Search

Anthranilate phosphoribosyltransferase (TrpD; EC 2.4.2.18) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus (ssTrpD) was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized. Analytical gel permeation chromatography revealed a homodimeric composition of the enzyme. The steady-state kinetic characteristics suggest tight binding of the substrate anthranilic acid and efficient catalysis at the physiological growth temperature of S. solfataricus. Crystals of ssTrpD diffract to better than 2.6 A resolution and preliminary X-ray characterization was carried out. The crystals are suitable for structure determination.

The atomic structures of two proteins in the histidine biosynthesis pathway consist of β/α barrels with a twofold repeat pattern. It is likely that these proteins evolved by twofold gene duplication and gene fusion from a common half-barrel ancestor. These ancestral domains are not visible as independent domains in the extant proteins but can be inferred from a combination of sequence and structural analysis. The detection of subdomain structures may be useful in efforts to search genome sequences for functionally and structurally related proteins.

The temperature dependences of the unfolding-refolding reaction of a shorter version of the alpha-spectrin SH3 domain (PWT) used as a reference and of two circular permutants (with different poly-Gly loop lengths at the newly created fused loop) have been measured by differential scanning microcalorimetry and stopped-flow kinetics, to characterize the thermodynamic nature of the transition and native states. Differential scanning calorimetry results show that all these species do not belong to the same temperature dependency of heat effect. The family of the N47-D48s circular permutant (with 0-6 Gly inserted at the fused-loop) shows a higher enthalpy as happens with the PWT domain. The wild type (WT) and the S19-P20s permutant family have a more similar behavior although the second is far less stable. The crystallographic structure of the PWT shows a hairpin formation in the region corresponding to the unstructured N-terminus tail of the WT, explaining the enthalpic difference. There is a very good correlation between the calorimetric changes and the structural differences between the WT, PWT, and two circular permutants that suggests that their unfolded state cannot be too different. Elongation of the fused loop in the two permutants, taking as a reference the protein with one inserted Gly, results in a small Gibbs energy change of entropic origin as theoretically expected. Eyring plots of the unfolding and refolding semireactions show different behaviors for PWT, S19-P20s, and N47-D48s in agreement with previous studies indicating that they have different transition states. The SH3 transition state is relatively close to the native state with regard to changes in heat capacity and entropy, indicating a high degree of compactness and order. Regarding the differences in thermodynamic parameters, it seems that rapid folding could be achieved in proteins by decreasing the entropic barrier.

NAD(P)(+)-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) are widely distributed in all phyla. These proteins can be assigned to three nonhomologous groups of isozymes, with group III being highly diverse with regards to catalytic activity and primary structure. Members of group III ADHs share a conserved stretch of amino acid residues important for cofactor binding and metal ion coordination, while sequence identities for complete proteins are highly diverse (20 to90 %). A putative group III ADH PaYqhD has been identified in BLAST analysis from the plant pathogenic enterobacterium Pectobacterium atrosepticum. The PaYqhD gene was expressed in the heterologous host Escherichia coli, and the recombinant protein was purified in a two-step purification procedure to homogeneity indicating an obligate dimerization of monomers. Four conserved amino acid residues involved in metal ion coordination were substituted with alanine, and their importance for catalytic activity was confirmed by circular dichroism spectrum determination, in vitro, and growth experiments. PaYqhD exhibits optimal activity at 40 °C with short carbon chain aldehyde compounds and NADPH as cofactor indicating the enzyme to be an aldehyde reductase. No oxidative activities towards alcoholic compounds were detectable. EDTA completely inhibited catalytic activity and was fully restored by the addition of Co(2+). Activity measurements together with sequence alignments and structure analysis confirmed that PaYqhD belongs to the butanol dehydrogenase-like enzymes within group III of ADHs.

The basic-helix–loop–helix-leucine zipper (bHLHZip) protein MITF (microphthalmia-associated transcription factor) is a master regulator of melanocyte development. Mutations in the MITF have been found in patients with the dominantly inherited hypopigmentation and deafness syndromes Waardenburg syndrome type 2A (WS2A) and Tietz syndrome (TS). Additionally, both somatic and germline mutations have been found in MITF in melanoma patients. Here, we characterize the DNA-binding and transcription activation properties of 24 MITF mutations found in WS2A, TS and melanoma patients. We show that most of the WS2A and TS mutations fail to bind DNA and activate expression from melanocyte-specific promoters. Some of the mutations, especially R203K and S298P, exhibit normal activity and may represent neutral variants. Mutations found in melanomas showed normal DNA-binding and minor variations in transcription activation properties; some showed increased potential to form colonies. Our results provide molecular insights into how mutations in a single gene can lead to such different phenotypes.

Phosphatases are crucially involved in cellular processes by dephosphorylating cellular components. We describe a structure-based classification scheme for all active human phosphatases that reveals previously unrecognized relationships between them. By collating protein and nonprotein substrates and integrating colocalization and coexpression data, we generated a human phosphatase-substrate network. Analysis of the protein sequences surrounding sites of dephosphorylation suggested that common recognition mechanisms may apply to both kinases and a subset of phosphatases. Analysis of three-dimensional substrate recognition by protein phosphatases revealed preferred domains in the substrates. We identified phosphatases with highly specific substrates and those with less specificity by examining the relationship between phosphatases, kinases, and their shared substrates and showed how this analysis can be used to generate testable hypotheses about phosphatase biological function. DEPOD (human DEPhOsphorylation Database, version 1.0, http://www.DEPOD.org) is an online resource with information about active human phosphatases, their substrates, and the pathways in which they function. The database includes links to kinases and chemical modulators of phosphatase activity and contains a sequence similarity search function for identifying related proteins in other species.

