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Abstract: In the ancient organisms, methanogenic archaea, lacking the canonical cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase, Cys-tRNACys is produced by an indirect pathway, in which O-phosphoseryl-tRNA synthetase ligates O-phosphoserine (Sep) to tRNACys and Sep-tRNA:Cys-tRNA synthase (SepCysS) converts Sep-tRNACys to Cys-tRNACys. In this study, the crystal structure of SepCysS from Archaeoglobus fulgidus has been determined at 2.4 Å resolution. SepCysS forms a dimer, composed of monomers bearing large and small domains. The large domain harbors the seven-stranded β-sheet, which is typical of the pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes. In the active site, which is located near the dimer interface, PLP is covalently bound to the side-chain of the conserved Lys209. In the proximity of PLP, a sulfate ion is bound by the side-chains of the conserved Arg79, His103, and Tyr104 residues. The active site is located deep within the large, basic cleft to accommodate Sep-tRNACys. On the basis of the surface electrostatic potential, the amino acid residue conservation mapping, the position of the bound sulfate ion, and the substrate amino acid binding manner in other PLP-dependent enzymes, a binding model of Sep-tRNACys to SepCysS was constructed. One of the three strictly conserved Cys residues (Cys39, Cys42, or Cys247), of one subunit may play a crucial role in the catalysis in the active site of the other subunit. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase (IleRS), the “editing” domain contributes to accurate aminoacylation by hydrolyzing the mis-synthesized intermediate, valyl-adenylate, in the “pre-transfer” editing mode and the incorrect final product, valyl-tRNAIle, in the “post-transfer” editing mode. In the present study, we determined the crystal structures of the Thermus thermophilus IleRS editing domain complexed with the substrate analogues in the pre and post-transfer modes, both at 1.7Å resolution. The active site accommodates the two analogues differently, with the valine side-chain rotated by about 120° and the adenosine moiety oriented upside down. The substrate-binding pocket adjusts to the adenosine-monophosphate and adenosine moieties in the pre and post-transfer modes, respectively, by flipping the Trp227 side-chain by about 180°. The substrate recognition mechanisms of IleRS are characterized by the active-site rearrangement between the two editing modes, and therefore differ from those of the homologous valyl and leucyl-tRNA synthetases from T.thermophilus, in which the post-transfer mode is predominant. Both modes of editing activities were reduced by replacements of Trp227 with Ala, Val, Leu, and His, but not by those with Phe and Tyr, indicating that the aromatic ring of Trp227 is important for the substrate recognition. In both editing modes, Thr233 and His319 recognize the substrate valine side-chain, regardless of the valine side-chain rotation, and reject the isoleucine side-chain. The T233A and H319A mutants have detectable editing activities against the cognate isoleucine. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The dissociation and reassociation processes of amyloid protofibrils initiated by pressure-jump have been monitored with real-time 1H NMR spectroscopy using an intrinsically denatured disulfide-deficient variant of hen lysozyme. Upon pressure-jump up to 2kbar, the matured protofibrils grown over several months become fully dissociated into monomers within a few days. Upon pressure-jump down to 30bar, the dissociated monomers immediately start reassociating. The association and dissociation cycle can be repeated reproducibly by alternating pressure, establishing a notion that the protofibril formation is simply a slow kinetic process toward thermodynamic equilibrium. The outstanding simplicity and effectiveness of pressure in controlling the protofibril formation opens a new route for investigating mechanisms of amyloid fibril-forming reactions. The noted variation in the pressure-induced dissociation rate with the progress of the association reaction suggests multiple mechanisms for the elongation of the protofibril. The disulfide-deficient hen lysozyme offers a particularly simple model system for thermodynamic and kinetic studies of protofibril formation as well as for screening drugs for amyloidosis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Conformational fluctuation plays a key role in protein function, but we know little about the associated structural changes. Here we present a general method for elucidating, at the atomic level, a large-scale shape change of a protein molecule in solution undergoing conformational fluctuation. The method utilizes the intimate relationship between conformation and partial molar volume and determines three-dimensional structures of a protein at different pressures using variable pressure NMR technique, whereby NOE distance and torsion angle constraints are used to create average coordinates. Ubiquitin (pH 4.6 at 20°C) was chosen as the first target, for which structures were determined at 30bar and at 3kbar, giving “NMR snapshots” of a fluctuating protein structure at atomic resolution. The result reveals that the helix swings in and out by >3Å with a simultaneous reorientation of the C-terminal segment, providing an “open” conformer suitable for enzyme recognition. Spin relaxation analysis indicates that this fluctuation occurs in the ten microsecond time range with activation volumes −4.2(±3.2) and 18.5(±3.0)ml/mol for the “closed-to-open” and the “open-to-closed” transitions, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The editing domains of the closely homologous leucyl, isoleucyl, and valyl-tRNA synthetases (LeuRS, IleRS, and ValRS, respectively) contribute to accurate aminoacylation, by hydrolyzing misformed non-cognate aminoacyl-tRNAs. The editing domain is inserted at the same point of the sequence in IleRS, ValRS, and the archaeal/eukaryal LeuRS, but at a distinct point in the bacterial LeuRS. Here, we showed that LeuRS from the archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii has editing activity against the nearly cognate isoleucine. The conserved Asp332 in the editing domain is crucial for this activity. A deletion mutant lacking the C-terminal region has only negligible aminoacylation activity, but retains the full activity of adenylate synthesis and editing. We determined the crystal structure of this editing-active, truncated form of P.horikoshii LeuRS at 2.1Å resolution. The structure revealed that it has a novel editing domain orientation. The editing domain of P.horikoshii LeuRS is rotated by ∼180° (rotational state II), with the two-β-stranded linker untwisted by a half-turn, as compared to those in IleRS and ValRS (rotational state I). This editing domain rotational state in the archaeal LeuRS is similar to that in the bacterial LeuRS. However, because of the insertion point difference, the orientation of the editing domain relative to the enzyme core in the archaeal LeuRS differs completely from that in the bacterial LeuRS. An insertion region specific to the archaeal/eukaryal LeuRS editing domains interacts with the enzyme core and stabilizes the unique orientation. Thus, we established that there are three types of editing domain orientations relative to the enzyme core, depending on the combination of the editing domain insertion point (i or ii) and the rotational state (I or II): [i, I] for IleRS and ValRS, [ii, II] for the bacterial LeuRS, and now [i, II] for the archaeal/eukaryal LeuRS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Dedicator of cytokinesis 10 (DOCK10), an evolutionarily conserved guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for Rho GTPases, has the unique specificity within the DOCK-D subfamily to activate both Cdc42 and Rac, but the structural bases for these activities remained unknown. Here we present the crystal structures of the catalytic DHR2 domain of mouse DOCK10, complexed with either Cdc42 or Rac1. The structures revealed that DOCK10DHR2 binds to Cdc42 or Rac1 by slightly changing the arrangement of its two catalytic lobes. DOCK10 also has a flexible binding pocket for the 56th GTPase residue, allowing a novel interaction