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Cyanuric acid is a common environmental contaminant and a metabolic intermediate in the catabolism of s-triazine compounds, including atrazine and other herbicides. Cyanuric acid is catabolized via a number of bacterial pathways, including one first identified in Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP, which is encoded by a single, five-gene operon (atzDGEHF) found on a self-transmissible plasmid. The discovery of two of the five genes (atzG and atzH) was reported in 2018 and although the function of atzG was determined, the role of atzH was unclear. Here, we present the first in vitro reconstruction of the complete, five-protein cyanuric acid catabolism pathway, which indicates that AtzH may be an amidase responsible for converting 1,3-dicarboxyurea (the AtzE product) to allophanate (the AtzF substrate). We have solved the AtzH structure (a DUF3225 protein from the NTF2 superfamily) and used it to predict the substrate-binding pocket. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments suggest that two residues (Tyr22 and Arg46) are needed for catalysis. We also show that atzH homologs are commonly found in Proteobacteria associated with homologs of the atzG and atzE genes. The genetic context of these atzG-atzE-atzH clusters imply that they have a role in the catabolism of nitrogenous compounds. Moreover, their presence in many genomes in the absence of homologs of atzD and atzF suggests that the atzG-atzE-atzH cluster may pre-date the evolution of the cyanuric acid catabolism operon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biuret deamination is an essential step in cyanuric acid mineralization. In the well-studied atrazine degrading bacterium Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP, the amidase AtzE catalyzes this step. However, Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae 3841 uses an unrelated cysteine hydrolase, BiuH, instead. Herein, structures of BiuH, BiuH with bound inhibitor and variants of BiuH are reported. The substrate is bound in the active site by a hydrogen bonding network that imparts high substrate specificity. The structure of the inactive Cys175Ser BiuH variant with substrate bound in the active site revealed that an active site cysteine (Cys175), aspartic acid (Asp36) and lysine (Lys142) form a catalytic triad, which is consistent with biochemical studies of BiuH variants. Finally, molecular dynamics simulations highlighted the presence of three channels from the active site to the enzyme surface: a persistent tunnel gated by residues Val218 and Gln215 forming a potential substrate channel and two smaller channels formed by Val28 and a mobile loop (including residues Phe41, Tyr47 and Met51) that may serve as channels for co-product (ammonia) or co-substrate (water). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of new biocatalysts using ancestral sequence reconstruction is reported. When applied to an ̉-transaminase, the ancestral proteins demonstrated novel and superior activities with eighty percent of the forty compounds tested compared to the modern day protein, and improvements in activity of up to twenty fold. These included a range of compounds pertinent as feedstocks in polyamide manufacture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Toblerone fold was discovered recently when the first structure of the cyclic amide hydrolase, AtzD (a cyanuric acid hydrolase), was elucidated. We surveyed the cyclic amide hydrolase family, finding a strong correlation between phylogenetic distribution and specificity for either cyanuric acid or barbituric acid. One of six classes (IV) could not be tested due to a lack of expression of the proteins from it, and another class (V) had neither cyanuric acid nor barbituric acid hydrolase activity. High-resolution X-ray structures were obtained for a class VI barbituric acid hydrolase (1.7 Å) from a Rhodococcus species and a class V cyclic amide hydrolase (2.4 Å) from a Frankia species for which we were unable to identify a substrate. Both structures were homologous with the tetrameric Toblerone fold enzyme AtzD, demonstrating a high degree of structural conservation within the cyclic amide hydrolase family. The barbituric acid hydrolase structure did not contain zinc, in contrast with early reports of zinc-dependent activity for this enzyme. Instead, each barbituric acid hydrolase monomer contained either Na+ or Mg2+, analogous to the structural metal found in cyanuric acid hydrolase. The Frankia cyclic amide hydrolase contained no metal but instead formed unusual, reversible, intermolecular vicinal disulfide bonds that contributed to the thermal stability of the protein. The active sites were largely conserved between the three enzymes, differing at six positions, which likely determine substrate specificity. IMPORTANCE The Toblerone fold enzymes catalyze an unusual ring-opening hydrolysis with cyclic amide substrates. A survey of these enzymes shows that there is a good correlation between physiological function and phylogenetic distribution within this family of enzymes and provide insights into the evolutionary relationships between the cyanuric acid and barbituric acid hydrolases. This family of enzymes is structurally and mechanistically distinct from other enzyme families; however, to