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Dihydrouridine (D) is an abundant modified base found in the tRNAs of most living organisms and was recently detected in eukaryotic mRNAs. This base confers significant conformational plasticity to RNA molecules. The dihydrouridine biosynthetic reaction is catalyzed by a large family of flavoenzymes, the dihydrouridine synthases (Dus). So far, only bacterial Dus enzymes and their complexes with tRNAs have been structurally characterized. Understanding the structure-function relationships of eukaryotic Dus proteins has been hampered by the paucity of structural data. Here, we combined extensive phylogenetic analysis with high-precision 3D molecular modeling of more than 30 Dus2 enzymes selected along the tree of life to determine the evolutionary molecular basis of D biosynthesis by these enzymes. Dus2 is the eukaryotic enzyme responsible for the synthesis of D20 in tRNAs and is involved in some human cancers and in the detoxification of β-amyloid peptides in Alzheimer's disease. In addition to the domains forming the canonical structure of all Dus, i.e., the catalytic TIM-barrel domain and the helical domain, both participating in RNA recognition in the bacterial Dus, a majority of Dus2 proteins harbor extensions at both ends. While these are mainly unstructured extensions on the N-terminal side, the C-terminal side extensions can adopt well-defined structures such as helices and beta-sheets or even form additional domains such as zinc finger domains. 3D models of Dus2/tRNA complexes were also generated. This study suggests that eukaryotic Dus2 proteins may have an advantage in tRNA recognition over their bacterial counterparts due to their modularity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dihydrouridine (D) is a tRNA-modified base conserved throughout all kingdoms of life and assuming an important structural role. The conserved dihydrouridine synthases (Dus) carries out D-synthesis. DusA, DusB and DusC are bacterial members, and their substrate specificity has been determined in Escherichia coli. DusA synthesizes D20/D20a while DusB and DusC are responsible for the synthesis of D17 and D16, respectively. Here, we characterize the function of the unique dus gene encoding a DusB detected in Mollicutes, which are bacteria that evolved from a common Firmicute ancestor via massive genome reduction. Using in vitro activity tests as well as in vivo E. coli complementation assays with the enzyme from Mycoplasma capricolum (DusBMCap), a model organism for the study of these parasitic bacteria, we show that, as expected for a DusB homolog, DusBMCap modifies U17 to D17 but also synthetizes D20/D20a combining therefore both E. coli DusA and DusB activities. Hence, this is the first case of a Dus enzyme able to modify up to three different sites as well as the first example of a tRNA-modifying enzyme that can modify bases present on the two opposite sides of an RNA-loop structure. Comparative analysis of the distribution of DusB homologs in Firmicutes revealed the existence of three DusB subgroups namely DusB1, DusB2 and DusB3. The first two subgroups were likely present in the Firmicute ancestor, and Mollicutes have retained DusB1 and lost DusB2. Altogether, our results suggest that the multisite specificity of the M. capricolum DusB enzyme could be an ancestral property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thymidylate is a vital DNA precursor synthesized by thymidylate synthases. ThyX is a flavin-dependent thymidylate synthase found in several human pathogens and absent in humans, which makes it a potential target for antimicrobial drugs. This enzyme methylates the 2′-deoxyuridine 5′-monophosphate (dUMP) to 2′-deoxythymidine 5′-monophosphate (dTMP) using a reduced flavin adenine dinucleotide (FADH−) as prosthetic group and (6R)-N5,N10-methylene-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolate (CH2THF) as a methylene donor. Recently, it was shown that ThyX-catalyzed reaction is a complex process wherein FADH− promotes both methylene transfer and reduction of the transferred methylene into a methyl group. Here, we studied the dynamic and photophysics of FADH− bound to ThyX, in several substrate-binding states (no substrate, in the presence of dUMP or folate or both) by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. This methodology provides valuable information about the ground-state configuration of the isoalloxazine moiety of FADH− and the rigidity of its local environment, through spectra shape and excited-state lifetime parameters. In the absence of substrate, the environment of FADH− in ThyX is only mildly more constrained than that of free FADH− in solution. The addition of dUMP however narrows the distribution of ground-state configurations and increases the constraints on the butterfly bending motion in the excited state. Folate binding results in the selection of new ground-state configurations, presumably located at a greater distance from the conical intersection where excited-state decay occurs. When both substrates are present, the ground-state configuration appears on the contrary rather limited to a geometry close to the conical intersection, which explains the relatively fast excited-state decay (100 ps on the average), even if the environment of the isoalloxazine is densely packed. Hence, although the environment of the flavin is dramatically constrained, FADH− retains a dynamic necessary to shuttle carbon from folate to dUMP. Our study demonstrates the high sensitivity