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In recent years paramagnetic NMR derived structural constraints have become increasingly popular for the study of biomolecules. Some of these are based on the distance and angular dependences of pseudo contact shifts (PCSs). When modulated by internal motions PCSs also become sensitive reporters on molecular dynamics. We present here an investigation of the domain-domain motion in a two domain protein (PA0128) through time-modulation of PCSs. PA0128 is a protein of unknown function from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) and contains a Zn(2+) binding site in the N-terminal domain. When substituted with Co(2+) in the binding site, several resonances from the C-terminal domain showed severe line broadening along the (15)N dimension. Relaxation compensated CPMG experiments revealed that the dramatic increase in the (15)N linewidth came from contributions of chemical exchange. Since several sites with perturbed relaxation are localized to a single beta-strand region, and since extracted timescales of motion for the perturbed sites are identical, and since the magnitude of the chemical exchange contributions is consistent with PCSs, the observed rate enhancements are interpreted as the result of concerted domain motion on the timescale of a few milliseconds. Given the predictability of PCS differences and the easy interpretation of the experimental results, we suggest that these effects might be useful in the study of molecular processes occurring on the millisecond to microsecond timescale.

The ABACUS algorithm obtains the protein NMR structure from unassigned NOESY distance restraints. ABACUS works as an integrated approach that uses the complete set of available NMR experimental information in parallel and yields spin system typing, NOE spin pair identities, sequence specific resonance assignments, and protein structure, all at once. The protocol starts from unassigned molecular fragments (including single amino acid spin systems) derived from triple-resonance (1)H/(13)C/(15)N NMR experiments. Identifications of connected spin systems and NOEs precede the full sequence specific resonance assignments. The latter are obtained iteratively via Monte Carlo-Metropolis and/or probabilistic sequence selections, molecular dynamics structure computation and BACUS filtering (A. Grishaev and M. Llinás, J Biomol NMR 2004;28:1-10). ABACUS starts from scratch, without the requirement of an initial approximate structure, and improves iteratively the NOE identities in a self-consistent fashion. The procedure was run as a blind test on data recorded on mth1743, a 70-amino acid genomic protein from M. thermoautotrophicum. It converges to a structure in ca. 15 cycles of computation on a 3-GHz processor PC. The calculated structures are very similar to the ones obtained via conventional methods (1.22 A backbone RMSD). The success of ABACUS on mth1743 further validates BACUS as a NOESY identification protocol., ((c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Members of the IclR family of transcription regulators modulate signal-dependent expression of genes involved in carbon metabolism in bacteria and archaea. The Thermotoga maritima TM0065 gene codes for a protein (TM-IclR) that is homologous to the IclR family. We have determined the crystal structure of TM-IclR at 2.2 A resolution using MAD phasing and synchrotron radiation. The protein is composed of two domains: the N-terminal DNA-binding domain contains the winged helix-turn-helix motif, and the C-terminal presumed regulatory domain is involved in binding signal molecule. In a proposed signal-binding site, a bound Zn(2+) ion was found. In the crystal, TM-IclR forms a dimer through interactions between DNA-binding domains. In the dimer, the DNA-binding domains are 2-fold related, but the dimer is asymmetric with respect to the orientation of signal-binding domains. Crystal packing analysis showed that TM-IclR dimers form a tetramer through interactions exclusively by signal-binding domains. A model is proposed for binding of IclR-like factors to DNA, and it suggests that signal-dependent transcription regulation is accomplished by affecting an oligomerization state of IclR and therefore its affinity for DNA target.

The structure of MTH538, a previously uncharacterized hypothetical protein from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum, has been determined by NMR spectroscopy. MTH538 is one of numerous structural genomics targets selected in a genome-wide survey of uncharacterized sequences from this organism. MTH538 is a so-called singleton, a sequence not closely related to any other (known) sequences. The structure of MTH538 closely resembles the known structures of receiver domains from two component response regulator systems, such as CheY, and is similar to the structures of flavodoxins and GTP-binding proteins. Tests on MTH538 for characteristic activities of CheY and flavodoxin were negative. MTH538 did not become phosphorylated in the presence of acetyl phosphate and Mg(2+), although it appeared to bind Mg(2+). MTH538 also did not bind flavin mononucleotide (FMN) or coenzyme F(420). Nevertheless, sequence and structure parallels between MTH538/CheY and two families of ATPase/phosphatase proteins suggest that MTH538 may have a role in a phosphorylation-independent two-component response regulator system., (Copyright 2000 Academic Press.)