date the structure of just two, physiologically identical, enzymes from this family has been described. We present two new structures: a barbituric acid hydrolase and an enzyme of unknown function. These structures confirm that members of the CyAH family have the unusual Toblerone fold, albeit with some significant differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously isolated the transaminase KES23458 from Pseudomonas sp. strain AAC as a promising biocatalyst for the production of 12-aminododecanoic acid, a constituent building block of nylon-12. Here, we report the subsequent characterization of this transaminase. It exhibits activity with a broad substrate range which includes α-, β-, and ω-amino acids, as well as α,ω-diamines and a number of other industrially relevant compounds. It is therefore a prospective candidate for the biosynthesis of a range of polyamide monomers. The crystal structure of KES23458 revealed that the protein forms a dimer containing a large active site pocket and unusual phosphorylated histidine residues. To infer the physiological role of the transaminase, we expressed, purified, and characterized a dehydrogenase from the same operon, KES23460. Unlike the transaminase, the dehydrogenase was shown to be quite selective, catalyzing the oxidation of malonic acid semialdehyde, formed from β-alanine transamination via KES23458. In keeping with previous reports, the dehydrogenase was shown to catalyze both a coenzyme A (CoA)-dependent reaction to form acetyl-CoA and a significantly slower CoA-independent reaction to form acetate. These findings support the original functional assignment of KES23458 as a β-alanine transaminase. However, a seemingly well-adapted active site and promiscuity toward unnatural compounds, such as 12-aminododecanoic acid, suggest that this enzyme could perform multiple functions for Pseudomonas sp. strain AAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the need for a systematic and standard naming nomenclature within the field of macromolecular crystallisation, and presents a set of rules and standard names which provides a start towards this end. The field of protein crystallisation is populated by biologists and chemists, and the dictionary in use needs to be unambiguous to both disciplines, yet must have useability as the most fundamental tenet if it is going to be widely adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The REMARK280 field of the Protein Data Bank is the richest open source of successful crystallization information. The REMARK280 field is optional and currently uncurated, so significant effort needs to be applied to extract reliable data. There are well over 15 000 crystallization conditions available commercially from 12 different vendors. After putting the PDB crystallization information and the commercial cocktail data into a consistent format, these data are used to extract information about the overlap between the two sets of crystallization conditions. An estimation is made as to which commercially available conditions are most appropriate for producing well diffracting crystals by looking at which commercial conditions are found unchanged (or almost unchanged) in the PDB. Further analyses include which commercial kits are the most appropriate for shotgun or more traditional approaches to crystallization screening. This analysis suggests that almost 40% of the crystallization conditions found currently in the PDB are identical or very similar to a commercial condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterodimeric ligand-binding region of the Bovicola ovis ecdysone receptor has been crystallized either in the presence of an ecdysteroid or a synthetic methylene lactam insecticide. Two X-ray crystallographic structures, determined at 2.7 Å resolution, show that the ligand-binding domains of both subunits of this receptor, like those of other nuclear receptors, can display significant conformational flexibility. Thermal melt experiments show that while ponasterone A stabilizes the higher order structure of the heterodimer in solution, the methylene lactam destabilizes it. The conformations of the EcR and USP subunits observed in the structure crystallized in the presence of the methylene lactam have not been seen previously in any ecdysone receptor structure and represent a new level of conformational flexibility for these important receptors. Interestingly, the new USP conformation presents an open, unoccupied ligand-binding pocket. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonicanhydrase IX (CA IX) is a target for hypoxic cancer therapies,and the discovery of CA IX selective ligands is imperative for thedevelopment of these agents. Primary sulfonamides are broad specificityinhibitors of CA enzymes, while secondary sulfonamides are generallypoor CA inhibitors. However, saccharin, a cyclic secondary sulfonamide,has unusually good inhibition of CA IX (Ki= 103 nM). In this study, we demonstrate that the affinity and selectivityof saccharin for CA IX can be further modulated when linked to hydrophobicor hydrophilic substituents. The hydrophilic glycoconjugatederivative (12) showed improved inhibition of CA IX (Ki= 49.5 nM) and extremely poor inhibition ofthe predominant off-target CAs (Ki>50 000nM) compared to saccharin. This >1000-fold selectivity