of FADH− photophysics to the constraints exerted by its immediate surroundings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flavoproteins often stabilize their flavin coenzyme by stacking interactions involving the isoalloxazine moiety of the flavin and an aromatic residue from the apoprotein. The bacterial FAD and folate-dependent tRNA methyltransferase TrmFO has the unique property of stabilizing its FAD coenzyme by an unusual H-bond-assisted π–π stacking interaction, involving a conserved tyrosine (Y346 in Bacillus subtilis TrmFO, BsTrmFO), the isoalloxazine of FAD and the backbone of a catalytic cysteine (C53). Here, the interaction between FAD and Y346 has been investigated by measuring the photoinduced flavin dynamics of BsTrmFO in the wild-type (WT) protein, C53A and several Y346 mutants by ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. In C53A, the excited FAD very rapidly (0.43 ps) abstracts an electron from Y346, yielding the FADṖ−/Y346OHṖ+ radical pair, while relaxation of the local environment (1.3 ps) of the excited flavin produces a slight Stokes shift of its stimulated emission band. The radical pair then decays via charge recombination, mostly in 3–4 ps, without any deprotonation of the Y346OHṖ+ radical. Presumably, the H-bond between Y346 and the amide group of C53 increases the pKa of Y346OHṖ+ and slows down its deprotonation. The dynamics of WT BsTrmFO shows additional slow decay components (43 and 700 ps), absent in the C53A mutant, assigned to excited FADox populations not undergoing fast photoreduction. Their presence is likely due to a more flexible structure of the WT protein, favored by the presence of C53. Interestingly, mutations of Y346 canceling its electron donating character lead to multiple slower quenching channels in the ps–ns regime. These channels are proposed to be due to electron abstraction either (i) from the adenine moiety of FAD, a distribution of the isoalloxazine–adenine distance in the absence of Y346 explaining the multiexponential decay, or (ii) from the W286 residue, possibly accounting for one of the decays. This work supports the idea that H-bond-assisted π–π stacking controls TrmFO's active site dynamics, required for competent orientation of the reactive centers during catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the mechanisms of protein oligomerization and aggregation is a major concern for biotechnology and medical purposes. However, significant challenges remain in determining the mechanism of formation of these superstructures and the environmental factors that can precisely modulate them. Notably the role that a functional ligand plays in the process of protein aggregation is largely unexplored. We herein address these issues with an original flavin-dependent RNA methyltransferase (TrmFO) used as a protein model since this protein employs a complex set of cofactors and ligands for catalysis. Here, we show that TrmFO carries an unstable protein structure that can partially mis-unfold leading to either formation of irregular and nonfunctional soluble oligomers endowed with hyper-thermal stability or large amorphous aggregates in the presence of salts. Mutagenesis confirmed that this peculiarity is an intrinsic property of a polypeptide and it is independent of the flavin coenzyme. Structural characterization and kinetic studies identified several regions of the protein that enjoy conformational changes and more particularly pinpointed the N-terminal subdomain as being a key element in the mechanisms of oligomerization and aggregation. Only stabilization of this region via tRNA suppresses these aberrant protein states. Although protein chaperones emerged as major actors against aggregation, our study emphasizes that other powerful mechanisms exist such as the stabilizing effect of functional assemblies that provide an additional layer of protection against the instability of the proteome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNAs molecules fulfill key roles in the expression and regulation of the genetic information stored within the DNA chromosomes. In addition to the four canonical bases, U, C, A and G, RNAs harbor various chemically modified derivatives which are generated post-transcriptionally by specific enzymes acting directly at the polymer level. More than one hundred naturally occurring modified nucleosides have been identified to date, the largest number of which is found in tRNAs and rRNA. This remarkable biochemical process produces widely diversified RNAs further expanding the functional repertoires of these nucleic acids. Interestingly, several RNA-modifying enzymes use a flavin bioorganic molecule as a coenzyme in RNA modification pathways. Some of these reactions are simple while others are extremely complex using challenging chemistry orchestrated by large flavoenzymatic systems. In this review, we summarize recent knowledges on the flavin-dependent RNA-modifying enzymes and discuss the relevance of their activity within a cellular context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To facilitate production of functional enzymes and to study their mechanisms, especially in the complex cases of coenzyme-dependent systems, activation of an inactive apoenzyme preparation with a catalytically competent coenzyme intermediate is an attractive strategy. This is illustrated with the simple chemical synthesis of a flavin-methylene iminium compound previously proposed as a key intermediate in the catalytic cycle of several important flavoenzymes involved in