The two lymphoid-specific transcription factors PU.1 and IRF4 form a cooperative ternary complex at immunoglobulin enhancer elements such as the lambdaB and kappaE3' sites. We report here that the synergy of this interaction can be reconstituted in part with the DNA-binding domains of the two proteins. The minimal DNA binding-domain of IRF4 was mapped to residues 20 to 137, corresponding to the conserved DNA-binding region of other interferon regulatory factors (IRFs). This domain can bind weakly to a synthetic murine lambdaB element, while IRF4 constructs that contain residues 1 to 19 require the presence of PU.1 for DNA-binding at similar concentrations. Fluorescence polarization of fluorescein-labelled DNA was used to show that the presence of residues 1 to 19 decreases the binding affinity of IRF4 N-terminal constructs from two- to fivefold. However, all constructs bound better to the lambdaB element in the presence of the DNA-binding domain of PU.1. This cooperative interaction was not dependent on phosphorylation of the PEST domain of PU.1, but was dependent on the proper spacing of the binding sites for PU.1 and IRF4. These data suggest that at least part of the cooperative interaction between full-length PU.1 and IRF4 involves the DNA-binding domains of the two proteins. NMR spectroscopy of 15N-labelled PU.1 and IRF4 constructs indicates that the PEST domain of PU.1 and residues 1 to 19 of IRF4 may be unstructured in the isolated proteins., (Copyright 1998 Academic Press.)

Electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF MS) has been used to study noncovalent interactions between the trp apo-repressor (TrpR), its co-repressor tryptophan and its specific operator DNA. In 5 mM ammonium acetate, TrpR was detected as a partially unfolded monomer. In the presence of a 21-base-pair DNA possessing the two symmetrically arranged CTAG consensus sequences required for specific TrpR binding, a homodimer-dsDNA complex with a 1:1 stoichiometry was observed. Co-repressor was not needed for the complex to form under our experimental conditions. Collision induced dissociation (CID-MS) revealed that this complex was very stable in the gas phase since dissociation was achieved only at energies that also broke covalent bonds. We saw no evidence for the presence of the six water molecules that mediate the interaction between the protein and the DNA in the crystal structure. To check the binding specificity of the TrpR for its target DNA, a competitive experiment was undertaken: the protein was mixed with an equimolar amount of three different DNAs in which the two CTAG sequences were separated by 2, 4, and 6 bp, respectively. Only the DNA with the correct consensus spacing of 4 bp was able to form stable interactions with TrpR. This experiment demonstrates the potential of ESI-MS to test the sequence-specificity of protein-DNA complexes. The interactions between the TrpR-DNA complex and 5-methyl-, L- and D-tryptophan were also investigated. Two molecules of 5-methyl- or L-tryptophan were bound with high affinity to the TrpR-DNA complex. On the other hand, D-tryptophan appeared to bind to the complex with poor specificity and poor affinity.