for CA IXoveroff-target CAs is unprecedented for classical primary sulfonamideCA inhibitors. Our study highlights the potential of cyclic secondarysulfonamides to be exploited for the discovery of potent, cancer-selectiveCA inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cyanuric acid hydrolase, AtzD, is the founding member of a newly identified family of ring-opening amidases. We report the first X-ray structure for this family, which is a novel fold (termed the 'Toblerone' fold) that likely evolved via the concatenation of monomers of the trimeric YjgF superfamily and the acquisition of a metal binding site. Structures of AtzD with bound substrate (cyanuric acid) and inhibitors (phosphate, barbituric acid and melamine), along with mutagenesis studies, allowed the identification of the active site. The AtzD monomer, active site and substrate all possess threefold rotational symmetry, to the extent that the active site possesses three potential Ser- Lys catalytic dyads. A single catalytic dyad ( Ser85- Lys42) is hypothesized, based on biochemical evidence and crystallographic data. A plausible catalytic mechanism based on these observations is also presented. A comparison with a homology model of the related barbiturase, Bar, was used to infer the active-site residues responsible for substrate specificity, and the phylogeny of the 68 AtzD-like enzymes in the database were analysed in light of this structure-function relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auxins are important for plant growth and development, including the control of fruit ripening. Conjugation to amino acids by indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)-amido synthetases is an important part of auxin homeostasis. The structure of the auxin-conjugating Gretchen Hagen3-1 (GH3-1) enzyme from grapevine (Vitis vinifera), in complex with an inhibitor (adenosine-5′-[2-(1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]phosphate), is presented. Comparison with a previously published benzoate-conjugating enzyme from Arabidopsis thaliana indicates that grapevine GH3-1 has a highly similar domain structure and also undergoes a large conformational change during catalysis. Mutational analyses and structural comparisons with other proteins have identified residues likely to be involved in acyl group, amino acid, and ATP substrate binding. Vv GH3-1 is a monomer in solution and requires magnesium ions solely for the adenlyation reaction. Modeling of IAA and two synthetic auxins, benzothiazole-2-oxyacetic acid (BTOA) and 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), into the active site indicates that NAA and BTOA are likely to be poor substrates for this enzyme, confirming previous enzyme kinetic studies. This suggests a reason for the increased effectiveness of NAA and BTOA as auxins in planta and provides a tool for designing new and effective auxins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fragment-based screen against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) integrase led to a number of compounds that bound to the lens epithelium derived growth factor (LEDGF) binding site of the integrase catalytic core domain. We determined the crystallographic structures of complexes of the HIV integrase catalytic core domain for 10 of these compounds and quantitated the binding by surface plasmon resonance. We demonstrate that the compounds inhibit the interaction of LEDGF with HIV integrase in a proximity AlphaScreen assay, an assay for the LEDGF enhancement of HIV integrase strand transfer and in a cell based assay. The compounds identified represent a potential framework for the development of a new series of HIV integrase inhibitors that do not bind to the catalytic site of the enzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A database application has been developed for the collection of crystallographic information. This database (the BDP) has been populated with the information found in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). The tool has been used to store crystallization data parsed out of the PDB and these data may be used to extend the crystallization information found in the Biological Macromolecule Crystallization Database (BMCD) and could be used to refine crystallization methodology. A standard is proposed for describing a crystallization experiment that will ease future crystallization data collations and analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the structure of haloalkane dehalogenases from Xanthobacter and Rhodococcus enzymes. Substrate specificity and halide-binding properties of Xanthobacter and Rhodococcus; Comparison of triad topology between Rhodococcus and Xanthobacter enzymes; Importance of haloalkane dehalogenases in industrial and bioremediation applications.

Reports on a study which determined the structure and function of the Escherichia coli UmuD protein. Promotion of a SOS mutagenesis; Molecular mechanisms of the protein; Methodology used to conduct the study; Results of the study.

Focuses on the structure of the UmuD' protein and its regulation in response to DNA damage. Crystal structure of the Escherichia coli UmuD mutagenesis protein; Production of crystallized filaments; Statistics for data collection, MAD phase determination and refinement; Expression and purification.

