Binding and unbinding of transcription factors to DNA are kinetically controlled to regulate the transcriptional outcome. Control of the release of the transcription factor NF-κB from DNA is achieved through accelerated dissociation by the inhibitor protein IκBα. Using single-molecule FRET, we observed a continuum of conformations of NF-κB in free and DNA-bound states interconverting on the subseconds to minutes timescale, comparable to in vivo binding on the seconds timescale, suggesting that structural dynamics directly control binding kinetics. Much of the DNA-bound NF-κB is partially bound, allowing IκBα invasion to facilitate DNA dissociation. IκBα induces a locked conformation where the DNA-binding domains of NF-κB are too far apart to bind DNA, whereas a loss-of-function IκBα mutant retains the NF-κB conformational ensemble. Overall, our results suggest a novel mechanism with a continuum of binding modes for controlling association and dissociation of transcription factors.
© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.