Deuterium decoupled, triple resonance NMR spectroscopy was used to analyze complexes of 2H, 15N, 13C labelled intact and (des2-7) trp repressor (delta 2-7 trpR) from E. coli bound in tandem to an idealized 22 basepair trp operator DNA fragment and the corepressor 5-methyltryptophan. The DNA sequence used here binds two trpR dimers in tandem resulting in chemically nonequivalent environments for the two subunits of each dimer. Sequence- and subunit-specific NMR resonance assignments were made for backbone 1HN, 15N, 13c alpha positions in both forms of the protein and for 13 C beta in the intact repressor. The differences in backbone chemical shifts between the two subunits within each dimer of delta 2-7 trpR reflect dimer-dimer contacts involving the helix-turn-helix domains and N-terminal residues consistent with a previously determined crystal structure [Lawson and Carey (1993) Nature, 366, 178-182]. Comparison of the backbone chemical shifts of DNA-bound delta 2-7 trpR with those of DNA-bound intact trpR reveals significant changes for those residues involved in N-terminal-mediated interactions observed in the crystal structure. In addition, our solution NMR data contain three sets of resonances for residues 2-12 in intact trpR suggesting that the N-terminus has multiple conformations in the tandem complex. Analysis of C alpha chemical shifts using a chemical shift index (CSI) modified for deuterium isotope effects has allowed a comparison of the secondary structure of intact and delta 2-7 tprR. Overall these data demonstrate that NMR backbone chemical shift data can be readily used to study specific structural details of large protein complexes.

NMR spectroscopy was used to study the structure of the C-terminal signal sequences of the bacterial toxins, hemolysin A(HlyA) and leukotoxin A (LktA). The two signals share little sequence homology; however, both can direct toxin transport with equal efficiency. We report here that in a membrane mimetic environment both peptides form two short non-interacting alpha-helices separated by a short loop. This higher order structure may be a common feature of C-terminal signals and may be required for interaction with the membrane associated transporter complex.

[ul-13C/15N]-L-tryptophan was prepared biosynthetically and its dynamic properties and intermolecular interaction with a complex of Escherichia coli trp-repressor and a 20 base-pair operator DNA were studied by heteronuclear isotope-edited NMR experiments. The resonances of the free and bound corepressor (L-Trp) were unambiguously identified from gradient-enhanced 15N-1H HSQC, 13C-1H HSQC, 13C- and 15N-edited 2D NOESY spectra. The exchange off-rate of the corepressor between the bound and free states was determined to be 3.4 +/- 0.52 s-1 at 45 degrees C, almost three orders of magnitude faster than the dissociation of the protein-DNA complex. Examination of the experimental NOE buildup curves indicates that it may be desirable to use longer mixing times than would normally be used for a large molecule, in order to detect weak intermolecular NOEs in the presence of exchange. Intermolecular NOEs from bound corepressor to trp-repressor and DNA were analyzed with respect to the mechanism of ligand exchange. This analysis suggests that, in order for the ligand to diffuse out of the complex, there must be significant movement or 'breathing' of the protein and/or DNA.

The secretion of the 107 kDa hemolysin A (HlyA) from Escherichia coli is mediated by membrane proteins hemolysin B (HlyB) and hemolysin D (HlyD). The signal for transport has been mapped to the C-terminal 60 amino acids of the HylA molecule. We have shown previously that the C-terminal 70 amino acids of leukotoxin (LktA) from Pasteurella hemolytica can substitute functionally for the HlyA signal sequence. This 70 amino acid peptide contains little primary sequence similarity to the HlyA signal sequence, and we have hypothesized that these signal sequences assume a similar higher-order structure which is recognized by the HlyB/D transporter. In the present study, we have expressed and purified small peptides containing the C-terminal 61 amino acids of HlyA and the C-terminal 70 amino acids of LktA. We show that these signal peptides are sufficient for secretion from E. coli in a HlyB/D dependent manner. Circular dichroism analyses show that both molecules exhibit common biophysical properties. In aqueous solution, they appear to be mainly unstructured, but in a membrane mimetic environment they assume a helical secondary structure. The conformational change observed for both peptides going from an aqueous to a membrane mimetic environment may be an important feature of these signal sequences necessary for their recognition and transport.

A pulsed field gradient three-dimensional isotope-filtered 13C HMQC-NOESY experiment has been developed to characterize intermolecular contacts in a 37 kDa macromolecular ternary complex consisting of uniformly 13C labeled trp-repressor, its natural abundance co-repressor, L-tryptophan, and natural abundance operator DNA. The pulse scheme makes use of pulsed field gradients for the removal of artifacts and dephasing of unwanted magnetization during isotope filtering, and employs a strategy to minimize the time that magnetization resides in the transverse plane. The experiment provides solely intermolecular NOE contacts between protons of the labeled protein and protons of the unlabeled species, and has proven to be especially useful in eliminating ambiguities between intra- and intermolecular NOEs in the isotope-edited 3D 13C HMQC-NOESY spectrum of the complex.