• The X-ray crystallography of EPA-hCA IX mimic adduct is reported. • The binding mode of EPA within the hCA IX mimic is deciphered. • New persepectives for the anticancer properties of EPA are demonstrated. Epacadostat (EPA), a new and promising anti-cancer small molecule is firmly established as selective inhibitor of the enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1). The X-Ray structure of the human CA IX mimic in complex with EPA is investigated here for the first time and compared to previously reported EPA-CA II adduct. The structural information obtained are all in agreement with the in vitro kinetic data which accounted for a selective inhibition of the CA IX over the CA II isoform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mevalonate kinase is central to the isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway. Here, high‐resolution X‐ray crystal structures of two mevalonate kinases are presented: a eukaryotic protein from Ramazzottius varieornatus and an archaeal protein from Methanococcoides burtonii. Both enzymes possess the highly conserved motifs of the GHMP enzyme superfamily, with notable differences between the two enzymes in the N‐terminal part of the structures. Biochemical characterization of the two enzymes revealed major differences in their sensitivity to geranyl pyrophosphate and farnesyl pyrophosphate, and in their thermal stabilities. This work adds to the understanding of the structural basis of enzyme inhibition and thermostability in mevalonate kinases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NAD-dependent malonate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase KES23460 from Pseudomonas sp. strain AAC makes up half of a bicistronic operon responsible for β-alanine catabolism to produce acetyl-CoA. The KES23460 protein has been heterologously expressed, purified and used to generate crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction studies. The crystals belonged to space group P212121 and diffracted X-rays to beyond 3 Å resolution using the microfocus beamline of the Australian Synchrotron. The structure was solved using molecular replacement, with a monomer from PDB entry as the search model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic prokaryotes with strong potential to be used for industrial terpenoid production. However, the key enzymes forming the principal terpenoid building blocks, called short‐chain prenyltransferases (SPTs), are insufficiently characterized. Here, we examined SPTs in the model cyanobacteria Synechococcus elongatus sp. PCC 7942 and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Each species has a single putative SPT (SeCrtE and SyCrtE, respectively). Sequence analysis identified these as type‐II geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthases (GGPPSs) with high homology to GGPPSs found in the plastids of green plants and other photosynthetic organisms. In vitro analysis demonstrated that SyCrtE is multifunctional, producing geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP; C20) primarily but also significant amounts of farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP, C15) and geranyl pyrophosphate (GPP, C10); whereas SeCrtE appears to produce only GGPP. The crystal structures were solved to 2.02 and 1.37 Å, respectively, and the superposition of the structures against the GGPPS of Synechococcus elongatus sp. PCC 7002 yield a root mean square deviation of 0.8 Å (SeCrtE) and 1.1 Å (SyCrtE). We also discovered that SeCrtE is co‐encoded in an operon with a functional GGPP phosphatase, suggesting metabolic pairing of these two activities and a putative function in tocopherol biosynthesis. This work sheds light on the activity of SPTs and terpenoid synthesis in cyanobacteria. Understanding native prenyl phosphate metabolism is an important step in developing approaches to engineering the production of different chain‐length terpenoids in cyanobacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthozoan chromoproteins are highly pigmented, diversely coloured and readily produced in recombinant expression systems. While they are a versatile and powerful building block in synthetic biology for applications such as biosensor development, they are not widely used in comparison to the related fluorescent proteins, partly due to a lack of structural characterization to aid protein engineering. Here, high‐resolution X‐ray crystal structures of four open‐source chromoproteins, gfasPurple, amilCP, spisPink and eforRed, are presented. These proteins are dimers in solution, and mutation at the conserved dimer interface leads to loss of visible colour development in gfasPurple. The chromophores are trans and noncoplanar in gfasPurple, amilCP and spisPink, while that in eforRed is cis and noncoplanar, and also emits fluorescence. Like other characterized chromoproteins, gfasPurple, amilCP and eforRed contain an sp2‐hybridized N‐acylimine in the peptide bond preceding the chromophore, while spisPink is unusual and demonstrates a true sp3‐hybridized trans‐peptide bond at this position. It was found that point mutations at the chromophore‐binding site in gfasPurple that substitute similar amino acids to those in amilCP and