with Trp56Rac1. The conserved residues in switch 1 of Cdc42 and Rac1 showed common interactions with the unique Lys-His sequence in the β5/β6 loop of DOCK10DHR2. However, the interaction of switch 1 in Rac1 was less stable than that of switch 1 in Cdc42, due to amino acid differences at positions 27 and 30. Structure-based mutagenesis identified the DOCK10 residues that determine the Cdc42/Rac1 dual specificity. [Display omitted] • Structures of DOCK10 DHR2 have been solved in the Cdc42-bound and Rac1-bound states. • DOCK10 DHR2 recognizes Cdc42 and Rac1 by rearranging the two catalytic lobes. • DOCK10 has a unique binding mode to Trp56 in Rac1. • Structure-based mutagenesis reveals GTPase specificity determinants of DOCK10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: DOCK proteins constitute a family of evolutionarily conserved guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) for Rho family of GTPases. Although DOCK family proteins do not contain the Dbl homology domain typically found in GEFs, they mediate the GTP–GDP exchange reaction through DHR-2 domain. Accumulating evidence indicates that the DOCK proteins act as major GEFs in varied biological settings. For example, DOCK2, which is predominantly expressed in hematopoietic cells, regulates migration and activation of leukocytes through Rac activation. On the other hand, it was recently reported that mutations of DOCK8, another member of the DOCK family proteins, cause a combined immunodeficiency syndrome in humans. This article reviews the structure, functions and signaling of DOCK2 and DOCK8, especially focusing on their roles in immune responses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The bacterial co-expression method is a useful protein expression technique to reconstitute a hetero-oligomeric protein complex in vitro. However, during the plasmid subcloning for co-expression, unintended cleavage at the sequences of target cDNAs becomes more frequent as the number of DNA inserts increases. This problem also makes it difficult to change the combination of targeted proteins after preparing a certain co-expression construct. To avoid this problem, we have developed a series of bacterial co-expression vectors, in which each translation cassette can be subcloned at a set of rare-cutter restriction enzyme sites. We selected 9 different rare-cutter restriction enzymes that recognize a 7 or 8-base-pair sequence, and constructed 27 kinds of cloning vectors and 3 kinds of co-expression vectors, utilizing the rare-cutter recognition sequences as multi-cloning sites. Using this vector system, we co-expressed and co-purified a 7-subunit protein complex composed of the mammalian 26S proteasome regulatory subunits RPT1 to RPT6, and their associated factor, gankyrin. We verified the presence of all 7 subunits by western blotting, by taking advantage of the vector system in which the target proteins can be fused with a broad repertoire of epitope tags. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Cell-free protein synthesis has become one of the standard methods for protein expression. One of the major advantages of this method is that PCR-amplified linear DNA fragments can be directly used as templates for protein synthesis. The productivity of cell-free protein synthesis using linear DNA templates is generally lower than that from plasmid DNA templates, especially when using an Escherichia coli cell extract. In the present study, we found that a simple modification of the protocol for cell extract preparation from E. coli, just by altering the cultivation temperature (37°C) of the cells to a moderately lower range (20–34°C), dramatically reduced the linear DNA degradation activity in the cell extract. This modification greatly improved the productivity of cell-free protein synthesis from linear DNA templates. The removal of the RecD protein, one of the components of exonuclease V, from the extract had almost the same effect, indicating that the linear DNA degradation activity in the extract was mainly due to the RecD protein and that its expression level was decreased at the lower cultivation temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The effect of RNA interference (RNAi) is generally more potent in Drosophila Schneider 2 (S2) cells than in mammalian cells. In mammalian cells, PolIII promoter-based DNA vectors can be used to express small interfering RNA (siRNA) or short hairpin RNA (shRNA); however, this has not been demonstrated in cultured Drosophila cells. Here we show that shRNAs transcribed from the Drosophila U6 promoter can efficiently trigger gene silencing in S2 cells. By targeting firefly luciferase mRNA, we assessed the efficacy of the shRNAs and examined the structural requirements for highly effective shRNAs. The silencing effect was dependent on the length of the stem region and the sequence of the loop region. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the expression of the endogenous cyclin E protein can be repressed by the U6 promoter-driven shRNAs. Drosophila U6 promoter-based shRNA expression systems may permit stable gene silencing in S2 cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Carbonic anhydrases (CA) are the most ubiquitous ancient zinc metalloenzymes known. Here we report the structural and functional analysis of a hypothetical protein GK2848 from Geobacillus kaustophilus. The analysis revealed that it belongs to the γ-class of CA (termed as Cag). Only a limited number of γ-class CA's have been characterized till date. Interestingly Cag contains magnesium at its active site instead of a traditional zinc ion. Based on the structural and sequence comparison with similar γ-CA's the putative active site residues of Cag were identified. This analysis revealed that an important catalytic residue and a proton shuttle residue (Glu62 and Glu84 respectively) of Cam (previously characterized γ-CA from Methanosarcina thermophila) are absent in Cag, however certain other active site residues are conserved both in Cag and Cam. This suggests that Cag uses a different set of residues for the reversible hydration of CO 2 to HCO 3 − when compared with Cam. Inductively Coupled Plasma – Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) and 25Mg and 67Zn NMR studies on Cag and its mutants revealed that either Mg or Zn can occupy the active site which suggests the cambialistic nature of the enzyme. • GK2848 from G. kaustophilus (Cag) belongs to the γ-class of carbonic anhydrase. • Cag contains magnesium at its active site instead of a traditional zinc ion. • Important catalytic residue and a proton shuttle residue are absent in Cag. • Cag uses a different set of residues for the catalytic mechanism. • Analysis revealed that either Mg or Zn can occupy the active site of Cag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the currently approved therapeutic antibodies are of the immunoglobulin gamma (IgG) κ isotype, leaving a vast opportunity for the use of IgGλ in medical treatments. The incorporation of designer amino acids into antibodies enables efficient and precise manufacturing of antibody chemical conjugates. Useful conjugation sites have been explored in the constant domain of the human κ-light chain (LCκ), which is no more than 38% identical to its LCλ counterpart in amino acid sequence. In the present study, we used an expanded genetic code for site-specifically incorporating N ε - (o -azidobenzyloxycarbonyl)- l -lysine (o -Az-Z-Lys) into the antigen-binding fragment (Fab) of an IgGλ, cixutumumab. Ten sites in the LCλ constant domain were found to support efficient chemical conjugation exploiting the bio-orthogonal azido chemistry. Most of the identified positions are located in regions that differ between the two light chain isotypes, thus being specific to the λ isotype. Finally, o -Az-Z-Lys was incorporated into the Fab fragments of cixutumumab and trastuzumab to chemically combine them; the resulting bispecific Fab-dimers showed a strong antagonistic activity against a cancer cell line. The present results expand the utility of the chemical conjugation method to the whole spectrum of humanized antibodies, including the λ isotype. • A designer amino acid was site-specifically introduced into the human λ light chain. • The bio-orthogonal azido chemistry was used for site-specific chemical conjugation. • Multiple positions useful for the conjugation were identified in the λ light chain. • Bispecific Fab dimers made of the κ and λ isotypes showed antagonistic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We developed a novel nucleosome DNA template vector, pWMD01, which is optimized for the large-scale preparation of nucleosomal DNA. By using restricted digestion by SapI or EarI within its multicloning site, multiple half-nucleosome DNA units can be introduced unidirectionally into the vector at each subcloning step. Through this method, we constructed a plasmid that has 18 tandem repeats of a half-nucleosome 90-bp DNA unit containing c-Myb-binding sites in two subcloning cycles. This method enables the rapid, large-scale preparation of nucleosomal DNA with crystallization-grade quality. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The expression of foreign proteins in the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, is achieved by introducing an expression vector along with a transducing vector containing an autonomously replicating sequence. We created the expression vector pCMV-Leu2, carrying the LEU2 gene, which complements S. pombe leu1-32, and the transducing vector pUCA-Neo, containing a neomycin-resistance gene. Transformants were screened on leucine-deficient solid medium, followed by rescreening on G418-containing medium. Most of the surviving clones in the initial auxotrophic screening were found to be G418 resistant. The utilization of the pCMV-Leu2 and pUCA-Neo plasmid combination may facilitate rapid screening of S. pombe transformants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Since phosphorylation is involved in various physiological events, kinases and interacting factors can be potential targets for drug discovery. For the development and improvement of inhibitors from the point of view of mechanistic enzymology, a cell-free protein synthesis system would be advantageous, since it could prepare mutant proteins easily. However, especially in the case of protein kinase, product solubility remains one of the major challenges. To overcome this problem, we prepared a chaperone-supplemented extract from Escherichia coli BL21 cells harboring a plasmid encoding a set of chaperone genes, dnaK , dnaJ , and grpE . We explored cell-disruption procedures and constructed an efficient protein synthesis system. Employing this system, we produced the kinase domain of human hematopoietic cell kinase (HCK) to obtain further structural information about its molecular interaction with one of its inhibitors, previously developed by our group (RK-20449). Lower reaction temperature improved the solubility, and addition of a protein phosphatase (YpoH) facilitated the homogeneous production of the non-phosphorylated kinase domain. Crystals of the purified product were obtained and the kinase-inhibitor complex structure was solved at 1.7 Å resolution. In addition, results of kinase activity measurement, using a synthetic substrate, showed that the kinase activity was facilitated by autophosphorylation at Tyr416, as confirmed by the peptide mass mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA polymerase II (Pol II) is a 12-subunit protein complex that conducts the transcription of mRNA and some small RNAs. In this work, the crystal structure of Pol II from the methylotropic yeast Komagataella pastoris ( Pichia pastoris ) was determined. While the structure is highly homologous to that of Pol II from the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae , the stalk and clamp modules of the K. pastoris Pol II displayed large inward rotations, closing the central cleft to a greater extent than in the known S. cerevisiae Pol II structures. The conformational differences reflect the inherent flexibilities of the stalk and the clamp, as additional low-resolution structures of K. pastoris Pol II in different crystal forms revealed diverse stalk and clamp orientations. Comparisons with other eukaryotic/archaeal RNA polymerase structures in the Protein Data Bank revealed the distributions of the stalk and clamp orientations. The conformational plasticity should be essential for transcriptional functions and binding various regulatory factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA polymerases are useful tools in various biochemical experiments. We have focused on the DNA polymerases involved in DNA replication including the unnatural base pair between 7-(2-thienyl)imidazo[4,5- b ]pyridine ( Ds ) and 2-nitro-4-propynylpyrrole ( Px ). Many reports have described the different combinations between unnatural base pairs and DNA polymerases. As an example, for the replication of the Ds – Px pair, Deep Vent DNA polymerase exhibits high efficiency and fidelity, but Taq DNA polymerase shows much lower efficiency and fidelity. In the present study, we determined the crystal structure of Deep Vent DNA polymerase in the apo form at 2.5 Å resolution. Using this structure, we constructed structural models of Deep Vent DNA polymerase complexes with DNA containing an unnatural or natural base in the replication position. The models revealed that the unnatural Ds base in the template-strand DNA clashes with the side-chain oxygen of Thr664 in Taq DNA polymerase, but not in Deep Vent DNA polymerase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal structure of a hypothetical protein MJ0366, derived from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii was solved at 1.9 Å resolution using synchrotron radiation. MJ0366 was crystallized as a monomer and has knot structural arrangement. Intriguingly, the solved structure consists of novel ‘KNOT’ fold conformation. The 3 1 trefoil knot was observed in the structure. The N-terminal and C-terminal ends did not participate in knot formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enzymatic biosynthesis of l -arginine involves complex, sequential action of many enzymes and ornithine transcarbamylase (OTCase) is one of the essential enzymes in the pathway. In mammals OTCase is part of the urea cycle. Arginine is used in a variety of pharmaceutical and industrial applications and therefore engineering arginine biosynthesis pathway for overproduction of arginine has gained importance. On the other hand, it was found that detrimental mutations in the human OTCase gene resulted clinical hyperammonemia, with subsequent neurological damage. Therefore a better understanding of the structure–function relationship of this enzyme from various sources could be useful for modifying its enzymatic action. Here we report the structure of ornithine transcarbamylase of Thermus thermophilus HB8 (aTtOTCase) at 2.0 Å resolution. On comparison with its homologs, aTtOTCase showed maximum variation at the substrate binding loops namely 80s and SMG/240s loops. The active site geometry of aTtOTCase is unique among its homologs where the side chain of certain residues (Leu57, Arg58 and Arg288) is oriented differently. To study the structural insights of substrate binding in aTtOTCase, docking of carbamoyl phosphate (CP) and ornithine (Orn) was carried out sequentially. Both substrates were unable to bind in a proper orientation in the active site pocket and this could be due to the differently oriented side chains. This suggests that the active site geometry should also undergo fine tuning besides the large structural changes as the enzyme switches from completely open to a substrate bound closed state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major allergen, Cry j 1, was isolated from Japanese cedar Cryptomeria japonica (Cry j) pollen and was shown to react with immunoglobulin E antibodies in the sera from pollinosis patients. We previously reported that the frequency of HLA-DP5 was significantly higher in pollinosis patients and the immunodominant peptides from Cry j 1 bound to HLA-DP5 to activate Th2 cells. In the present study, we determined the crystal structure of the HLA-DP5 heterodimer in complex with a Cry j 1-derived nine-residue peptide, at 2.4 Å resolution. The peptide-binding groove recognizes the minimal peptide with 10 hydrogen bonds, including those between the negatively charged P1 pocket and the Lys side chain at the first position in the peptide sequence. We