Rv2140c is one of many conserved Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteins for which no molecular function has been identified. We have determined a high-resolution crystal structure of the Rv2140c gene product, which reveals a dimeric complex that shares strong structural homology with the phosphatidylethanolamine-binding family of proteins. Rv2140c forms low-millimolar interactions with a selection of soluble phosphatidylethanolamine analogs, indicating that it has a role in lipid metabolism. Furthermore, the small molecule locostatin binds to the Rv2140c ligand-binding site and also inhibits the growth of the model organism Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Proteins 81(8), 1457 - 1465 (2013). doi:10.1002/prot.24300, The substitution of Ser187, a residue located far from the active site of human liver peroxisomal alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGT), by Phe gives rise to a variant associated with primary hyperoxaluria type I. Unexpectedly, previous studies revealed that the recombinant form of S187F exhibits a remarkable loss of catalytic activity, an increased pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) binding affinity and a different coenzyme binding mode compared with normal AGT. To shed light on the structural elements responsible for these defects, we solved the crystal structure of the variant to a resolution of 2.9 Å. Although the overall conformation of the variant is similar to that of normal AGT, we noticed: (i) a displacement of the PLP-binding Lys209 and Val185, located on the re and si side of PLP, respectively, and (ii) slight conformational changes of other active site residues, in particular Trp108, the base stacking residue with the pyridine cofactor moiety. This active site perturbation results in a mispositioning of the AGT-pyridoxamine 5'-phosphate (PMP) complex and of the external aldimine, as predicted by molecular modeling studies. Taken together, both predicted and observed movements caused by the S187F mutation are consistent with the following functional properties of the variant: (i) a 300- to 500-fold decrease in both the rate constant of L-alanine half-transamination and the kcat of the overall transamination, (ii) a different PMP binding mode and affinity, and (iii) a different microenvironment of the external aldimine. Proposals for the treatment of patients bearing S187F mutation are discussed on the basis of these results., Published by Wiley-Liss, New York, NY

The ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme Pex4p together with its binding partner, the peroxisomal membrane protein Pex22p, co-ordinates cysteine-dependent ubiquitination of the cycling receptor protein Pex5p. Unusually for an ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pex4p can form a disulphide bond between the cysteine residues at positions 105 and 146. We found that mutating the disulphide forming cysteine residues in Pex4p to serines does not disturb the secondary structure of the protein but does reduce the in vitro activity of Pex4p. From the crystal structure of Pex4p C105S, C146S in complex with the soluble domain of Pex22p, we observe a narrowing of the active site cleft, caused by loss of the disulphide bond. This modification of the active site microenvironment is likely to restrict access of ubiquitin to the active site cysteine, modulating Pex4p activity. Finally, based on sequence and structural alignments, we have identified other ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes that may contain disulphide bonds.

The crystal structures of two circular permutants of the alpha-spectrin SH3 domain with new termini within the RT loop (S19-P20s) and the distal loop (N47-D48s) have been determined at 2.02 and 1.77 A resolution respectively. Both fold into the same three-dimensional structure as the wild-type SH3 domain except for the engineered loop that fuses the wild-type termini. The cleaved RT loop in S19-P20s loses nine conserved hydrogen bonds through local hydrogen bond unzipping; no hydrogen bond unzipping occurs in N47-D48s. The structures of the transition states for folding of wild-type alpha-spectrin SH3 domain and the two circular permutants have been examined by analysis of the folding kinetics of eight strategically distributed point mutants. Unlike the native structures, the transition states of the three proteins are considerably different, suggesting that there is no direct relationship between these two states in a protein.

The substitution of Ser187, a residue located far from the active site of human liver peroxisomal alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGT), by Phe gives rise to a variant associated with primary hyperoxaluria type I. Unexpectedly, previous studies revealed that the recombinant form of S187F exhibits a remarkable loss of catalytic activity, an increased pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) binding affinity and a different coenzyme binding mode compared with normal AGT. To shed light on the structural elements responsible for these defects, we solved the crystal structure of the variant to a resolution of 2.9 Å. Although the overall conformation of the variant is similar to that of normal AGT, we noticed: (i) a displacement of the PLP-binding Lys209 and Val185, located on the re and si side of PLP, respectively, and (ii) slight conformational changes of other active site residues, in particular Trp108, the base stacking residue with the pyridine cofactor moiety. This active site perturbation results in a mispositioning of the AGT-pyridoxamine 5′-phosphate (PMP) complex and of the external aldimine, as predicted by molecular modeling studies. Taken together, both predicted and observed movements caused by the S187F mutation are consistent with the following functional properties of the variant: (i) a 300- to 500-fold decrease in both the rate constant of L-alanine half-transamination and the kcat of the overall transamination, (ii) a different PMP binding mode and affinity, and (iii) a different microenvironment of the external aldimine. Proposals for the treatment of patients bearing S187F mutation are discussed on the basis of these results. Proteins 2013; 81:1457–1465. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Alcohol dehydrogenases are highly diverse enzymes catalysing the interconversion of alcohols and aldehydes or ketones. Due to their versatile specificities, these biocatalysts are of great interest for industrial applications. The adh3-gene encoding a group III alcohol dehydrogenase was isolated from the gram-positive bacterium Oenococcus oeni and was characterised after expression in the heterologous host Escherichia coli. Adh3 has been identified by genome BLASTP analyses using the amino acid sequence of 1,3-propanediol dehydrogenase DhaT from Klebsiella pneumoniae and group III alcohol dehydrogenases with known activity towards 1,3-propanediol as target sequences. The recombinant protein was purified in a two-step column chromatography approach. Crystal structure determination and biochemical characterisation confirmed that Adh3 forms a Ni(2+)-containing homodimer in its active form. Adh3 catalyses the interconversion of ethanol and its corresponding aldehyde acetaldyhyde and is also capable of using other alcoholic compounds as substrates, such as 1,3-propanediol, 1,2-propanediol and 1-propanol. In the presence of Ni(2+), activity increases towards 1,3-propanediol and 1,2-propanediol. Adh3 is strictly dependent on NAD(+)/NADH, whereas no activity has been observed with NADP(+)/NADPH as co-factor. The enzyme exhibits a specific activity of 1.1 U/mg using EtOH as substrate with an optimal pH value of 9.0 for ethanol oxidation and 8.0 for aldehyde reduction. Moreover, Adh3 exhibits tolerance to several metal ions and organic solvents, but is completely inhibited in the presence of Zn(2+). The present study demonstrates that O. oeni is a group III alcohol dehydrogenase with versatile substrate specificity, including Ni(2+)-dependent activity towards 1,3-propanediol.