spisPink generate similar colours. These features and observations have implications for the utility of these chromoproteins in protein engineering and synthetic biology applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new approach to carbonicanhydrase II (CA II) inhibitordesign that enables close interrogation of the regions of the CA activesite where there is the greatest variability in amino acid residuesamong the different CA isozymes. By appending dual tail groups ontothe par excellenceCA inhibitor acetazolamide, compoundsthat may interact with the distinct hydrophobic and hydrophilic halvesof the CA II active site were prepared. The dual-tail combinationsselected included (i) two hydrophobic moieties, (ii) two hydrophilicmoieties, and (iii) one hydrophobic and one hydrophilic moiety. TheCA enzyme inhibition profile as well as the protein X-ray crystalstructure of compound 3, comprising one hydrophobic andone hydrophilic tail moiety, in complex with CA II is described. Thisnovel dual-tail approach has provided an enhanced opportunity to morefully exploit interactions with the CA active site by enabling thesemolecules to interact with the distinct halves of the active site.In addition to the dual-tail compounds, a corresponding set of single-tailderivatives was synthesized, enabling a comparative analysis of thesingle-tail versus dual-tail compound CA inhibition profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human vascular adhesion protein 1 (VAP-1) is involved in lymphocyte-endothelial cell adhesion and has been implicated in many human inflammatory diseases. VAP-1 is a member of the copper amine oxidase family of enzymes with a trihydroxyphenylalanine quinone (TPQ) cofactor. Previously characterized crystals of VAP-1 suffered from anisotropy and contained disordered regions; in addition, one form was consistently twinned. In an effort to grow crystals that diffracted to higher resolution for inhibitor-binding studies, a construct with an N-terminal deletion was made and expressed in the Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) glycosylation mutant cell line Lec8. Screening produced crystals that displayed some anisotropy and contained seven molecules per asymmetric unit. These crystals belonged to space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 394.5, b = 115.8, c = 179.3 Å, β = 112.3°. The structure was refined to a resolution of 2.9 Å, with Rcryst and Rfree values of 0.250 and 0.286, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have identified a virus, B/Perth/211/2001, with a spontaneous mutation, D197E in the neuraminidase (NA), which confers cross-resistance to all NA inhibitors. We analyzed enzyme properties of the D197 and E197 NAs and compared these to a D197N NA, known to arise after oseltamivir treatment. Zanamivir and peramivir bound slowly to the wild type NA, but binding of oseltamivir was more rapid. The D197E/N mutations resulted in faster binding of all three inhibitors. Analysis of the crystal structures of D197 and E197 NAs with and without inhibitors showed that the D197E mutation compromised the interaction of neighboring R150 with the N-acetyl group, common to the substrate sialic acid and all NA inhibitors. Although rotation of the E275 in the NA active site occurs upon binding peramivir in both the D197 and E197 NAs, this does not occur upon binding oseltamivir in the E197 NA. Lack of the E275 rotation would also account for the loss of slow binding and the partial resistance of influenza B wild type NAs to oseltamivir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

6-Hydroxymethyl-7,8-dihydropterin pyrophosphokinase (HPPK) catalyzes the Mg2+-dependent transfer of pyrophosphate from ATP to 6-hydroxymethyl-7,8-dihydropterin (HMDP), forming 6-hydroxymethyl-7,8-dihydropterin pyrophosphate, which is a critical step in the de novo folic acid-biosynthesis pathway. Diffraction-quality crystals of HPPK from the medically relevant species Staphylococcus aureus were grown in the presence of ammonium sulfate or sodium malonate and diffracted to better than 1.65 Å resolution. The crystals belonged to space group P21, with unit-cell parameters a = 36.8, b = 76.6, c = 51.5 Å, α = γ = 90.0, β = 100.2°. The crystals contained two molecules per asymmetric unit, with a volume per protein weight ( VM) of 2.04 Å3 Da−1 and an estimated solvent content of 39.6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of crystallization robots for initial screening in macromolecular crystallization is well established. This paper describes how four general optimization techniques, growth-rate modulation, fine screening, seeding and additive screening, have been adapted for automation in a medium-throughput crystallization service facility. The use of automation for more challenging optimization experiments is discussed, as is a novel way of using both the Mosquito and the Phoenix nano-dispensing robots during the setup of a single crystallization plate. This dual-dispenser technique plays to the strengths of both machines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puromycin and the Streptomyces alboniger-derived puromycin N-acetyltransferase (PAC) enzyme form a commonly used system for selecting stably