The solution structures of the complex between Escherichia coli trp holorepressor and a 20 base-pair consensus operator DNA were determined. The majority of proton chemical shifts of the trp holorepressor and operator DNA were assigned from homonuclear 2D NOESY spectra of selectively deuterated analog-operator DNA complexes and the 3D NOESY-HMQC spectrum of a uniformly 15N-labeled repressor-operator DNA complex. The structures were calculated using restrained molecular dynamics and sequential simulated annealing with 4086 NOE and other experimental constraints. The root-mean-squared deviation (RMSD) among the calculated structures and their mean is 0.9(+/- 0.3)A for the repressor backbone, 1.1(+/- 0.5)A for the DNA backbone, and 1.3(+/- 0.3)A for all heavy atoms. The DNA is deformed to a significant extent from the standard B DNA structure to fit the helix-turn-helix (HTH) segment of the repressor (helices D and E) into its major grooves. Little change is found in the ABCF core of the repressor on complexation in comparison to the free repressor, but changes in the cofactor L-tryptophan binding pocket and the HTH segment are observed. The N-terminal residues (2 to 17) are found to be disordered and do not form stable interactions with DNA. Direct H-bonding to the bases of the operator DNA is consistent with all of our observed NOE constraints. Hydrogen bonds from NH eta 1 and NH eta 2 of Arg69 to O-6 and N-7 of G2 are compatible with the solution structure, as they are with the crystal structure. Other direct H-bonds from Lys72, Ala80, Ile79, Thr83 and Arg84 to base-pair functional groups can also be formed in our solution structures.

The solution structures of the trp-repressor from Escherichia coli in both the liganded (holo-) and unliganded (apo-) form, have been refined by restrained molecular dynamics with simulated annealing using the program XPLOR and additional experimental constraints. The ensemble of refined holorepressor structures have a root-mean-square deviation (r.m.s.d.) of 0.8 A relative to the average structure for the backbone of the dimer core (helices A, B, C, A', B', C') and 2.5 A for the helix-turn-helix DNA-binding domain (helices D and E). The corresponding values for the aporepressor are 0.9 A for the backbone of the ABC-dimer core and 3.2 A for the DE helix-turn-helix. The r.m.s.d. of the average structures from the corresponding crystal structures are 2.3 A for the holorepressor ABC core and 4.2 A for its DE region; 2.3 A for the aporepressor core and 5.5 A for its DE region. The relative disorder of the DNA-binding domain is reflected in a number of experimental parameters including substantially more rapid backbone proton exchange rates, exchange-limited relaxation times and crystallographic B-factors. The stabilizing effect of the L-Trp ligand is evident in these measurements, as it is in the higher precision of the holorepressor structure.