Hydroxyacid dehydrogenases, responsible for the stereospecific conversion of 2-keto acids to 2-hydroxyacids in lactic acid producing bacteria, have a range of biotechnology applications including antibiotic synthesis, flavor development in dairy products and the production of valuable synthons. The genome of Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, a member of the heterogeneous group of lactic acid bacteria, encodes multiple hydroxyacid dehydrogenases whose structural and functional properties remain poorly characterized. Here, we report the apo and coenzyme NAD⁺ complexed crystal structures of the L. bulgaricusD-isomer specific 2-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase, D2-HDH. Comparison with closely related members of the NAD-dependent dehydrogenase family reveals that whilst the D2-HDH core fold is structurally conserved, the substrate-binding site has a number of non-canonical features that may influence substrate selection and thus dictate the physiological function of the enzyme.

11 páginas, 6 figuras, 1 tabla, 4 figuras suplementarias, 1 tabla suplementaria -- PAGS nros. 1589-1599, Nitrogen is incorporated into various metabolites by multifunctional glutamine amidotransferases via reactive ammonia generated by glutaminase hydrolysis of glutamine. Although this process is generally tightly regulated by subsequent synthase activity, little is known about how the glutaminase is inhibited in the absence of an activating signal. Here, we use imidazoleglycerolphosphate synthase as a model to investigate the mechanism of glutaminase regulation. A structure of the bienzyme-glutamine complex reveals that the glutaminase active site is in a catalysis-competent conformation but the ammonia pathway toward the synthase active site is blocked. Mutation of two residues blocking the pathway leads to a complete uncoupling of the two reactions and to a 2800-fold amplification of glutaminase activity. Our data advance the understanding of coupling enzymatic activities in glutamine amidotransferases and raise hypotheses of the underlying molecular mechanism, This work was supported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to R.S. (STE 891/3-3, 3-4) and M.W. (WI 1058/5-3, 5-4). F.L. was partially supported by EMBO (ASTF 285-2008

Understanding the effects of organic co-solvents on protein structure and function is pivotal to engineering enzymes for biotransformation in non-aqueous solvents. The effects of DMSO on the catalytic activity of cytochrome P450 BM3 have previously been investigated and the importance of Phe87 in its organic co-solvent tolerance was identified. To probe the DMSO inactivation mechanism and the functional role of Phe87 in modulating the organic co-solvent tolerance of P450 BM3, the haem domain (Thr1-Leu455) of the F87A variant was cocrystallized in the presence of 14%(v/v) and 28%(v/v) DMSO. At both DMSO concentrations the protein retained the canonical structure of the P450 haem domain without any sign of partial or global unfolding. Interestingly, a DMSO molecule was found in the active site of both structures, with its O atom pointing towards the haem iron. The orientation of the DMSO molecule indicated a dynamic coordination process that was in competition with the active-site water molecule. The ability of the DMSO molecule to coordinate the haem iron is plausibly the main reason why P450 BM3 is inactivated at elevated DMSO concentrations. The data allowed an interesting comparison with the wild-type structures reported previously. A DMSO molecule was found when the wild-type protein was placed in 28%(v/v) DMSO, in which the DMSO molecule coordinated the haem iron directly via its S atom. Intriguingly, no DMSO molecule was observed at 14%(v/v) DMSO for the wild-type structure. These results suggested that the bulky phenyl side chain of Phe87 protects the haem from being accessed by the DMSO molecule and explains the higher tolerance of the wild-type enzyme towards organic co-solvents compared with its F87A variant.

The lectin pathway is an antibody-independent activation route of the complement system. It provides immediate defense against pathogens and altered self-cells, but it also causes severe tissue damage after stroke, heart attack, and other ischemia reperfusion injuries. The pathway is triggered by target binding of pattern recognition molecules leading to the activation of zymogen mannan-binding lectin-associated serine proteases (MASPs). MASP-2 is considered as the autonomous pathway-activator, while MASP-1 is considered as an auxiliary component. We evolved a pair of monospecific MASP inhibitors. In accordance with the key role of MASP-2, the MASP-2 inhibitor completely blocks the lectin pathway activation. Importantly, the MASP-1 inhibitor does the same, demonstrating that MASP-1 is not an auxiliary but an essential pathway component. We report the first Michaelis-like complex structures of MASP-1 and MASP-2 formed with substrate-like inhibitors. The 1.28 Å resolution MASP-2 structure reveals significant plasticity of the protease, suggesting that either an induced fit or a conformational selection mechanism should contribute to the extreme specificity of the enzyme.

