Activation mechanism of the nuclear chaperone nucleoplasmin: role of the core domain

Nucleoplasmin (NP) mediates nucleosome assembly by removing basic proteins from sperm chromatin and exchanging them with histones. This function is modulated by phosphorylation of NP at multiple sites. NP is pentameric, each monomer consisting of two domains: a core, which forms a stable ring-like pentamer, and a tail, that holds a polyglutamic tract and the nuclear localization signal. In the present study, we have explored the role of the core domain in the functionality of NP. Despite lacking the poly-Glu region, a putative binding site for basic proteins, the isolated core domain of the hyperphosphorylated protein isolated from eggs of Xenopus laevis is able to bind sperm basic proteins and decondense chromatin, in contrast to the inactive, non-phosphorylated recombinant core. This activity can be reproduced artificially in the recombinant core domain through mutation of putative phosphorylation sites to aspartate, thus mimicking the charge effect of phosphorylation. The mutated residues locate in flexible or loop regions exposed on the "distal face" of the core pentamer, where a short acidic region is also found, indicating that phosphorylation might activate the core domain of NP by generating a strong localized negative potential. Our results show that the phosphorylated core domain of NP is active in chromatin decondensation, thus it could contribute together with the poly-Glu containing tail in displaying a binding surface for sperm basic proteins on the NP pentamer.