transfected cultured cells. The crystal structure of PAC has been solved using X-ray crystallography, revealing it to be a member of the GCN5-related N-acetyltransferase (GNAT) family of acetyltransferases. Based on structures in complex with acetyl-CoA or the reaction products CoA and acetylated puromycin, four classes of mutations in and around the catalytic site were designed and tested for activity. Single-residue mutations were identified that displayed a range of enzymatic activities, from complete ablation to enhanced activity relative to wild-type (WT) PAC. Cell pools of stably transfected HEK293 cells derived using two PAC mutants with attenuated activity, Y30F and A142D, were found to secrete up to three-fold higher levels of a soluble, recombinant target protein than corresponding pools derived with the WT enzyme. A third mutant, Y171F, appeared to stabilise the intracellular turnover of PAC, resulting in an apparent loss of selection stringency. Our results indicate that the structure-guided manipulation of PAC function can be utilised to enhance selection stringency for the derivation of mammalian cell lines secreting elevated levels of recombinant proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ssr4 is a yeast protein from Schizosaccharomyces pombe and is an essential part of the chromatin‐remodelling [SWI/SNF and RSC (remodelling the structure of chromatin)] complexes found in S. pombe. These complexes (or their homologues) regulate gene expression in eukaryotic organisms, affecting a large number of genes both positively and negatively. The downstream effects are seen in development, and in humans have implications for disease such as cancer. The chromatin structure is altered by modifying the DNA–histone contacts, thus opening up or closing down sections of DNA to specific transcription factors that regulate the transcription of genes. The Ssr4 sequence has little homology to other sequences in the Protein Data Bank, so the structure was solved using an iodine derivative with SAD phasing. The structure of the N‐terminal domain is an antiparallel β‐sheet of seven strands with α‐helices on one side and random coil on the other. The structure is significantly different to deposited structures and was used as a target in the most recent Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction (CASP; https://predictioncenter.org/) competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality in humans, and recent work has focused on the area of immuno‐oncology, in which the immune system is used to specifically target cancerous cells. Ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1) is an emerging therapeutic target in human cancers owing to its role in degrading cyclic GMP‐AMP (cGAMP), an agonist of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING). The available structures of ENPP1 are of the mouse enzyme, and no structures are available with anything other than native nucleotides. Here, the first X‐ray crystal structures of the human ENPP1 enzyme in an apo form, with bound nucleotides and with two known inhibitors are presented. The availability of these structures and a robust crystallization system will allow the development of structure‐based drug‐design campaigns against this attractive cancer therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrazine is an s‐triazine‐based herbicide that is used in many countries around the world in many millions of tons per year. A small number of organisms, such as Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP, have evolved to use this modified s‐triazine as a food source, and the various genes required to metabolize atrazine can be found on a single plasmid. The atomic structures of seven of the eight proteins involved in the breakdown of atrazine by Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP have been determined by X‐ray crystallography, but the structures of the proteins required by the cell to import atrazine for use as an energy source are still lacking. The structure of AtzT, a periplasmic binding protein that may be involved in the transport of a derivative of atrazine, 2‐hydroxyatrazine, into the cell for mineralization, has now been determined. The structure was determined by SAD phasing using an ethylmercury phosphate derivative that diffracted X‐rays to beyond 1.9 Å resolution. 'Native' (guanine‐bound) and 2‐hydroxyatrazine‐bound structures were also determined to high resolution (1.67 and 1.65 Å, respectively), showing that 2‐hydroxyatrazine binds in a similar way to the purportedly native ligand. Structural similarities led to the belief that it may be possible to evolve AtzT from a purine‐binding protein to a protein that can bind and detect atrazine in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonic Anhydrases have been recently validated as novel therapeutic targets in neuropathic pain. In this study, we combine the anticonvulsant propriety of spyrohydantoin and the CA inhibitor moiety of benzenesulfonamide to synthesize a novel series of spyrohydantoin bearing sulfonamides with strong activity against hCA II and VII. These isoforms are present in the nervous system and largely expressed both at the central as well as at peripheral level