Src-homology 3 (SH3) domains bind to proline-rich motifs in target proteins. We have determined high-resolution crystal structures of the complexes between the SH3 domains of Abl and Fyn tyrosine kinases, and two ten-residue proline-rich peptides derived from the SH3-binding proteins 3BP-1 and 3BP-2. The X-ray data show that the basic mode of binding of both proline-rich peptides is the same. Peptides are bound over their entire length and interact with three major sites on the SH3 molecules by both hydrogen-bonding and van der Waals contacts. Residues 4-10 of the peptide adopt the conformation of a left-handed polyproline helix type II. Binding of the proline at position 2 requires a kink at the non-proline position 3.

The study of the folding of single domains, in the context of their multidomain environment, is important because more than 70% of eukaryotic proteins are composed of multiple domains. The structures of the tandem immunoglobulin (Ig) domain pairs A164–A165 and A168–A169, from the A-band of the giant muscle protein titin, reveal that they form tightly associated domain arrangements, connected by a continuous β-strand. We investigate the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of these tandem domain pairs. While A164–A165 apparently behaves as a single cooperative unit at equilibrium, unfolding without the accumulation of a large population of intermediates, domains in A168–A169 behave independently. Although A169 appears to be stabilized in the tandem protein, we show that this is due to nonspecific stabilization by extension. We elucidate the folding and unfolding pathways of both tandem pairs and show that cooperativity in A164–A165 is a manifestation of the relative refolding and unfolding rate constants of each individual domain. We infer that the differences between the two tandem pairs result from a different pattern of interactions at the domain/domain interface., Graphical Abstract Highlights ► We investigate the stability and folding of titin Ig domains in a multidomain environment. ► Tandem A-band domains in A164–A165 and A168–A169 are linked by a continuous β-strand. ► At equilibrium, A164–A165 exhibits cooperativity, but A168–A169 domains do not interact. ► Modeling using kinetic data shows that an intermediate accumulates in A164–A165. ► Biophysical studies show that these homologous proteins exhibit very different properties.

The highly oriented filamentous protein network of muscle constantly experiences significant mechanical load during muscle operation. The dimeric protein myomesin has been identified as an important M-band component supporting the mechanical integrity of the entire sarcomere. Recent structural studies have revealed a long α-helical linker between the C-terminal immunoglobulin (Ig) domains My12 and My13 of myomesin. In this paper, we have used single-molecule force spectroscopy in combination with molecular dynamics simulations to characterize the mechanics of the myomesin dimer comprising immunoglobulin domains My12–My13. We find that at forces of approximately 30 pN the α-helical linker reversibly elongates allowing the molecule to extend by more than the folded extension of a full domain. High-resolution measurements directly reveal the equilibrium folding/unfolding kinetics of the individual helix. We show that α-helix unfolding mechanically protects the molecule homodimerization from dissociation at physiologically relevant forces. As fast and reversible molecular springs the myomesin α-helical linkers are an essential component for the structural integrity of the M band.

Ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s) coordinate distinct types of ubiquitination via specific E3 ligases, to a large number of protein substrates. While many E2 enzymes need only the presence of an E3 ligase for substrate ubiquitination, a number of E2s require additional, non-canonical binding partners to specify their function. Here, we have determined the crystal structure and function of an E2/co-activator assembly, the Pex4p:Pex22p complex. The peroxisome-associated E2 enzyme Pex4p binds the peroxisomal membrane protein Pex22p through a binding site that does not overlap with any other known interaction interface in E2 enzymes. Pex22p association enhances Pex4p's ability to transfer ubiquitin to a substrate in vitro, and Pex22p binding-deficient forms of Pex4p are unable to ubiquitinate the peroxisomal import receptor Pex5p in vivo. Our data demonstrate that the Pex4p:Pex22p assembly, and not Pex4p alone, functions as the E2 enzyme required for Pex5p ubiquitination, establishing a novel mechanism of E2 enzyme regulation.

To meet the demand on genetically encoded reporter molecules for live cell imaging, we introduce a new facile combined cloning and FRET reporter analysis strategy. The versatile and fully orthogonal cloning approach involves a set of up to 36 vectors featuring a variety of fluorescent protein FRET pairs and different length linkers. The construct set was successfully applied to two calmodulin-binding proteins, the death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II α (Camk2a). Clone analysis and reporter validation was performed by printing plasmid DNA arrays and subsequent semiautomated microscopy of reversely transfected cells. Characterization of the best performing DAPK1 and Camk2a reporters revealed significant differences in translating calcium signals into kinase responses despite the close functional and structural similarity.

Background The non-pathogenic bacterium Mycobacterium smegmatis is widely used as a near-native expression host for the purification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteins. Unfortunately, the Hsp60 chaperone GroEL1, which is relatively highly expressed, is often co-purified with polyhistidine-tagged recombinant proteins as a major contaminant when using this expression system. This is likely due to a histidine-rich C-terminus in GroEL1. Results In order to improve purification efficiency and yield of polyhistidine-tagged mycobacterial target proteins, we created a mutant version of GroEL1 by removing the coding sequence for the histidine-rich C-terminus, termed GroEL1ΔC. GroEL1ΔC, which is a functional protein, is no longer able to bind nickel affinity beads. Using a selection of challenging test proteins, we show that GroEL1ΔC is no longer present in protein samples purified from the groEL1ΔC expression strain and demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of purifying and characterising proteins produced using this strain. Conclusions This novel Mycobacterium smegmatis expression strain allows efficient expression and purification of mycobacterial proteins while concomitantly removing the troublesome contaminant GroEL1 and consequently increasing the speed and efficiency of protein purification.