We have determined the solution structures and examined the dynamics of the Escherichia coli trp repressor (a 25-kDa dimer), with and without the co-repressor L-tryptophan, from NMR data. This is the largest protein structure thus far determined by NMR. To obtain a set of data sufficient for a structure determination it was essential to resort to isotopic spectral editing. Line broadening observed in this molecular mass range precludes for the most part the measurement of coupling constants and stereospecific assignments, with the inevitable result that the attainable resolution of the final structure will be somewhat lower than the resolution reported for smaller proteins and peptides. Nevertheless the general topology of the protein can be deduced from the subsets of NOEs defining the secondary and tertiary structure, providing a basis for further refinement using the full set of NOEs and energy minimization. We report here (a) an intermediate resolution structure that can be deduced from NMR data, covalent, angular and van-der-Waals constraints only, without resort to detailed energy calculations, and (b) the limits of uncertainty within which this structure is valid. An examination of these structures combined with backbone amide exchange data shows that even at this resolution three important conclusions can be drawn: (a) the protein structure changes upon binding tryptophan; (b) the putative DNA binding region is much more flexible than the core of the molecule, with backbone amide proton exchange rates 1000 times faster than in the core; (c) the binding of tryptophan stabilizes the repressor molecule, which is reflected in both the appearance of additional NOEs, and in the slowing of backbone proton exchange rates by factors of 3-10. Sequence-specific 1H-NMR assignments and the secondary structure of the holopressor (L-tryptophan-bound form) have been reported previously [C. H. Arrowsmith, R. Pachter, R. B. Altman, S. B. Iyer & O. Jardetzky (1990) Biochemistry 29, 6332-6341]. Those for the trp aporepressor (L-tryptophan-free form), made using the same methods and conditions as described in the cited paper, are reported here. The secondary structure of the aporepressor was calculated from sequential and medium-range NOEs and is the same as reported for the holorepressor except that helix E is shorter. The tertiary solution structures for both forms of the repressor were calculated from long-range NOE data.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Exchange lifetimes of amide protons in trp-repressor with and without the corepressor, L-tryptophan, were studied by heteronuclear 2D NMR spectroscopy. The amide proton exchange times revealed pronounced differences in the stability of different regions of the trp-repressor. The dimeric core of the molecule is relatively compact and homogeneous in terms of the measured parameters in both apo- and holorepressors. On the other hand the DNA-binding region appears less stable and more susceptible to the exchange of its backbone protons with the solvent. The NMR findings reported here are consistent with and amplify information on the stability of the trp-repressor obtained by other methods.

Sequence-specific 1H NMR assignments are reported for the active L-tryptophan-bound form of Escherichia coli trp repressor. The repressor is a symmetric dimer of 107 residues per monomer; thus at 25 kDa, this is the largest protein for which such detailed sequence-specific assignments have been made. At this molecular mass the broad line widths of the NMR resonances preclude the use of assignment methods based on 1H-1H scalar coupling. Our assignment strategy centers on two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser spectroscopy (NOESY) of a series of selectively deuterated repressor analogues. A new methodology was developed for analysis of the spectra on the basis of the effects of selective deuteration on cross-peak intensities in the NOESY spectra. A total of 90% of the backbone amide protons have been assigned, and 70% of the alpha and side-chain proton resonances are assigned. The local secondary structure was calculated from sequential and medium-range backbone NOEs with the double-iterated Kalman filter method [Altman, R. B., & Jardetzky, O. (1989) Methods Enzymol. 177, 218-246]. The secondary structure agrees with that of the crystal structure [Schevitz, R., Otwinowski, Z., Joachimiak, A., Lawson, C. L., & Sigler, P. B. (1985) Nature 317, 782], except that the solution state is somewhat more disordered in the DNA binding region and in the N-terminal region of the first alpha-helix. Since the repressor is a symmetric dimer, long-range intersubunit NOEs were distinguished from intrasubunit interactions by formation of heterodimers between two appropriate selectively deuterated proteins and comparison of the resulting NOESY spectrum with that of each selectively deuterated homodimer. Thus, from spectra of three heterodimers, long-range NOEs between eight pairs of residues were identified as intersubunit NOEs, and two additional long-range intrasubunits NOEs were assigned.

The trp repressor of Escherichia coli specifically binds to operator DNAs in three operons involved in tryptophan metabolism. The NMR spectra of repressor and a chymotryptic fragment lacking the six amino-terminal residues are compared. Two-dimensional J-correlated spectra of the two forms of the protein are superimposable except for cross-peaks that are associated with the N-terminal region. The chemical shifts and relaxation behavior of the N-terminal resonances suggest mobile "arms". Spin-echo experiments on a ternary complex of repressor with L-tryptophan and operator DNA indicate that the termini are also disordered in the complex, although removal of the arms reduces the DNA binding energy. Relaxation measurements on the armless protein show increased mobility for several residues, probably due to helix fraying in the newly exposed N-terminal region. DNA binding by the armless protein does not reduce the mobility of these residues. Thus, it appears that the arms serve to stabilize the N-terminal helix but that this structural role does not explain their contribution to the DNA binding energy. These results suggest that the promiscuous DNA binding by the arms seen in the X-ray crystal structure is found in solution as well.