nucleic acid metabolism. Reconstitution of both flavin-dependent RNA methyltransferase and thymidylate synthase apoproteins with this synthetic compound led to active enzymes for the C5-uracil methylation within their respective transfer RNA and dUMP substrate. This strategy is expected to be of general application in enzymology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA methylation is the most abundant and evolutionarily conserved chemical modification of bases or ribose in noncoding and coding RNAs. This rather simple modification has nevertheless major consequences on the function of maturated RNA molecules and ultimately on their cellular fates. The methyl group employed in the methylation is almost universally derived from S -adenosyl-L-methionine via a simple S N 2 displacement reaction. However, in some rare cases, the carbon originates from N5,N10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (CH 2 = THF). Here, a methylene group is transferred first and requires a subsequent reduction step (2e − + H + ) via the flavin adenine dinucleotide hydroquinone (FADH − ) to form the final methylated derivative. This FAD/folate-dependent mode of chemical reaction, called reductive methylation, is thus far more complex than the usual simple S -adenosyl-L-methionine-dependent one. This reaction is catalyzed by flavoenzymes, now named TrmFO and RlmFO, which respectively modify transfer and ribosomal RNAs. In this review, we briefly recount how these new RNA methyltransferases were discovered and describe a novel aspect of the chemistry of flavins, wherein this versatile biological cofactor is not just a simple redox catalyst but is also a new methyl transfer agent acting via a critical CH 2 = (N5)FAD iminium intermediate. The enigmatic structural reorganization of these enzymes that needs to take place during catalysis in order to build their active center is also discussed. Finally, recent findings demonstrated that this flavin-dependent mechanism is also employed by enzymatic systems involved in DNA synthesis, suggesting that the use of this cofactor as a methylating agent of biomolecules could be far more usual than initially anticipated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic osmolytes also known as chemical chaperones are major cellular compounds that favor, by an unclear mechanism, protein's compaction and stabilization of the native state. Here, we have examined the chaperone effect of the naturally occurring trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) osmolyte on a loosely packed protein (LPP), known to be a highly flexible form, using an apoprotein mutant of the flavin-dependent RNA methyltransferase as a model. Thermal and chemical denaturation experiments showed that TMAO stabilizes the structural integrity of the apoprotein dramatically. The denaturation reaction is irreversible indicating that the stability of the apoprotein is under kinetic control. This result implies that the stabilization is due to a TMAO-induced reconfiguration of the flexible LPP state, which leads to conformational limitations of the apoprotein likely driven by favorable entropic contribution. Evidence for the conformational perturbation of the apoprotein had been obtained through several biophysical approaches notably analytical ultracentrifugation, circular dichroism, fluorescence spectroscopy, labelling experiments and proteolysis coupled to mass spectrometry. Unexpectedly, TMAO promotes an overall elongation or asymmetrical changes of the hydrodynamic shape of the apoprotein without alteration of the secondary structure. The modulation of the hydrodynamic properties of the protein is associated with diverse inhomogenous conformational changes: loss of the solvent accessible cavities resulting in a dried protein matrix; some side-chain residues initially buried become solvent exposed while some others become hidden. Consequently, the TMAO-induced protein state exhibits impaired capability in the flavin binding process. Our study suggests that the nature of protein conformational changes induced by the chemical chaperones may be specific to protein packing and plasticity. This could be an efficient mechanism by which the cell controls and finely tunes the conformation of the marginally stable LPPs to avoid their inappropriate protein/protein interactions and aggregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enzyme-catalyzed reactions often rely on a noncovalently bound cofactor whose reactivity is tuned by its immediate environment. Flavin cofactors, the most versatile catalyst encountered in biology, are often maintained within the protein throughout numbers of complex ionic and aromatic interactions. Here, we have investigated the role of π-π stacking and hydrogen bond interactions between a tyrosine and the isoalloxazine moiety of the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) in an FAD-dependent RNA methyltransferase. Combining several static and time-resolved spectroscopies as well as biochemical approaches, we showed that aromatic stacking is assisted by a hydrogen bond between the phenol group and the amide of an adjacent active site loop. A mechanism of recognition and binding of the redox cofactor is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroglobin plays an important function in the supply of oxygen in nervous tissues. In human neuroglobin, a cysteine at position 46 in the loop connecting the C and D helices of the globin fold is presumed to form an intramolecular disul?de bond with Cys55. Rupture of