9 páginas, 7 figuras, 2 tablas -- PAGS nros. 690-698, The reactive oxygen species hydrogen peroxide is a byproduct of the -oxidation process that occurs in peroxisomes. Since reactive oxygen species can cause serious damage to biomolecules, a number of scavengers control their intracellular levels. One such scavenger that is present in the peroxisome is the oxidoreductase catalase. In this study, the crystal structure of heterologously expressed peroxisomal catalase from the thermotolerant yeast Hansenula polymorpha has been determined at 2.9 Å resolution. H. polymorpha catalase is a typical peroxisomal catalase; it is tetrameric and is highly similar to catalases from other organisms. However, its hydrogen peroxide-degrading activity is higher than those of a number of other catalases for which structural data are available. Structural superimpositions indicate that the nature of the major channel, the path for hydrogen peroxide to the active site, varies from those seen in other catalase structures, an observation that may account for the high activity of H. polymorpha catalase, This project was partially supported by a Rubicon Fellowship from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) awarded to CW (825.08.023) and performed under the PhD program `Structure and Function of Proteins' from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)

Rationale: Telethonin (also known as titin-cap or t-cap ) is a 19-kDa Z-disk protein with a unique β-sheet structure, hypothesized to assemble in a palindromic way with the N-terminal portion of titin and to constitute a signalosome participating in the process of cardiomechanosensing. In addition, a variety of telethonin mutations are associated with the development of several different diseases; however, little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms and telethonin's in vivo function. Objective: Here we aim to investigate the role of telethonin in vivo and to identify molecular mechanisms underlying disease as a result of its mutation. Methods and Results: By using a variety of different genetically altered animal models and biophysical experiments we show that contrary to previous views, telethonin is not an indispensable component of the titin-anchoring system, nor is deletion of the gene or cardiac specific overexpression associated with a spontaneous cardiac phenotype. Rather, additional titin-anchorage sites, such as actin–titin cross-links via α-actinin, are sufficient to maintain Z-disk stability despite the loss of telethonin. We demonstrate that a main novel function of telethonin is to modulate the turnover of the proapoptotic tumor suppressor p53 after biomechanical stress in the nuclear compartment, thus linking telethonin, a protein well known to be present at the Z-disk, directly to apoptosis (“mechanoptosis”). In addition, loss of telethonin mRNA and nuclear accumulation of this protein is associated with human heart failure, an effect that may contribute to enhanced rates of apoptosis found in these hearts. Conclusions: Telethonin knockout mice do not reveal defective heart development or heart function under basal conditions, but develop heart failure following biomechanical stress, owing at least in part to apoptosis of cardiomyocytes, an effect that may also play a role in human heart failure.

Background The majority of peroxisomal matrix proteins destined for translocation into the peroxisomal lumen are recognised via a C-terminal Peroxisomal Target Signal type 1 by the cycling receptor Pex5p. The only structure to date of Pex5p in complex with a cargo protein is that of the C-terminal cargo-binding domain of the receptor with sterol carrier protein 2, a small, model peroxisomal protein. In this study, we have tested the contribution of a second, ancillary receptor-cargo binding site, which was found in addition to the characterised Peroxisomal Target Signal type 1. Results To investigate the function of this secondary interface we have mutated two key residues from the ancillary binding site and analyzed the level of binding first by a yeast-two-hybrid assay, followed by quantitative measurement of the binding affinity and kinetics of purified protein components and finally, by in vivo measurements, to determine translocation capability. While a moderate but significant reduction of the interaction was found in binding assays, we were not able to measure any significant defects in vivo. Conclusions Our data therefore suggest that at least in the case of sterol carrier protein 2 the contribution of the second binding site is not essential for peroxisomal import. At this stage, however, we cannot rule out that other cargo proteins may require this ancillary binding site.

No abstract available

The protein Pex19p functions as a receptor and chaperone of peroxisomal membrane proteins (PMPs). The crystal structure of the folded C-terminal part of the receptor reveals a globular domain that displays a bundle of three long helices in an antiparallel arrangement. Complementary functional experiments, using a range of truncated Pex19p constructs, show that the structured alpha-helical domain binds PMP-targeting signal (mPTS) sequences with about 10 muM affinity. Removal of a conserved N-terminal helical segment from the mPTS recognition domain impairs the ability for mPTS binding, indicating that it forms part of the mPTS-binding site. Pex19p variants with mutations in the same sequence segment abolish correct cargo import. Our data indicate a divided N-terminal and C-terminal structural arrangement in Pex19p, which is reminiscent of a similar division in the Pex5p receptor, to allow separation of cargo-targeting signal recognition and additional functions.

The future of industrial biotechnology requires efficient development of highly productive and robust strains of microorganisms. Present praxis of strain development cannot adequately fulfill this requirement, primarily owing to the inability to control reactions precisely at a molecular level, or to predict reliably the behavior of cells upon perturbation. Recent developments in two areas of biology are changing the situation rapidly: structural biology has revealed details about enzymes and associated bioreactions at an atomic level; and synthetic biology has provided tools to design and assemble precisely controllable modules for re-programming cellular metabolic circuitry. However, because of different emphases, to date, these two areas have developed separately. A linkage between them is desirable to harness their concerted potential. We therefore propose structural synthetic biotechnology as a new field in biotechnology, specifically for application to the development of industrial microbial strains.

