FurNAP: Iron-dependent chromatin conformation by the Ferric Uptake Regulator

This dataset contains raw and analyzed data for the DNase Footprinting, RT-qPCR, chromatin conformation capture (3C) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) experiments demonstrating the involvement of the Fur regulator in the iron-mediated control of Helicobacter pylori chromatin contacts. The dataset supports evidence that an orthologue of the widespread Fur regulator family behaves like an iron-dependent Nulecoid Associated Protein (NAP) to dynamically shape the H. pylori chromatin in response to iron repletion. This behavior is consistent with the current holo-Fur DNA binding model, in which the iron co-factor stimulates Fur multimerization and DNA binding. The data strengthen the emerging picture that DNA binding sites of multimeric transcription factors, even when not directly involved in gene regulation, may encompass structural roles in bacterial nucleoid organization. Moreover, as many Fur orthologues seem to exhibit features typical of NAPs, the data also suggest that metal-dependent chromatin interactions may be widespread in the bacterial domain, with important implications in the pathobiology of infectious microorganisms, as iron homeostasis and sequestration play an important role in host-pathogen interaction and defense mechanisms.