and can be modulated for pain relief. The crystal structures of hCA II in complex with selected compounds 5a-c demonstrate the importance of the tail in the binding modes within the isoform. Finally, in vivo , in an animal model of oxaliplatin induced neuropathy, compounds with organoselenium tails (8b-c) showed potent neuropathic pain attenuating effects. Taken together, these data strongly suggest the translational utility of these inhibitors as novel pain relievers. Image 1 • Synthesis of novel spyrohidantoin bearing benzenesulfonamide is reported. • Correlation between CAs and neuropathic pain calls for the synthesis of new agents with neuropathic pain modulating effect. • In vitro studies reported potent inhibition activity against CA isoforms correlated to connected to chronic pain. • Determined X-ray structure of hCA II in complex with 3 compounds in order to obtain ligand−protein interactions. • In vivo studies showed good neuropathic pain modulating effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of BgaR, a transcriptional regulator of the lactose operon in Clostridium perfringens, has been solved by SAD phasing using a mercury derivative. BgaR is an exquisite sensor of lactose, with a binding affinity in the low‐micromolar range. This sensor and regulator has been captured bound to lactose and to lactulose as well as in a nominal apo form, and was compared with AraC, another saccharide‐binding transcriptional regulator. It is shown that the saccharides bind in the N‐terminal region of a jelly‐roll fold, but that part of the saccharide is exposed to bulk solvent. This differs from the classical AraC saccharide‐binding site, which is mostly sequestered from the bulk solvent. The structures of BgaR bound to lactose and to lactulose highlight how specific and nonspecific interactions lead to a higher binding affinity of BgaR for lactose compared with lactulose. Moreover, solving multiple structures of BgaR in different space groups, both bound to saccharides and unbound, verified that the dimer interface along a C‐terminal helix is similar to the dimer interface observed in AraC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report the synthesis of natural products (NPs) 5′- O -sulfamoyl adenosine 1 and 5′- O -sulfamoyl-2-chloroadenosine 2 . As primary sulfamates these compounds represent an uncommon class of NPs, furthermore there are few NPs known that contain a N S bond. Compounds 1 and 2 were evaluated for inhibition of carbonic anhydrases (CA), a metalloenzyme family where the primary sulfamate is known to coordinate to the active site zinc and form key hydrogen bonds with adjacent CA active site residues. Both NPs were good to moderate CA inhibitors, with compound 2 a 20–50-fold stronger CA inhibitor ( K i values 65–234 nM) than compound 1 . The protein X-ray crystal structures of 1 and 2 in complex with CA II show that it is not the halogen-hydrophobic interactions that give compound 2 a greater binding energy but a slight movement in orientation of the ribose ring that allows better hydrogen bonds to CA residues. Compounds 1 and 2 were further investigated for antimicrobial activity against a panel of microbes relevant to human health, including Gram-negative bacteria (4 strains), Gram-positive bacteria (1 strain) and yeast (2 strains). Antimicrobial activity and selectivity was observed. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of NP 1 was 10 µM against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and NP 2 was 5 µM against Gram-negative Escherichia coli . This is the first time that NP primary sulfamates have been assessed for inhibition and binding to CAs, with systematic antimicrobial activity studies also reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of selenides bearing benzensulfonamide were investigated as inhibitors of the metalloenzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1). Potent inhibitory action, in the low nanomolar range, was detected against isoforms hCA II and VII, which are known to be involved in neuropathic pain modulation. These selenides showed on the other hand moderate inhibition against the cytosolic isoforms hCA I and transmembrane hCA IX. X-ray crystallographic data of two derivatives bound to hCA II allowed us to rationalize the excellent inhibitory data. In a mice model of neuropathic pain induced by oxaliplatin, some of the strong CA II/VII inhibitors induced a long lasting pain relieving effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanuric acid is a metabolic intermediate of s-triazines, such as atrazine (a common herbicide) and melamine (used in resins and plastics). Cyanuric acid is mineralized to ammonia and carbon dioxide by the soil bacterium Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP via three hydrolytic enzymes (AtzD, AtzE, and AtzF). Here, we report the purification and biochemical and structural characterization of AtzE. Contrary to previous reports, we found that AtzE is not a biuret amidohydrolase, but instead it catalyzes the hydrolytic deamination of 1-carboxybiuret. X-ray crystal structures of apo AtzE and AtzE bound with the suicide inhibitor phenyl phosphorodiamidate revealed that the AtzE enzyme complex consists of