Death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) provides a model for calcium-bound calmodulin (CaM)–dependent protein kinases (CaMKs). Here, we report the crystal structure of the binary DAPK-CaM complex, using a construct that includes the DAPK catalytic domain and adjacent autoregulatory domain. When DAPK was in a complex with CaM, the DAPK autoregulatory domain formed a long seven-turn helix. This DAPK-CaM module interacted with the DAPK catalytic domain through two separate domain-domain interfaces, which involved the upper and the lower lobe of the catalytic domain. When bound to DAPK, CaM adopted an extended conformation, which was different from that in CaM-CaMK peptide complexes. Complementary biochemical analysis showed that the ability of DAPK to bind CaM correlated with its catalytic activity. Because many features of CaM binding are conserved in other CaMKs, our findings likely provide a generally applicable model for regulation of CaMK activity.

Recombinant non-phosphorylating NAD+-dependent glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPN) of the hyperthermophilic crenarchaeote Thermoproteus tenax has been overexpressed, purified and crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique. Crystals of different habits were obtained from several precipitant solutions (salts and polyethylene glycols). Preliminary X-ray analysis was performed with crystals grown in ammonium formate, which belonged to the primitive hexagonal space group P622, and had unit-cell parameters a = b = 184.8, c = 133.0 Å, γ = 120°. Assuming a molecular weight of 55 kDa, a Matthews parameter of 3.3 Å3 Da−1 is calculated assuming two molecules per asymmetric unit. The diffraction limit of these crystals is 2.5 Å resolution.

The journal of biological chemistry 284, 25334-25342 (2009). doi:10.1074/jbc.M109.002311, Published by Soc., Bethesda, Md.

A strategy for the accurate determination of protein solution structures starting from X-ray data and a minimal set of NMR data is proposed and successfully applied to two complexes of calmodulin (CaM) with target peptides not previously described. Its implementation in the present case is based on the use of lanthanide ions as substitutes for calcium in one of the four calcium binding sites of CaM and the collection of pseudocontact shift (pcs) and residual dipolar coupling (rdc) restraints induced by the paramagnetic metals. Starting from the crystal structures, new structural models are calculated that are in excellent agreement with the paramagnetic restraints and differ significantly from the starting crystal structures. In particular, in both complexes, a change in orientation of the first helix of the N-terminal CaM domain and of the whole C-terminal domain is observed. The simultaneous use of paramagnetic pcs and rdc restraints has the following crucial advantages: (i) it allows one to assess the possible presence of interdomain conformational freedom, which cannot be detected if the rdc values are derived from external orienting media; (ii) in the absence of significant conformational freedom, the global orientation tensor can be independently and precisely determined from pcs values, which are less sensitive than rdc values to the presence of local structural inaccuracies, and therefore (iii) the relative rearrangement of a domain or a secondary structure element with respect to the metal-bearing domain can be detected.

The EMBO journal 28, 745-754 (2009). doi:10.1038/emboj.2009.7, Protein import into peroxisomes depends on a complex and dynamic network of protein–protein interactions. Pex14 is a central component of the peroxisomal import machinery and binds the soluble receptors Pex5 and Pex19, which have important function in the assembly of peroxisome matrix and membrane, respectively. We show that the N‐terminal domain of Pex14, Pex14(N), adopts a three‐helical fold. Pex5 and Pex19 ligand helices bind competitively to the same surface in Pex14(N) albeit with opposite directionality. The molecular recognition involves conserved aromatic side chains in the Pex5 WxxxF/Y motif and a newly identified F/YFxxxF sequence in Pex19. The Pex14–Pex5 complex structure reveals molecular details for a critical interaction in docking Pex5 to the peroxisomal membrane. We show that mutations of Pex14 residues located in the Pex5/Pex19 binding region disrupt Pex5 and/or Pex19 binding in vitro. The corresponding full‐length Pex14 variants are impaired in peroxisomal membrane localisation in vivo, showing that the molecular interactions mediated by the N‐terminal domain modulate peroxisomal targeting of Pex14., Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ [u.a.]

figuras, The role of mechanical force in cellular processes is increasingly revealed by single molecule experiments and simulations of force-induced transitions in proteins. How the applied force propagates within proteins determines their mechanical behavior yet remains largely unknown. We present a new method based on molecular dynamics simulations to disclose the distribution of strain in protein structures, here for the newly determined high-resolution crystal structure of I27, a titin immunoglobulin (IG) domain. We obtain a sparse, spatially connected, and highly anisotropic mechanical network. This allows us to detect load-bearing motifs composed of interstrand hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic core interactions, including parts distal to the site to which force was applied. The role of the force distribution pattern for mechanical stability is tested by in silico unfolding of I27 mutants. We then compare the observed force pattern to the sparse network of coevolved residues found in this family. We find a remarkable overlap, suggesting the force distribution to reflect constraints for the evolutionary design of mechanical resistance in the IG family. The force distribution analysis provides a molecular interpretation of coevolution and opens the road to the study of the mechanism of signal propagation in proteins in general., All funding was provided by the Max Planck Society