this disulfide bridge stabilizes bi-histidyl haem hexacoordination, causing an overall decrease in the affinity for oxygen. Here, the first X-ray structure of wild-type human neuroglobin is reported at 1.74 Å resolution. This structure provides a direct observation of two distinct conformations of the CD region containing the intramolecular disulfide link and highlights internal cavities that could be involved in ligand migration and/or are necessary to enable the conformational transition between the low and high oxygen-affinity states following S-S bond formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TrmFO is a tRNA methyltransfera.se that uses methylenetetrahydrofo-late (CH2THF) and flavin adenine dinucleotide hydroquinone as cofactors. We have recently shown that TrmFO from Bacillus subtilis stabilizes a TrmFO-CH2-FADH adduct and an ill-defined neutral flavin radical. The adduct contains a unique N-CH2-S moiety, with a methylene group bridging N-5 of the isoalloxazine ring and the sulfur of an active-site cysteine (Cys53). In the absence of tRNA substrate, this species is remarkably stable but becomes catalytically competent for tRNA methylation following tRNA addition using the methylene group as the source of methyl. Here, we demonstrate that this dormant methylating agent can be activated at low pH, and we propose that this process is triggered upon tRNA addition. The reaction proceeds via protonation of Cys53, cleavage of the C-S bond, and generation of a highly reactive [FADH(N5)CH2]' iminium intermediate, which is proposed to be the actual tRNA-methylating agent. This mechanism is fully supported by DFT calculations. The radical present in TrmFO is characterized here by optical and EPR/ENDOR spectroscopy approaches together with DFT calculations and is shown to be the one-electron oxidized product of the TrmFO-CH2-FADH adduct. It is also relatively stable, and its decomposition is tacilitated by high pH. These results provide new insights into the structure and reactivity of the unique flavin-dependent methylating agent used by this class of enzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNAs contain structurally and functionally important modified nucleosides. Methylation, the most frequent RNA modification in all living organisms, mostly relies on SAM (S-adenosylmethionine)-dependent methyltransferases. TrmFO was recently discovered as a unique tRNA methyltransferase using instead methylenetetrahydrofolate and reduced flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) as essential cofactors, but its mechanism has remained elusive. Here, we report that TrmFO carries an active tRNA-methylating agent and characterize it as an original enzyme-methylene-FAD covalent adduct by mass spectrometry and a combination of spectroscopic and biochemical methods. Our data support a novel tRNA methylating mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flavoprotein TrmFO methylates specifically the C5 carbon of the highly conserved uridine 54 in tRNAs. Contrary to most methyltransferases, the 1- carbon unit transferred by TrmFO derives from 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate and not from S-adenosyl-l-methionine. The enzyme also employs the FAD hydroquinone as a reducing agent of the C5 methylene U54-tRNA intermediate in vitro. By analogy with the catalytic mechanism of thymidylate synthase ThyA, a conserved cysteine located near the FAD isoalloxazine ring was proposed to act as a nucleophile during catalysis. Here, we mutated this residue (Cys-53 in Bacillus subtilis TrmFO) to alanine and investigated its functional role. Biophysical characterization of this variant demonstrated the major structural role of Cys-53 in maintaining both the integrity and plasticity of the flavin binding site. Unexpectedly, gel mobility shift assays showed that, like the wild-type enzyme, the inactive C53A variant was capable of forming a covalent complex with a 5-fluorouridine-containing mini-RNA. This result confirms the existence of a covalent intermediate during catalysis but rules out a nucleophilic role for Cys-53. To identify the actual nucleophile, two other strictly conserved cysteines (Cys-192 and Cys-226) that are relatively far from the active site were replaced with alanine, and a double mutant C53A/C226A was generated. Interestingly, only mutations that target Cys-226 impeded TrmFO from forming a covalent complex and methylating tRNA. Altogether, we propose a revised mechanism for the m5U54 modification catalyzed by TrmFO, where Cys-226 attacks the C6 atom of the uridine, and Cys-53 plays the role of the general base abstracting the C5 proton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flavoprotein TrmFO catalyzes the C5 methylation of uridine 54 in the TΨC loop of tRNAs using 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (CH2THF) as a methylene donor and FAD as a reducing agent. Here, we report biochemical and spectrosropic studies that unravel the remarkable capability of Bacillus subtilis TrmFO to stabilize, in the presence of oxygen, several flavin-reduced forms, including an FADH• radical, and a catalytic intermediate endowed with methylating activity. The FADH radical was characterized by high-field electron paramagnetic resonance and electron nuclear double-resonance spectroscopies. Interestingly, the enzyme exhibited tRNA methylation activity in the absence ofboth an added carbon donor and an external reducing agent, indicating that a reaction intermediate, containing presumably CH2THF and FAD hydroquinone, is