confirmed that HLA-DP5 exhibits the same Cry j 1-binding mode in solution, through pull-down experiments using structure-based mutations of Cry j 1. We also identified the characteristic residues of HLA-DP5 that are responsible for the distinct properties of the groove, by comparing the structure of HLA-DP5 and the previously reported structures of HLA-DP2 in complexes with pDRA of the self-antigen. The comparison revealed that the HLA-DP5·pCry j 1 complex forms several hydrogen bond/salt bridge networks between the receptor and the antigen that were not observed in the HLA-DP2·pDRA complex. Evolutionary considerations have led us to conclude that HLA-DP5 and HLA-DP2 represent two major groups of the HLA-DP family, in which the properties of the P1 and P4 pockets have evolved and acquired the present ranges of epitope peptide-binding specificities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The 21st amino acid, selenocysteine (Sec), is incorporated translationally into proteins and is synthesized on its specific tRNA (tRNASec). In Bacteria, the selenocysteine synthase SelA converts Ser-tRNASec, formed by seryl-tRNA synthetase, to Sec-tRNASec. SelA, a member of the fold-type-I pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-dependent enzyme superfamily, has an exceptional homodecameric quaternary structure with a molecular mass of about 500kDa. Our previously determined crystal structures of Aquifex aeolicus SelA complexed with tRNASec revealed that the ring-shaped decamer is composed of pentamerized SelA dimers, with two SelA dimers arranged to collaboratively interact with one Ser-tRNASec. The SelA catalytic site is close to the dimer–dimer interface, but the significance of the dimer pentamerization in the catalytic site formation remained elusive. In the present study, we examined the quaternary interactions and demonstrated their importance for SelA activity by systematic mutagenesis. Furthermore, we determined the crystal structures of “depentamerized” SelA variants with mutations at the dimer–dimer interface that prevent pentamerization. These dimeric SelA variants formed a distorted and inactivated catalytic site and confirmed that the pentamer interactions are essential for productive catalytic site formation. Intriguingly, the conformation of the non-functional active site of dimeric SelA shares structural features with other fold-type-I pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-dependent enzymes with native dimer or tetramer (dimer-of-dimers) quaternary structures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] The crystal structure of the human DLG1 GK domain was solved at 2.2Å resolution. [•] The peptide-binding site is bound to the C-terminal tail of another DLG1 molecule. [•] The main-chain direction of the tail is opposite to that of LGN bound to DLG1. [•] The side-chain interactions of DLG1 with the C-terminal tail resemble those with LGN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Structural analyses of enzymes involved in biosynthetic pathways that are present in micro-organisms, but absent from mammals (for example Shikimate pathway) are important in developing anti-microbial drugs. Crystal structure of the Shikimate pathway enzyme, type I 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase (3-DHQase) from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Aquifex aeolicus was solved both as an apo form and in complex with a ligand. The complex structure revealed an interesting structural difference when compared to other ligand-bound type I 3-DHQases suggesting that closure of the active site loop is not essential for catalysis. This provides new insights into the catalytic mechanism of type I 3-DHQases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Many biologically important factors are composed of multiple subunits. To study the structure and function of the protein complexes and the role of each subunit, a rapid and efficient method to prepare recombinant protein complexes is needed. In this work, we established an in vitro reconstitution system of eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF) 3, a protein complex consisting of 11 distinct subunits. A HeLa cell-derived in vitro coupled transcription/translation system was programmed with multiple plasmids encoding the 11 eIF3 subunits in total. After incubation for several hours, the eIF3 complex was purified through tag-dependent affinity chromatography. When eIF3l, one of the nonessential subunits of eIF3, was not expressed, the eIF3 complex that was devoid of eIF3l was still obtained. Both the 11 subunits complex and the eIF3l-less complex were as active as native eIF3 as observed by a reconstituted translation initiation assay system. In conclusion, the cell-free co-expression system should be a feasible and rapid system to reconstitute protein complexes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cucumisin is a plant serine protease, isolated as an extracellular glycoprotein from the melon fruit Cucumis melo L. var. Prince. Cucumisin is composed of multiple domain modules, including catalytic, protease-associated, and fibronectin‐III-like domains. The crystal structure of cucumisin was determined by the multiwavelength anomalous dispersion method and refined at 2.75Å resolution. A structural homology search indicated that the catalytic domain of cucumisin shares structural similarity with subtilisin and subtilisin-like fold enzymes. According to the Z-score, the highest structural similarity is with tomato subtilase 3 (SBT3), with an rmsd of 3.5Å for the entire region. The dimer formation mediated by the protease-associated domain in SBT3 is a distinctive structural characteristic of cucumisin. On the other hand, analytical ultracentrifugation indicated that cucumisin is mainly monomeric in solution. Although the locations of the amino acid residues composing the catalytic triad are well conserved between cucumisin and SBT3, a disulfide bond is uniquely located near the active site of cucumisin. The steric circumstances of the active site with this disulfide bond are distinct from those of SBT3, and it contributes to the substrate preference of cucumisin, especially at the P2 position. Among the plant serine proteases, the thermostability of cucumisin is higher than that of its structural homologue SBT3, as determined by their melting points. A structural comparison between cucumisin and SBT3 revealed that cucumisin possesses less surface area and shortened loop regions. Consequently, the higher thermostability of cucumisin is achieved by its more compact structure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The de novo biosynthesis of arginine in microorganisms and plants is accomplished via several enzymatic steps. The enzyme N-acetyl glutamate kinase (NAGK) catalyzes the phosphorylation of the γ-COO− group of N-acetyl-l-glutamate (NAG) by adenosine triphosphate (ATP) which is the second rate limiting step in arginine biosynthesis pathway. Here we report the crystal structure of putative N-acetyl glutamate kinase (NAGK) from Thermus thermophilus HB8 (TtNAGK) determined at 1.92Å resolution. The structural analysis of TtNAGK suggests that the dimeric quaternary state of the enzyme and arginine insensitive nature are similar to mesophilic Escherichia coli NAGK. These features are significantly different from its thermophilic homolog Thermatoga maritima NAGK which is hexameric and arginine-sensitive. TtNAGK is devoid of its substrates but contains two sulfates at the active site. Very interestingly the active site of the enzyme adopts a conformation which is not completely open or closed and likely represents an intermediate stage in the catalytic cycle unlike its structural homologs, which all exist either in the open or closed conformation. Engineering arginine biosynthesis pathway enzymes for the production of l-arginine is an important industrial application. The structural comparison of TtNAGK with EcNAGK revealed the structural basis of thermostability of TtNAGK and this information could be very useful to generate mutants of NAGK with increased overall stability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new screening method using fluorescent correlation spectroscopy was developed to select kinase inhibitors that competitively inhibit the binding of a fluorescently labeled substrate peptide. Using the method, among approximately 700 candidate compounds selected by virtual screening, we identified a novel Pim-1 kinase inhibitor targeting its peptide binding residues. X-ray crystal analysis of the complex structure of Pim-1 with the inhibitor indicated that the inhibitor actually binds to the ATP-binding site and also forms direct interactions with residues (Asp128 and Glu171) that bind the substrate peptide. These interactions, which cause small side-chain movements, seem to affect the binding ability of the fluorescently labeled substrate. The compound inhibited Pim-1 kinase in vitro, with an IC50 value of 150 nM. Treatment of cultured leukemia cells with the compound reduced the amount of p21 and increased the amount of p27, due to Pim-1 inhibition, and then triggered apoptosis after cell-cycle arrest at the G1/S phase. This screening method may be widely applicable for the identification of various new Pim-1 kinase inhibitors targeting the residues that bind the substrate peptide. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Acetabularia rhodopsin (AR) is a rhodopsin from the marine plant Acetabularia acetabulum. The opsin-encoding gene from A. acetabulum, ARII, was cloned and found to be novel but homologous to that reported previously. ARII is a light-driven proton pump, as demonstrated by the existence of a photo-induced current through Xenopus oocytes expressing ARII. The photochemical reaction of ARII prepared by cell-free protein synthesis was similar to that of bacteriorhodopsin (BR), except for the lack of light–dark adaptation and the different proton release and uptake sequence. The crystal structure determined at 3.2 Å resolution is the first structure of a eukaryotic member of the microbial rhodopsin family. The structure of ARII is similar to that of BR. From the cytoplasmic side to the extracellular side of the proton transfer pathway in ARII, Asp92, a Schiff base, Asp207, Asp81, Arg78, Glu199, and Ser189 are arranged in positions similar to those of the corresponding residues directly involved in proton transfer by BR. The side-chain carboxyl group of Asp92 appears to interact with the sulfhydryl group of Cys218, which is unique to ARII and corresponds to Leu223 of BR and to Asp217 of Anabaena sensory rhodopsin. The orientation of the Arg78 side chain is opposite to the corresponding Arg82 of BR. The putative absence of water molecules around Glu199 and Arg78 may disrupt the formation of the low-barrier hydrogen bond at Glu199, resulting in the “late proton release”. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The genetic encoding of synthetic or “non-natural” amino acids promises to diversify the functions and structures of proteins. We applied rapid codon-reassignment for creating Escherichia coli strains unable to terminate translation at the UAG “stop” triplet, but efficiently decoding it as various tyrosine and lysine derivatives. This complete change in the UAG meaning enabled protein synthesis with these non-natural molecules at multiple defined sites, in addition to the 20 canonical amino acids. UAG was also redefined in the E. coli BL21 strain, suitable for the large-scale production of recombinant proteins, and its cell extract served the cell-free synthesis of an epigenetic protein, histone H4, fully acetylated at four specific lysine sites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The vacuolar-type H+-ATPase (V-ATPase) is a multi-subunit proton pump that is involved in both intra- and extracellular acidification processes throughout human body. Subunits constituting the peripheral stalk of the V-ATPase are known to have several isoforms responsible for tissue/cell specific different physiological roles. To study the different interaction of these isoforms, we expressed and purified the isoforms of human V-ATPase peripheral stalk subunits using Escherichia coli cell-free protein synthesis system: E1, E2, G1, G2, G3, C1, C2, H and N-terminal soluble part of a1 and a2 isoforms. The purification conditions were different depending on the isoforms, maybe reflecting the isoform specific biochemical characteristics. The purified proteins are expected to facilitate further experiments to study about the cell specific interaction and regulation and thus provide insight into physiological meaning of the existence of several isoforms of each subunit in V-ATPase. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Many plants exhibit altered gene expression patterns in response to low nonfreezing temperatures and an increase in freezing tolerance in a phenomenon known as cold acclimation. Here we show, for the first time, that the histone deacetylase gene HDA6 is required for cold acclimation and freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis. HDA6 is transcriptionally upregulated during long-term cold treatment. Cold-treated hda6 mutants showed reduced freezing tolerance compared with the cold-treated wild-type plants. Freezing-caused electrolyte leakage increased in the cold-treated hda6 mutant. In contrast, the non-cold-treated hda6 mutants showed no significant difference in survivability and electrolyte leakage compared to wild-type plants. Transcriptome analysis identified the genes that showed aberrant expression in the hda6 mutant after cold acclimation. We conclude that HDA6 plays a critical role in regulating cold acclimation process that confers freezing resistance on Arabidopsis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cell signaling pathways are essentially organized through the distribution of various types of binding domains in signaling proteins, with each domain binding to specific target molecules. Although identification of these targets is crucial for mapping the pathways, affinity-based or copurification methods are insufficient to distinguish between direct and indirect interactions in a cellular context. In the present study, we developed another approach involving the genetic encoding of a photo-crosslinkable amino acid. p-Trifluoromethyl-diazirinyl-l-phenylalanine was thus incorporated at a defined site in the Src homology 2 (SH2) domain of the adaptor protein GRB2 in human embryonic kidney cells. These cells were exposed to 365-nm light after an epidermal growth factor stimulus, and the crosslinkable GRB2-SH2 domain exclusively formed covalent bonds with directly interacting proteins. Proteomic mass spectrometry analysis identified these direct binders of GRB2-SH2 separately from the proteins noncovalently bound to the Src homology 3 domains of GRB2. In addition to two signaling-associated proteins (GIT1 and AF6), the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins F, H1, and H2 were thus identified as novel direct binders. The results revealed a connection between the cell signaling protein and the nuclear machinery involved in mRNA processing, and demonstrated the usefulness of genetically encoded photo-crosslinkers for mapping protein–protein interactions in cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The ICT1 protein was recently reported to be a component of the human mitoribosome and to have codon-independent peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis activity via its conserved GGQ motif, although little is known about the detailed mechanism. Here, using NMR spectroscopy, we determined the solution structure of the catalytic domain of the mouse ICT1 protein that lacks an N-terminal mitochondrial targeting signal and an unstructured C-terminal basic-residue-rich extension, and we examined the effect of ICT1 knockdown (mediated by small interfering RNA) on mitochondria in HeLa cells using flow cytometry. The catalytic domain comprising residues 69–162 of the 206-residue full-length protein forms a structure with a β1–β2–α1–β3–α2 topology and a structural framework that resembles the structure of GGQ-containing domain 3 of class 1 release factors (RFs). Half of the structure, including the GGQ-containing loop, has essentially the same sequence and structure as those in RFs, consistent with the peptidyl-tRNA hydrolysis activity of ICT1 on the mitoribosome, which is analogous to RFs. However, the other half of the structure differs in shape from the corresponding part of RF domain 3 in that in ICT1, an α-helix (α1), instead of a β-turn, is inserted between strand β2 and strand β3. A characteristic groove formed between α1 and the three-stranded antiparallel β-sheet was identified as a putative ICT1-specific functional site by a structure-based alignment. In addition, the structured domain that recognizes stop codons in RFs is replaced in ICT1 by a C-terminal basic-residue-rich extension. It appears that these differences are linked to a specific function of ICT1 other than the translation termination mediated by RFs. Flow cytometry analysis showed that the knockdown of ICT1 results in apoptotic cell death with a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential and mass. In addition, cytochrome c oxidase activity in ICT1 knockdown cells was decreased by 35% compared to that in control cells. These results indicate that ICT1 function is essential for cell vitality and mitochondrial function. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The crystal structure of an uncharacterized protein TTHA0061 from Thermus thermophilus HB8, was determined and refined to 1.8 Å by a single wavelength anomalous dispersion (SAD) method. The structural analysis and comparison of TTHA0061 with other existing structures in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) revealed a novel fold, suggesting that this protein may belong to a translation initiation factor or ribosomal protein family. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis suggested that the thermostability of TTHA0061 increased at pH ranges of 5.8–6.2, perhaps due to the abundance of glutamic acid residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: tRNA:m5C methyltransferase Trm4 generates the modified nucleotide 5-methylcytidine in archaeal and eukaryotic tRNA molecules, using S-adenosyl-l-methionine (AdoMet) as methyl donor. Most archaea and eukaryotes possess several Trm4 homologs, including those related to diseases, while the archaeon Methanocaldococcus jannaschii has only one gene encoding a Trm4 homolog, MJ0026. The recombinant MJ0026 protein catalyzed AdoMet-dependent methyltransferase activity on tRNA in vitro and was shown to be the M. jannaschii Trm4. We determined the crystal structures of the substrate-free M. jannaschii Trm4 and its complex with sinefungin at 1.27 Å and 2.3 Å resolutions, respectively. This AdoMet analog is bound in a negatively charged pocket near helix α8. This helix can adopt two different conformations, thereby controlling the entry of AdoMet into the active site. Adjacent to the sinefungin-bound pocket, highly conserved residues form a large, positively charged surface, which seems to be suitable for tRNA binding. The structure explains the roles of several conserved residues that were reportedly involved in the enzymatic activity or stability of Trm4p from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We also discuss previous genetic and biochemical data on human NSUN2/hTrm4/Misu and archaeal PAB1947 methyltransferase, based on the structure of M. jannaschii Trm4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Eukaryotic gene expression is regulated by histone deposition onto and eviction from nucleosomes, which are mediated by several chromatin-modulating factors. Among them, histone chaperones are key factors that facilitate nucleosome assembly. Acidic nuclear phosphoprotein 32B (ANP32B) belongs to the ANP32 family, which shares N-terminal leucine-rich repeats (LRRs) and a C-terminal variable anionic region. The C-terminal region functions as an inhibitor of histone acetylation, but the functional roles of the LRR domain in chromatin regulation have remained elusive. Here, we report that the LRR domain of ANP32B possesses histone chaperone activity and forms a curved structure with a parallel β-sheet on the concave side and mostly helical elements on the convex side. Our analyses revealed that the interaction of ANP32B with the core histones H3–H4 occurs on its concave side, and both the acidic and hydrophobic residues that compose the concave surface are critical for histone binding. These results provide a structural framework for understanding the functional mechanisms of acidic histone chaperones. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS)-based competitive binding assay to screen fragment-size compounds that weakly and slowly inhibit protein–peptide interactions was established. The interactions were detected by the increased diffusion time of a fluorescently labeled peptide probe after binding to its interacting protein. We analyzed the interactions between the c-Cbl TKB domain and phosphopeptides derived from ZAP-70, APS, and EGFR with the FCS assay and obtained 6 hit fragments that bound to the c-Cbl interaction sites. The binding amounts of the fragments were measured by direct binding measurements using surface plasmon resonance, and 5 fragments were found to bind selectively. The effect of 2 of the 5 fragments on the interaction with c-Cbl and the peptide exhibited strong time dependency. Furthermore, the inhibition by the selected 5 fragments on the protein–peptide interaction was confirmed by their effect on pull-down assays of c-Cbl with the biotin-conjugated interaction peptides. These results indicate the advantage of our FCS-based assay to study the time-dependent binding of compounds to their target protein. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Enterococcus hirae vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase) is composed of a soluble catalytic domain (V1; NtpA3-B3-D-G) and an integral membrane domain (V0; NtpI-K10) connected by a central and peripheral stalk(s) (NtpC and NtpE-F). Here we examined the nucleotide binding of NtpA monomer, NtpB monomer or NtpD-G heterodimer purified by using Escherichia coli expression system in vivo or in vitro, and the reconstitution of the V1 portion with these polypeptides. The affinity of nucleotide binding to NtpA was 6.6μM for ADP or 3.1μM for ATP, while NtpB or NtpD-G did not show any binding. The NtpA and NtpB monomers assembled into NtpA3-B3 heterohexamer in nucleotide binding-dependent manner. NtpD-G bound NtpA3-B3 forming V1 (NtpA3-B3-D-G) complex independent of nucleotides. The V1 formation from individual NtpA and NtpB monomers with NtpD-G heterodimer was absolutely dependent on nucleotides. The ATPase activity of reconstituted V1 complex was as high as that of native V1-ATPase purified from the V0V1 complex by EDTA treatment of cell membrane. This in vitro reconstitution system of E. hirae V1 complex will be valuable for characterizing the subunit-subunit interactions and assembly mechanism of the V1-ATPase complex. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The p53 pathway is activated in response to various cellular stresses to protect cells from malignant transformation. We have previously shown that clathrin heavy chain (CHC), which is a cytosolic protein regulating endocytosis, is present in nuclei and binds to p53 to promote p53-mediated transcription. However, details of the binding interface between p53 and CHC remain unclear. Here, we report on the binding mode between p53 and CHC using mutation analyses and a structural model of the interaction generated by molecular dynamics. Structural modeling analyses predict that an Asn1288 residue in CHC is crucial for binding to p53. In fact, substitution of this Asn to Ala of CHC diminished its ability to interact with p53, leading to reduced activity to transactivate p53. Surprisingly, this mutation had little effect on receptor-mediated endocytosis. Thus, the function-specific mutation of CHC will clarify physiological roles of CHC in the regulation of the p53 pathway. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In many microorganisms, menaquinone is an essential lipid-soluble electron carrier. Recently, an alternative menaquinone biosynthetic pathway was found in some microorganisms [Hiratsuka, T., Furihata, K., Ishikawa, J., Yamashita, H., Itoh, N., Seto, H., Dairi, T., 2008. An alternative menaquinone biosynthetic pathway operating in microorganisms. Science 321, 1670–1673]. Here, we report the 1.55Å crystal structure of MqnD (TTHA1568) from Thermus thermophilus HB8, an enzyme within the alternative menaquinone biosynthetic pathway. The structure comprises two domains with α/β structures, a large domain and a small domain. L(+)-Tartaric acid was bound to the pocket between the two domains, suggesting that this pocket is a putative active site. The conserved glycine residues at positions 78, 80 and 82 seem to act as hinges, allowing the substrate to access the pocket. Highly conserved residues, such as Asp14, Asp38, Asn43, Ser57, Thr107, Ile144, His145, Glu146, Leu176 and Tyr234, are located at this pocket, suggesting that these residues are involved in substrate binding and/or catalysis, and especially, His145 could function as a catalytic base. Since humans and their commensal intestinal bacteria, including lactobacilli, lack the alternative menaquinone biosynthetic pathway, this enzyme in pathogenic species, such as Helicobacter pylori and Campylobacter jejuni, is an attractive target for the development of chemotherapeutics. This high-resolution structure may contribute toward the development of its inhibitors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: High-throughput protein production systems have become an important issue, because protein production is one of the bottleneck steps in large-scale structural and functional analyses of proteins. We have developed a dialysis reactor and a fully automated system for protein production using the dialysis cell-free synthesis method, which we previously established to produce protein samples on a milligram scale in a high-throughput manner. The dialysis reactor was designed to be suitable for an automated system and has six dialysis cups attached to a flat dialysis membrane. The automated system is based on a Tecan Freedom EVO 200 workstation in a three-arm configuration, and is equipped with shaking incubators, a vacuum module, a robotic centrifuge, a plate heat sealer, and a custom-made tilting carrier for collection of reaction solutions from the flat-bottom cups with dialysis membranes. The consecutive process, from the dialysis cell-free protein synthesis to the partial purification by immobilized metal affinity chromatography on a 96-well filtration plate, was performed within ca. 14h, including 8h of cell-free protein synthesis. The proteins were eluted stepwise in a high concentration using EDTA by centrifugation, while the resin in the filtration plate was washed on the vacuum manifold. The system was validated to be able to simultaneously and automatically produce up to 96 proteins in yields of several milligrams with high well-to-well reliability, sufficient for structural and functional analyses of proteins. The protein samples produced by the automated system have been utilized for NMR screening to judge the protein foldedness and for structure determinations using heteronuclear multi-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The automated high-throughput protein production system represents an important breakthrough in the structural and functional studies of proteins and has already contributed a massive amount of results in the structural genomics project at the RIKEN Structural Genomics/Proteomics Initiative (RSGI). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The maturation of [NiFe]-hydrogenases is a catalyzed process involving the activities of at least seven proteins. The last step consists of the endoproteolytic cleavage of the precursor of the large subunit, after the [NiFe]-metal center has been assembled. The HycI endopeptidase is involved in the C-terminal processing of HycE, the large subunit of hydrogenase 3 from Escherichia coli. Although HycI has been well characterized biochemically, the crystallization of the protein has been quite challenging. Here, we present the crystal structure of HycI at 1.70Å resolution. The crystal structure resembles the recently reported solution structure (NMR) of the same protein and the holo-HyPD structure of the same family, but a significant conformational change is observed at the L5 loop, as compared with the solution structures of HycI and HyPD. In our crystal structure, three specific metal binding sites (Ca1–3) were identified and these metal ions are possibly involved in the C-terminal cleavage of HycE. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Notch signaling pathway is critical for many developmental processes and requires complex trafficking of both Notch receptor and its ligands, Delta and Serrate. In Drosophila melanogaster, the endocytosis of Delta in the signal-sending cell is essential for Notch receptor activation. The Neuralized protein from D. melanogaster (Neur) is a ubiquitin E3 ligase, which binds to Delta through its first neuralized homology repeat 1 (NHR1) domain and mediates the ubiquitination of Delta for endocytosis. Tom, a Bearded protein family member, inhibits the Neur-mediated endocytosis through interactions with the NHR1 domain. We have identified the domain boundaries of the novel NHR1 domain, using a screening system based on our cell-free protein synthesis method, and demonstrated that the identified Neur NHR1 domain had binding activity to the 20-residue peptide corresponding to motif 2 of Tom by isothermal titration calorimetry experiments. We also determined the solution structure of the Neur NHR1 domain by heteronuclear NMR methods, using a 15N/13C-labeled sample. The Neur NHR1 domain adopts a characteristic β-sandwich fold, consisting of a concave five-stranded antiparallel β-sheet and a convex seven-stranded antiparallel β-sheet. The long loop (L6) between the β6 and β7 strands covers the hydrophobic patch on the concave β-sheet surface, and the Neur NHR1 domain forms a compact globular fold. Intriguingly, in spite of the slight, but distinct, differences in the topology of the secondary structure elements, the structure of the Neur NHR1 domain is quite similar to those of the B30.2/SPRY domains, which are known to mediate specific protein–protein interactions. Further NMR titration experiments of the Neur NHR1 domain with the 20-residue Tom peptide revealed that the resonances originating from the bottom area of the β-sandwich (the L3, L5, and L11 loops, as well as the tip of the L6 loop) were affected. In addition, a structural comparison of the Neur NHR1 domain with the first NHR domain of the human KIAA1787 protein, which is from another NHR subfamily and does not bind to the 20-residue Tom peptide, suggested the critical amino acid residues for the interactions between the Neur NHR1 domain and the Tom peptide. The present structural study will shed light on the role of the Neur NHR1 domain in the Notch signaling pathway. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2B (eIF2B) is the heteropentameric guanine-nucleotide exchange factor specific for eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2). Under stressed conditions, guanine-nucleotide exchange is strongly inhibited by the tight binding of phosphorylated eIF2 to eIF2B. Here, we report the crystal structure of the α subunit of human eIF2B at 2.65 Å resolution. The eIF2Bα structure consists of the N-terminal α-helical domain and the C-terminal Rossmann-fold-like domain. A positively charged pocket, whose entrance is about 15–17 Å in diameter, resides at the boundary between the two domains. A sulfate ion is located at the bottom of the pocket (about 16 Å in depth). The residues comprising the sulfate-ion-binding site are strictly conserved in eIF2Bα. Since this deep, wide pocket with the sulfate-ion-binding site is not conserved in distant homologues, including 5-methylthioribose 1-phosphate isomerases, these characteristics may be distinctive of eIF2Bα. Interestingly, the yeast eIF2Bα missense mutations that reduce the eIF2B sensitivity to phosphorylated eIF2 are mapped on the other side of the pocket. One of the three human eIF2Bα missense mutations that induce the lethal brain disorder vanishing white matter or childhood ataxia with central nervous system hypomyelination is mapped inside the pocket. The β and δ subunits of eIF2B are homologous to eIF2Bα and may have tertiary structures similar to the present eIF2Bα structure. The sulfate-ion-binding residues of eIF2Bα are well conserved in eIF2Bβ/δ. The abovementioned yeast and human missense mutations of eIF2Bβ/δ were also mapped on the eIF2Bα structure, which revealed that the human mutations are clustered on the same side as the pocket, while the yeast mutations reside on the opposite side. As most of the mutated residues are exposed on the surface of the eIF2B subunit structure, these exposed residues are likely to be involved in either the subunit interactions or the interaction with eIF2. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We report the molecular cloning and characterization of two novel β-N-acetylhexosaminidases (β-HEX, EC 3.2.1.52) from Paenibacillus sp. strain TS12. The two β-HEXs (Hex1 and Hex2) were 70% identical in primary structure, and the N-terminal region of both enzymes showed significant similarity with β-HEXs belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 20 (GH20). Interestingly, however, the C-terminal region of Hex1 and Hex2 shared no sequence similarity with the GH20 β-HEXs or other known proteins. Both recombinant enzymes, expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), hydrolyzed the β-N-acetylhexosamine linkage of chitooligosaccharides and glycosphingolipids such as asialo GM2 and Gb4Cer in the absence of detergent. However, the enzyme was not able to hydrolyze GM2 ganglioside in the presence or in the absence of detergent. We determined three crystal structures of Hex1; the Hex1 deletion mutant Hex1-ΔC at a resolution of 1.8 Å; Hex1-ΔC in complex with β-N-acetylglucosamine at 1.6 Å; and Hex1-ΔC in complex with β-N-acetylgalactosamine at 1.9 Å. We made a docking model of Hex1-ΔC with GM2 oligosaccharide, revealing that the sialic acid residue of GM2 could hinder access of the substrate to the active site cavity. This is the first report describing the molecular cloning, characterization and X-ray structure of a procaryotic β-HEX capable of hydrolyzing glycosphingolipids. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Interactions of Bcl-2 family proteins play a regulatory role in mitochondrial apoptosis. The pro-apoptotic protein Bak resides in the outer mitochondrial membrane, and the formation of Bak homo- or heterodimers is involved in the regulation of apoptosis. The previously reported structure of the human Bak protein (residues Glu16–Gly186) revealed that a zinc ion was coordinated with two pairs of Asp160 and His164 residues from the symmetry-related molecules. This zinc-dependent homodimer was regarded as an anti-apoptotic dimer. In the present study, we determined the crystal structure of the human Bak residues Ser23–Asn185 at 2.5Å, and found a distinct type of homodimerization through Cys166 disulfide bridging between the symmetry-related molecules. In the two modes of homodimerization, the molecular interfaces are completely different. In the membrane-targeted model of the S–S bridged dimer, the BH3 motifs are too close to the membrane to interact directly with the anti-apoptotic relatives, such as Bcl-xL. Therefore, the Bak dimer structure reported here may represent a pro-apoptotic mode under oxidized conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) is a unique proteolytic pathway, in which cytoplasmic proteins recognized by heat shock cognate protein 70 (Hsc70/HSPA8) are transported into lysosomes for degradation. The substrate/chaperone complex binds to the cytosolic tail of the lysosomal-associated membrane protein type 2A (LAMP2A), but whether the interaction between Hsc70 and LAMP2A is direct or mediated by other molecules has remained to be elucidated. The structure of LAMP2A comprises a large lumenal domain composed of two domains, both with the β-prism fold, a transmembrane domain and a short cytoplasmic tail. We previously reported the structural basis for the homophilic interaction of the lumenal domains of LAMP2A, using site-specific photo-crosslinking and/or steric hindrance within cells. In the present study, we introduced a photo-crosslinker into the cytoplasmic tail of LAMP2A and successfully detected its crosslinking with Hsc70, revealing this direct interaction for the first time. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the truncation of the membrane-distal domain within the lumenal domain of LAMP2A reduced the amount of Hsc70 that coimmunoprecipitated with LAMP2A. Our present results suggested that the two-domain architecture of the lumenal domains of LAMP2A underlies the interaction with Hsc70 at the cytoplasmic surface of the lysosome. • The cytoplasmic tail of LAMP2A was directly photo-crosslinked with Hsc70. • Loss of the membrane-distal domain of LAMP2A impaired its interaction with Hsc70. • The assembly of LAMP2A in the lumen may facilitate the recruitment of Hsc70. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Selenophosphate synthetase (SPS) catalyzes the activation of selenide with adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) to generate selenophosphate, the essential reactive selenium donor for the formation of selenocysteine (Sec) and 2-selenouridine residues in proteins and RNAs, respectively. Many SPS are themselves Sec-containing proteins, in which Sec replaces Cys in the catalytically essential position (Sec/Cys). We solved the crystal structures of Aquifex aeolicus SPS and its complex with adenosine 5′-(α,β-methylene) triphosphate (AMPCPP). The ATP-binding site is formed at the subunit interface of the homodimer. Four Asp residues coordinate four metal ions to bind the phosphate groups of AMPCPP. In the free SPS structure, the two loop regions in the ATP-binding site are not ordered, and no enzyme-associated metal is observed. This suggests that ATP binding, metal binding, and the formation of their binding sites are interdependent. To identify the amino-acid residues that contribute to SPS activity, we prepared six mutants of SPS and examined their selenide-dependent ATP consumption. Mutational analyses revealed that Sec/Cys13 and Lys16 are essential. In SPS·AMPCPP, the N-terminal loop, including the two residues, assumes different conformations (“open” and “closed”) between the two subunits. The AMPCPP γ-phosphate group is solvent-accessible, suggesting that a putative nucleophile could attack the ATP γ-phosphate group to generate selenophosphate and adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP). Selenide attached to Sec/Cys13 as –Se–Se−/–S–Se− could serve as the nucleophile in the “closed” conformation. A water molecule, fixed close to the β-phosphate group, could function as the nucleophile in subsequent ADP hydrolysis to orthophosphate and adenosine 5′-monophosphate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS), an aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase (aaRS) recently found in some methanogenic archaea and bacteria, recognizes an unusually large lysine derivative, l-pyrrolysine, as the substrate, and attaches it to the cognate tRNA (tRNAPyl). The PylRS–tRNAPyl pair interacts with none of the endogenous aaRS–tRNA pairs in Escherichia coli, and thus can be used as a novel aaRS–tRNA pair for genetic code expansion. The crystal structures of the Methanosarcina mazei PylRS revealed that it has a unique, large pocket for amino acid binding, and the wild type M. mazei PylRS recognizes the natural lysine derivative as well as many lysine analogs, including N ɛ-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-l-lysine (Boc-lysine), with diverse side chain sizes and structures. Moreover, the PylRS only loosely recognizes the α-amino group of the substrate, whereas most aaRSs, including the structurally and genetically related phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase (PheRS), strictly recognize the main chain groups of the substrate. We report here that wild type PylRS can recognize substrates with a variety of main-chain α-groups: α-hydroxyacid, non-α-amino-carboxylic acid, N α-methyl-amino acid, and d-amino acid, each with the same side chain as that of Boc-lysine. In contrast, PheRS recognizes none of these amino acid analogs. By expressing the wild type PylRS and its cognate tRNAPyl in E. coli in the presence of the α-hydroxyacid analog of Boc-lysine (Boc-LysOH), the amber codon (UAG) was recoded successfully as Boc-LysOH, and thus an ester bond was site-specifically incorporated into a protein molecule. This PylRS–tRNAPyl pair is expected to expand the backbone diversity of protein molecules produced by both in vivo and in vitro ribosomal translation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]