Three successive steps in tryptophan biosynthesis are catalyzed by single-domain proteins, each folded as a parallel beta/alpha-barrel, as observed in the crystal structures of the bienzyme (phosphoribosyl)-anthranilate isomerase:indoleglycerolphosphate synthase from Escherichia coli [Priestle, J.P., Grutter, M. G., White, J. L., Vincent, M. G., Kania, M., Wilson, E., Jardetzky, T. S., Kirschner, K., & Jansonius, J. N. (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 5690-5694] and the alpha-subunit of the tetrameric bienzyme tryptophan synthase from Salmonella typhimurium [Hyde, C. C., Ahmed, S. A., Padlan, E. A., Miles, E. W., & Davies, D. R. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 17857-17871]. Recent refinement of the crystal structures of these enzymes at atomic resolution revealed that they contain a common phosphate group binding site in the beta/alpha-barrel, created by residues of the loop between beta-strand 7 and alpha-helix 7 and the N-terminus of an additional helix 8'. The close similarities of their beta/alpha-barrel structures permitted the alignment of 50-75% of their respective amino acid sequences. Considerable sequence similarity was detected in the regions spanning the phosphate binding sites, whereas the percentage of identical residues was barely significant for the remaining parts of the enzymes. These observations suggest divergent evolution of these three beta/alpha-barrel enzymes involved in tryptophan biosynthesis. The same phosphate binding site was also observed in six other beta/alpha-barrel enzymes that are functionally unrelated to those involved in tryptophan biosynthesis: triosephosphate isomerase, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, glycolate oxidase, flavocytochrome b2, trimethylamine dehydrogenase, and tentatively also fructosebisphosphate aldolase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A great challenge in the proteomics and structural genomics era is to discover protein structure and function, including the identification of biological partners. Experimental investigation is costly and time-consuming, making computational methods very attractive for predicting protein function. In this work, we used the existing structural information in the SH3 family to first extract all SH3 structural features important for binding and then used this information to select the right templates to homology model most of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae SH3 domains. Second, we classified, based on ligand orientation with respect to the SH3 domain, all SH3 peptide ligands into 29 conformations, of which 18 correspond to variants of canonical type I and type II conformations and 11 correspond to non-canonical conformations. Available SH3 templates were expanded by chimera construction to cover some sequence variability and loop conformations. Using the 29 ligand conformations and the homology models, we modelled all possible complexes. Using these complexes and in silico mutagenesis scanning, we constructed position-specific ligand binding matrices. Using these matrices, we determined which sequences will be favorable for every SH3 domain and then validated them with available experimental data. Our work also allowed us to identify key residues that determine loop conformation in SH3 domains, which could be used to model human SH3 domains and do target prediction. The success of this methodology opens the way for sequence-based, genome-wide prediction of protein-protein interactions given enough structural coverage.

International audience; The function of the Ets-1 transcription factor is regulated by two regions that flank its DNA-binding domain. A previously established mechanism for auto-inhibition of monomeric Ets-1 on DNA response elements with a single ETS-binding site, however, has not been observed for the stromelysin-1 promoter containing two palindromic ETS-binding sites. We present the structure of Ets-1 on this promoter element, revealing a ternary complex in which protein homo-dimerization is mediated by the specific arrangement of the two ETS-binding sites. In this complex, the N-terminal-flanking region is required for ternary protein-DNA assembly. Ets-1 variants, in which residues from this region are mutated, loose the ability for DNA-mediated dimerization and stromelysin-1 promoter transactivation. Thus, our data unravel the molecular basis for relief of auto-inhibition and the ability of Ets-1 to function as a facultative dimeric transcription factor on this site. Our findings may also explain previous data of Ets-1 function in the context of heterologous transcription factors, thus providing a molecular model that could also be valid for Ets-1 regulation by hetero-oligomeric assembly.

The recombinant synthase domain of the bifunctional enzyme N-(5'-phosphoribosyl)anthranilate isomerase:indole-3-glycerol-phosphate synthase from Escherichia coli has been crystallized, and the structure has been solved at 4 A resolution. Two closely related crystal forms grown from ammonium sulphate diffract to 2 A resolution. One form (space group R32, a = 163 A, alpha = 29.5 degrees) contains the unliganded synthase domain; the second crystal form (space group P6(3)22, a = 144 A, c = 158 A) is co-crystallized with the substrate analogue N-(5'-phosphoribit-1-yl)anthranilate. The structure of the synthase-inhibitor complex has been solved by the molecular replacement method. This achievement represents the first successful use of a (beta alpha)8-barrel monomer as a trial model. The recombinant synthase domain associates as a trimer in the crystal, the molecules being related by a pseudo-crystallographic triad. The interface contacts between the three domains are mediated by those residues that are also involved in the domain interface of the bifunctional enzyme. This system provides a model for an interface which is used in both intermolecular and intramolecular domain contacts.

Tuberculosis has become one of the deadliest global emergencies due to the widespread existence of multiple drug resistance strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the increase of immuno-compromised populations in large parts of the world. Although the complete genome of M. tuberculosis became available in 1998, opening unprecedented opportunities for target-specific drug development, the progress since then has been slow, mainly due to a lack of a sufficiently strong interest by pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. One of the most promising tools for future drug discovery lies in the elucidation of the molecular structures of potential drug targets from the M. tuberculosis proteome. During the last five years, the structures of about 200 unique targets have already been determined, which comprise about 5% of the entire M. tuberculosis proteome. As an example, we present the approach and some of the key achievements of the X-MTB consortium based in Germany. We summarize and discuss some recent highlights of potential drug targets of M. tuberculosis involved in lipid metabolism, protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation and amino acid biosynthesis. The achievements of several structural genomics consortia that focus on targets from the M. tuberculosis proteome are now providing a solid framework to support coordinated international approaches for future structure-based drug discovery programs at the interface between industrial enterprises and academic research. One of the objectives will be to focus on target complexes, in addition to single targets that dominate the present repository of structures from the M. tuberculosis proteome.