present in the freshly purified enzyme. Isolation by acid treatment, under anaerobic conditions, of noncovalently bound molecules, followed by mass spectrometry analysis, confirmed the presence in TrmFO of nonmodified FAD. Addition of formaldehyde to the purified enzyme protects the reduced flavins from decay byprobably preventing degradation of CH2THF. The absence of air-stable reduced FAD species during anaerobic titration of oxidized TrmFO, performed in the absence or presence of added CH2THF, argues against their thermodynamic stabilization but rather implicates their kinetic trapping by the enzyme. Altogether, the unexpected isolation of a stable catalytic intermediate suggests that the flavin-binding pocket of TrmFO is a highly insulated environment, diverting the reduced FAD present in this intermediate from uncoupled reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal structure of NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (CYPOR) implies that a large domain movement is essential for electron transfer from NADPH via FAD and FMN to its redox partners. To test this hypothesis, a disulfide bond was engineered between residues Asp147 and Arg514 in the FMN and FAD domains, respectively. The cross-linked form of this mutant protein, designated 147CC514, exhibited a significant decrease in the rate of interflavin electron transfer and large (≥90%) decreases in rates of electron transfer to its redox partners, cytochrome c and cytochrome P450 2B4. Reduction of the disulfide bond restored the ability of the mutant to reduce its redox partners, demonstrating that a conformational change is essential for CYPOR function. The crystal structures of the mutant without and with NADP+ revealed that the two flavin domains are joined by a disulfide linkage and that the relative orientations of the two flavin rings are twisted ∼20° compared with the wild type, decreasing the surface contact area between the two flavin rings. Comparison of the structures without and with NADP+ shows movement of the Gly631-Asn635 loop. In the NADP+-free structure, the loop adopts a conformation that sterically hinders NADP(H) binding. The structure with NADP+ shows movement of the Gly631-Asn635 loop to a position that permits NADP(H) binding. Furthermore, comparison of these mutant and wild type structures strongly suggests that the Gly631-Asn635 loop movement controls NADPH binding and NADP+ release; this loop movement in turn facilitates the flavin domain movement, allowing electron transfer from FMN to the CYPOR redox partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synchronized kinetics of ligand binding to a buried active site offers a look inside the protein. Photodissociated ligands are initially alongside their original binding site, so the recombination kinetics describes the trajectory for direct (geminate) rebinding or escape from the protein for the subsequent (bimolecular) rebinding phase. In the model case of myoglobin in water, most of the ligands escape; to better observe the geminate phase, high viscosity cosolvents were used: the kinetics were characterized by multiple barriers and a distribution of rates. An alternative method to enhance the fraction of geminate phase is the application of high pressure which closes the ligand migration channel; in this case of low viscosity without cosolvents, the geminate phase is closer to a simple exponential behavior. Samples with glycerol display the extended geminate kinetics, while samples in water under pressure do not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Folate-dependent tRNA m5U methyltransferase TrmFO is a flavoprotein that catalyzes the C5-methylation of uridine at position 54 in the TΨC loop of tRNA in several bacteria. Here we report the cloning and optimization of expression in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) of untagged, N-terminus, C-terminus (His)6-tagged TrmFO from Bacillus subtilis. Tagged and untagged TrmFO were purified to homogeneity by metal affinity or ion exchange and heparin affinity, respectively, followed by size-exclusion chromatography. The tag did not significantly alter the expression level, flavin content, activity and secondary structure of the protein. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (CYPOR) catalyzes the transfer of electrons to all known microsomal cytochromes P450. A CYPOR variant, with a 4-amino acid deletion in the hinge connecting the FMN domain to the rest of the protein, has been crystallized in three remarkably extended conformations. The variant donates an electron to cytochrome P450 at the same rate as the wild-type, when provided with sufficient electrons. Nevertheless, it is defective in its ability to transfer electrons intramolecularly from FAD to FMN. The three extended CYPOR structures demonstrate that, by pivoting on the C terminus of the hinge, the FMN domain of the enzyme undergoes a structural rearrangement that separates it from FAD and exposes the FMN, allowing it to interact with its redox partners. A similar movement most likely occurs in the wild-type enzyme in the course of transferring electrons from FAD to its physiological partner, cytochrome P450. A model of the complex between an open conformation of CYPOR and cytochrome P450 is presented that satisfies mutagenesis constraints. Neither lengthening the linker nor mutating its sequence influenced the activity of CYPOR. It is likely that the analogous linker in other members of the diflavin family functions in a similar manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purification, crystallization and successful structure determination by molecular replacement of wild-type human brain neuroglobin at 1.8Å resolution is reported. The apparent space group was orthorhombic C2221, but the real space group was monoclinic P21, which resulted from twinning. Indeed, the unit-cell parameters, a = 31.2, b = 139.1, c=- 31.2 Å,β = 102°, display a fortuitously close to c and twinning by the operator l, --k, h occurs. Twinning was not evident from the initial analysis of intensity distribution, but pseudomerohedral twinning was revealed by the Padilla and Yeates test based on local intensity differences. A twinning fraction of 0.5 was determined in SHELXL, indicating a perfect hemihedrally twinned crystal. To date, this. type of twinning has been reported in more than ten structures, which makes it, quite a common case in proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using high hydrostatic pressure or hydrogen peroxide as perturbing agents, we demonstrate a protective effect of the chaperone AHSP for the α-chains of Hb. High pressure induces an irreversible aggregation of the ferrous deoxy α-chains, whereas the AHSP/α-Hb complex shows reversible hexacoordination of the α-Hb without protein aggregation. Upon pressure release, the relaxation kinetics of the transition from the hexacoordinated to pentacoordinated form of α-Hb in the presence of AHSP exhibit a biphasic shape. High pressure did not induce dissociation of α-Hb from its chaperone, as evidenced by the ligand binding kinetics that show a unique rate for the AHSP/α-Hb complex. For both free α-Hb and the AHSP/α-Hb complex, the bimolecular rate constant of CO binding (konCO) versus pressure exhibits a bell shape, attributed to the transition of the rate-determining step from the chemical barrier to the migration of CO within the protein matrix. These results reveal a plasticity of the α-Hb active site in the presence of the chaperone and indicate that the AHSP was still active at 300 MPa. The ferric state of the AHSP/ α-Hb complex shows hexacoordination even at atmospheric pressures, indicating a His-Fe-His binding scheme as previously observed in neuroglobin and cytoglobin. The reaction with hydrogen peroxide of ferric α-Hb within the complex also demonstrates a protection against aggregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The techniques of high applied pressure and flash photolysis have been combined to study ligand rebinding to neuroglobin (Ngb) and tomato Hb, globins that may display a His-Fe-His hexacoordination in the absence of external ligands. High pressure induces a moderate decrease in the His association rate and a large decrease in His dissociation rate, thus leading to an enhancement of the overall His affinity. The overall structural difference between penta- and hexacoordinated globins may be rather small and can be overcome by external modifications such as high pressure. Over the pressure range 0.1–700 MPa (7 kbar), the globins may show a loss of over a factor of 100 in the amplitude of the bimolecular rebinding phase after photodissociation. The kinetic data show that pressure induces a moderate increase of the rate for ligand binding from the correlated pair state (just after photodissociation) and a large (factor of 1000) decrease in rate for migration through the protein. The effect on the ligand migration phase was similar for both the external ligands (such as oxygen) as for the internal (histidine) ligand, suggesting the dominant role of protein fluctuations, rather than specific chemical barriers. Thus high pressure efficiently closes the protein migration channels; however, contrary, to the effect of high viscosity, high pressure induces a greater decrease in rate for ligand migration toward the exterior (heme to the solvent) versus inward migration, as if the presence of the ligand itself induces an additional steric constraint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroglobin, cytoglobin, and hemoglobins from Drosophila melanogaster and Arabidopsis thaliana were studied for their ligand binding properties versus temperature. These globins have a common feature of being hexacoordinated (via the distal histidine) under deoxy conditions, displaying an enhanced amplitude for the alpha absorption band at 560?nm. External ligands can bind, but the transition from the hexacoordinated form to the ligand (L) bound species is slow, as expected for a replacement reaction Fe-His ? Fe ? Fe-L. Histidine binding is on the order of 1?ms; dissociation times are variable, and may be as long as 1?s for the highest histidine affinities. Oxygen binds rapidly but dissociates slowly, requiring as much as 1?s. These rates would correspond to a very high affinity for the pentacoordinated form; however, competition with the distal histidine leads decreases the affinity for the external ligand. The observed oxygen affinity remains in the range of 1 to 10?mm Hg. The low oxygen dissociation indicates a stabilization via H-bonds as for certain globins from parasites (Ascaris, the trematodes). Other ligands such as CO, or CN for the ferric form, show a decreased affinity, since only the competition with the E7 histidine, but not the stabilizing H-bond, plays a role. In addition, the competitive internal ligand leads to a weaker observed temperature dependence of the ligand affinity, since the difference in equilibrium energy for the two ligands is much lower than that of ligand binding to pentacoordinated hemoglobin. This effect