TY - INPR A1 - Korn, Sophie M. A1 - Ehr, Julian von A1 - Dhamotharan, Karthikeyan A1 - Tants, Jan-Niklas A1 - Abele, Rupert A1 - Schlundt, Andreas T1 - Insight into the structural basis for dual nucleic acid - recognition by the Scaffold Attachment Factor B2 protein T2 - bioRxiv N2 - The family of scaffold attachment factor B (SAFB) proteins comprises three members and was first identified as binders of the nuclear matrix/scaffold. Over the past two decades, SAFBs were shown to act in DNA repair, mRNA/(l)ncRNA processing, and as part of protein complexes with chromatin-modifying enzymes. SAFB proteins are approximately-100-kDa-sized dual nucleic acid-binding proteins with dedicated domains in an otherwise largely unstructured context, but whether and how they discriminate DNA- and RNA-binding has remained enigmatic. We here provide the SAFB2 DNA- and RNA-binding SAP and RRM domains in their functional boundaries and use solution NMR spectroscopy to ascribe DNA- and RNA-binding functions. We give insight into their target nucleic acid preferences and map the interfaces with respective nucleic acids on sparse data-derived SAP and RRM domain structures. Further, we provide evidence that the SAP domain exhibits intra-domain dynamics and a potential tendency to dimerise, which may expand its specifically targeted DNA sequence range. Our data provide a first molecular basis of and a starting point towards deciphering DNA- and RNA-binding functions of SAFB2 on the molecular level and serve a basis for understanding its localization to specific regions of chromatin and its involvement in the processing of specific RNA species. Y1 - 2022 UR - http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/73148 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-731487 IS - 2022.12.28.522114 ER -