Cytochrome P450 BM-3 (EC 1.14.14.1) catalyzes valuable oxygenation reactions for a broad range of industrially important substrates. Many of these substrates are poorly water-soluble, and P450 BM-3 is rapidly inactivated in presence of organic cosolvents. (Wong, T.S.; Arnold, F.H.; Schwaneberg, U. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 85 (3) 351−8.) Understanding how cosolvents reduce P450 BM-3 activity is of high academic and industrial interest. In a first attempt, we investigated the inactivation mechanism of DMSO by crystallizing P450 BM-3 heme domain (BMP) in 14% (v/v) and 28% (v/v) DMSO, denoted as Lo-DMSO and Hi-DMSO. The overall structures of Lo-DMSO (2.1 A) and Hi-DMSO (1.7 A) are similar to the reported structure (1BU7) in absence of DMSO. No indication of partial or global unfolding was found in the Lo-DMSO and Hi-DMSO structures as predicted by our previous molecular dynamics simulations and UV−vis measurements. In the Lo-DMSO structure, we observed a nonplanar distortion of heme and a displaced sixth water lig...

Background The C-terminal tetratricopeptide (TPR) repeat domain of Pex5p recognises proteins carrying a peroxisomal targeting signal type 1 (PTS1) tripeptide in their C-terminus. Previously, structural data have been obtained from the TPR domain of Pex5p in both the liganded and unliganded states, indicating a conformational change taking place upon cargo protein binding. Such a conformational change would be expected to play a major role both during PTS1 protein recognition as well as in cargo release into the peroxisomal lumen. However, little information is available on the factors that may regulate such structural changes. Results We have used a range of biophysical and computational methods to further analyse the conformational flexibility and ligand binding of Pex5p. A new crystal form for the human Pex5p C-terminal domain (Pex5p(C)) was obtained in the presence of Sr2+ ions, and the structure presents a novel conformation, distinct from all previous liganded and apo crystal structures for Pex5p(C). The difference relates to a near-rigid body movement of two halves of the molecule, and this movement is different from that required to reach a ring-like conformation upon PTS1 ligand binding. The bound Sr2+ ion changes the dynamic properties of Pex5p(C) affecting its conformation, possibly by making the Sr2+-binding loop – located near the hinge region for the observed domain motions – more rigid. Conclusion The current data indicate that Pex5p(C) is able to sample a range of conformational states in the absence of bound PTS1 ligand. The domain movements between various apo conformations are distinct from those involved in ligand binding, although the differences between all observed conformations so far can be characterised by the movement of the two halves of Pex5p(C) as near-rigid bodies with respect to each other.

The resuscitation-promoting factor RpfB, the most complex of the five resuscitation-promoting factors produced by M. tuberculosis, is devoted to bacterial reactivation from the dormant state. RpfB consists of 362 residues predicted to form five domains. An RpfB fragment containing the protein catalytic domain and a G5 domain has been successfully crystallized using vapour-diffusion methods. This is the first crystallographic study of a resuscitation-promoting factor. Crystals of this protein belong to space group I422, with unit-cell parameters a = 97.63, b = 97.63, c = 114.87 A. Diffraction data have also been collected from a selenomethionine derivative at 2.9 A resolution. Model building using the phases derived from the multiwavelength anomalous dispersion experiment is in progress.

Sterol carrier protein 2 (SCP2) has been investigated by nearly native electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry in the presence of long chain fatty acyl CoAs (LCFA-CoAs) and carnitine derivatives of equivalent fatty acid chain length (LCFA-carnitines). Four SCP2 constructs were compared to examine the influence of the N-terminal presequence and the C-terminal peroxisomal targeting signal on ligand binding. Removal of N- or C-terminal residues did not influence ligand binding. The observation that LCFA-CoAs are high affinity ligands for SCP2 was confirmed, while LCFA-carnitines were demonstrated for the first time not to interact with SCP2. LCFA-CoAs formed non-covalent complexes with SCP2 of 2:1 and 1:1 stoichiometry, which could be dissociated by elevating the energy of the ions upon entrance to the mass spectrometer. A fluorescence-competition assay using Nile Red butyric acid confirmed the mass spectrometric observations in solution. The physiological significance of the lack of LCFA-carnitine binding by SCP2 is discussed.

Alcohol oxidase (AO) is a peroxisomal, homo-octameric flavoenzyme, which catalyzes methanol oxidation in methylotrophic yeast. Here, we report on the generation of soluble, FAD-lacking AO monomers. Using steady-state fluorescence, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, circular dichroism and static light scattering approaches, we demonstrate that FAD-lacking AO monomers are formed upon incubation of purified, native octameric AO in a solution containing 50% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). Upon removal of DMSO the protein remained monomeric and soluble and did not contain FAD. Binding experiments revealed that the AO monomers bind to purified pyruvate carboxylase, a protein that plays a role in the formation of enzymatically active AO octamers in vivo.

23 different crystal forms of 19 different biological macromolecules were examined with respect to their anomalously scattering substructures using diffraction data collected at a wavelength of 2.0 A (6.2 keV). In more than 90% of the cases the substructure was found to contain more than just the protein S atoms. The data presented suggest that chloride, sulfate, phosphate or metal ions from the buffer or even from the purification protocol are frequently bound to the protein molecule and that these ions are often overlooked, especially if they are not bound at full occupancy. Thus, in order to fully describe the macromolecule under study, it seems desirable that any structure determination be complemented with a long-wavelength data set.