could be of biological relevance for certain organisms, since it would lead to an oxygen affinity that is nearly independent of temperature. IUBMB Life, 56: 709–719, 2004 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroglobin and cytoglobin reversibly bind oxygen in competition with the distal histidine, and the observed oxygen affinity therefore depends on the properties of both ligands. In the absence of an external ligand, the iron atom of these globins is hexacoordinated. There are three cysteine residues in human neuroglobin; those at positions CD7 and D5 are sufficiently close to form an internal disulfide bond. Both cysteine residues in cytoglobin, although localized in other positions than in human neuroglobin, may form a disulfide bond as well. The existence and position of these disulfide bonds was demonstrated by mass spectrometry and thiol accessibility studies. Mutation of the cysteines involved, or the use of reducing agents to break the S-S bond, led to a decrease in the observed oxygen affinity of human neuroglobin by an order of magnitude. The critical parameter is the histidine dissociation rate, which changes by about a factor of 10. The same effect is observed with human cytoglobin, although to a much lesser extent (less than a factor of 2). These results suggest a novel mechanism for the regulation of oxygen binding; contact with an appropriate electron donor would provoke the release of oxygen. Hence the oxygen affinity would be directly linked to the redox state of the cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The C5-methylation of uracil to form 5-methyluracil (m5U) is a ubiquitous base modification of nucleic acids. Four enzyme families have converged to catalyze this methylation using different chemical solutions. Here, we investigate the evolution of 5-methyluracil synthase families in Mollicutes, a class of bacteria that has undergone extensive genome erosion. Many mollicutes have lost some of the m5U methyltransferases present in their common ancestor. Cases of duplication and subsequent shift of function are also described. For example, most members of the Spiroplasma subgroup use the ancestral tetrahydrofolate-dependent TrmFO enzyme to catalyze the formation of m5U54 in tRNA, while a TrmFO paralog (termed RlmFO) is responsible for m5U1939 formation in 23S rRNA. RlmFO has replaced the S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM)-enzyme RlmD that adds the same modification in the ancestor and which is still present in mollicutes from the Hominis subgroup. Another paralog of this family, the TrmFO-like protein, has a yet unidentified function that differs from the TrmFO and RlmFO homologs. Despite having evolved towards minimal genomes, the mollicutes possess a repertoire of m5U-modifying enzymes that is highly dynamic and has undergone horizontal transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cylindrospermopsin, a cytotoxin from cyanobacteria, is biosynthesized by a complex pathway, which involves CyrI, an iron and 2-oxoglutarate dependent hydroxylase that transforms 7-deoxy-cylindrospermopsin into cylindrospermopsin and its epimer, 7- epi -cylindrospermopsin, in the last step. The activity of CyrI from Oscillatoria sp. PCC 7926 depends on Fe(II) ( K m  = 2.1 μM), and 2-oxoglutarate ( K m  = 3.2 μM), and is strongly inhibited by 7-deoxy-cylindrospermopsin at concentration higher than 1 μM. Using tryptophan fluorescence, we measured the binding to CyrI of Fe(II) ( K D  = 0.02 μM) and 2-oxoglutarate ( K D  = 53 μM and K D  = 1.1 μM in the absence or presence of 10 μM Fe(II), respectively). The Oscillatoria sp. PCC 6506 CyrI mutants H157A, D159A, H247A, and R257A were all inactive, and impaired in the binding of Fe(II) or 2-oxoglutarate, confirming the identity of the iron ligands and the role of R257 in the binding of 2-oxoglutarate. We constructed several chimeric enzymes using the Oscillatoria sp. PCC 7926 CyrI protein (stereoselective) and that from Oscillatoria sp. PCC 6506 (not stereoselective) to help understanding the structural factors that influence the stereoselectivity of the hydroxylation. Our data suggest that a predicted α-helix in CyrI (positions 87–108) seems to modulate the stereoselectivity of the reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conformational dynamics of cytochrome P450 2B1 (CYP2B1) were investigated through the introduction of a disulfide bond to link the I- and K-helices by generation of a double Cys variant, Y309C/S360C. The consequences of the disulfide bonding were examined both experimentally and in silico by molecular dynamics simulations. Under high hydrostatic pressures, the partial inactivation volume for the Y309C/S360C variant was determined to be -21 cm3mol-1, which is more than twice as much as those of the wild type (WT) and single Cys variants (Y309C, S360C). This result indicates that the engineered disulfide bond has substantially reduced the protein plasticity of the Y309C/S360C variant. Under steady-state turnover conditions, the S360C variant catalyzed the N-demethylation of benzphetamine and O-deethylation of 7-ethoxy-trifluoromethylcoumarin as the WT did, whereas the Y309C variant retained only 39% of the N-demethylation activity and 66% of the O-deethylation activity compared with the WI. Interestingly, the Y309C/S360C variant restored the N-demethylation activity to the same level as that of the WT but decreased the O-deethylation activity to only 19% of the WT. Furthermore, the Y309C/S360C variant showed increased substrate specificity for testosterone over androstenedione. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the engineered disulfide bond altered substrate access channels. Taken together, these results suggest that protein dynamics play an important role in regulating substrate entry and recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ubiquinone (UQ), also referred to as coenzyme Q, is a widespread lipophilic molecule in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes in which it primarily acts as an electron carrier. Eleven proteins are known to participate in UQ biosynthesis in Escherichia coli, and we recently demonstrated that UQ biosynthesis requires additional, nonenzymatic factors, some of which are still unknown. Here, we report on the identification of a bacterial gene, yqiC, which is required for efficient UQ biosynthesis, and which we have renamed ubiK. Using several methods, we demonstrated that the UbiK protein forms a complex with the C-terminal part of UbiJ, another UQ biogenesis factor we previously identified. We found that both proteins are likely to contribute to global UQ biosynthesis rather than to a specific biosynthetic step, since both ubiK and ubiJ mutants accumulated octaprenylphenol, an early intermediate of the UQ biosynthetic pathway. Interestingly, we found that both proteins are dispensable for UQ biosynthesis under anaerobiosis, even though they were expressed in the absence of oxygen. We also provide evidence that the UbiK-UbiJ complex interacts with palmitoleic acid, a major lipid in E. coli. Last, in Salmonella enterica, ubiK was required for proliferation in macrophages and virulence in mice. We conclude that although the role of the UbiK-UbiJ complex remains unknown, our results support the hypothesis that UbiK is an accessory factor of Ubi enzymes and facilitates UQ biosynthesis by acting as an assembly factor, a targeting factor, or both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Neuroglobin (Ngb) and the cellular prion protein (PrPc), proteins of unknown function in the nervous system, are known to be expressed in the retina and have been observed in different rat retinal cells. The retina is the site of the highest concentration for Ngb, a heme protein of similar size and conformation to myoglobin. In this study, we demonstrated by immunohistochemical analysis of retinal colocalization of Ngb and PrPc in the ganglion cell layer. Considering for these two a common protective role in relation to oxidative stress and a possible transient contact during migration of PrPc through the eye or upon neuronal degradation, we undertook in vitro studies of the interaction of the purified proteins. Mixing these two proteins leads to rapid aggregation, even at submicromolar concentrations. As observed with the use of dynamic light scattering, particles comprising both proteins evolve to hundreds of nanometers within several seconds, a first report showing that PrPc is able to form aggregates without major structural changes. The main effect would then appear to be a protein–protein interaction specific to the surface charge of the Ngb protein with PrPc N-terminal sequence. A dominant parameter is the solvent ionic force, which can significantly modify the final state of aggregation. PrPc, normally anchored to the cell membrane, is toxic in the cytoplasm, where Ngb is present; this could suggest an Ngb function of scavenging proteins capable of forming deleterious aggregates considering a charge complementarity in the complex. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We describe a software program to help exploit a database of aligned protein sequences. In addition to the classical lists of sequences, a graphical representation is used to get a better overview of the information. As natural parameters, the type of amino acid and sequence position are used. Various plots or 3D representations are then updated. Examples are shown based on globin sequences from various species and on the abnormal human hemoglobins. The software should be of interest to protein engineers who need to know what variants are already known. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Neuroglobin has been identified as a respiratory protein that is primarily expressed in the mammalian nervous system. Here we present the first detailed analysis of neuroglobin from a non-mammalian vertebrate, the zebrafish Danio rerio. The zebrafish neuroglobin gene reveals a mammalian-type exon-intron pattern in the coding region (B12.2, Ell.0, and G7.0), plus an additional 5'-non-coding exon. Similar to the mammalian neuroglobin, the zebrafish protein displays a hexacoordinate deoxy-binding scheme. Flash photolysis kinetics show the competitive binding on the millisecond timescale of external ligands and the distal histidine, resulting in an oxygen affinity of 1 torr. Western blotting, immune staining, and mRNA in situ hybridization demonstrate neuroglobin expression in the fish central nervous system and the retina but also in the gills. Neurons containing neuroglobin have a widespread distribution in the brain but are also present in the olfactory system. In the fish retina, neuroglobin is mainly present in the inner segments of the photoreceptor cells. In the gills, the chloride cells were identified to express neuroglobin. Neuroglobin appears to be associated with mitochondria-rich cell types and thus oxygen consumption rates, suggesting a myoglobin-like function of this protein in facilitated oxygen diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]