of yeast YER010Cp, a knotable member of the RraA protein family.

We present here the structure of Yer010c protein of unknown function, solved by Multiple Anomalous Diffraction and revealing a common fold and oligomerization state with proteins of the regulator of ribonuclease activity A (RraA) family. In Escherichia coli, RraA has been shown to regulate the activity of ribonuclease E by direct interaction. The absence of ribonuclease E in yeast suggests a different function for this family member in this organism. Yer010cp has a few supplementary secondary structure elements and a deep pseudo-knot at the heart of the protein core. A tunnel at the interface between two monomers, lined with conserved charged residues, has unassigned residual electron density and may constitute an active site for a yet unknown activity.