two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit. We also show that AtzE forms an α2β2 heterotetramer with a previously unidentified 68-amino acid-long protein (AtzG) encoded in the cyanuric acid mineralization operon from Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP. Moreover, we observed that AtzG is essential for the production of soluble, active AtzE and that this obligate interaction is a vestige of their shared evolutionary origin. We propose that AtzEG was likely recruited into the cyanuric acid-mineralizing pathway from an ancestral glutamine transamidosome that required protein-protein interactions to enforce the exclusion of solvent from the transamidation reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS) is an enzyme of the folate biosynthesis pathway, which catalyzes the formation of 7,8‐dihydropteroate (DHPt) from 6‐hydroxymethyl‐7,8‐dihydropterin pyrophosphate (DHPPP) and para‐aminobenzoic acid (pABA). DHPS is the long‐standing target of the sulfonamide class of antibiotics that compete with pABA. In the wake of sulfa drug resistance, targeting the structurally rigid (and more conserved) pterin site has been proposed as an alternate strategy to inhibit DHPS in wild‐type and sulfa drug resistant strains. Following the work on developing pterin‐site inhibitors of the adjacent enzyme 6‐hydroxymethyl‐7,8‐dihydropterin pyrophosphokinase (HPPK), we now present derivatives of 8‐mercaptoguanine, a fragment that binds weakly within both enzymes, and quantify sub‐μ m binding using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to Escherichia coli DHPS (EcDHPS). Eleven ligand‐bound EcDHPS crystal structures delineate the structure–activity relationship observed providing a structural framework for the rational development of novel, substrate‐envelope‐compliant DHPS inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monotreme lactation protein (MLP) is a recently identified protein with antimicrobial activity. It is present in the milk of monotremes and is unique to this lineage. To characterize MLP and to gain insight into the potential role of this protein in the evolution of lactation, the crystal structure of duck‐billed platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) MLP was determined at 1.82 Å resolution. This is the first structure to be reported for this novel, mammalian antibacterial protein. MLP was expressed as a FLAG epitope‐tagged protein in mammalian cells and crystallized readily, with at least three space groups being observed (P1, C2 and P21). A 1.82 Å resolution native data set was collected from a crystal in space group P1, with unit‐cell parameters a = 51.2, b = 59.7, c = 63.1 Å, α = 80.15, β = 82.98, γ = 89.27°. The structure was solved by SAD phasing using a protein crystal derivatized with mercury in space group C2, with unit‐cell parameters a = 92.7, b = 73.2, c = 56.5 Å, β = 90.28°. MLP comprises a monomer of 12 helices and two short β‐strands, with much of the N‐terminus composed of loop regions. The crystal structure of MLP reveals no three‐dimensional similarity to any known structures and reveals a heretofore unseen fold, supporting the idea that monotremes may be a rich source for the identification of novel proteins. It is hypothesized that MLP in monotreme milk has evolved to specifically support the unusual lactation strategy of this lineage and may have played a central role in the evolution of these mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obtaining well-diffracting crystals of membrane proteins, which is crucial to the molecular-level understanding of their intrinsic three-dimensional structure, dynamics, and function, represents a fundamental bottleneck in the field of structural biology. One of the major advances in the field of membrane protein structural determination was the realization that the nanostructured lipidic cubic phase (LCP) environment constitutes a membrane mimetic matrix that promotes solubilization, stabilization, and crystallization of specific membrane proteins. Despite two decades passing since the introduction of LCP-based membrane protein crystallization, the research community's understanding of the processes that drive protein nucleation and macromolecular assembly in the LCP generally remains limited. In the current study, we present a detailed, systematic investigation into the relationship between the chemical structure of the lipid, the physical properties of the ensuing mesophase, the translational diffusion of the encapsulated membrane protein, and the resulting protein crystallization. Importantly, we show for the first time that cubic phase transport properties directly modulate the size and morphology of fully grown protein crystals without affecting their crystallographic space group. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the LCP-based crystal growth process, setting the stage for the engineering of membrane protein crystals at the molecular level via intentional design of the host cubic phase, and, ultimately, accelerating progress in the field of membrane protein structural biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of a new zinc binding chemotype from screening a nonbiased fragment library is reported. Using the orthogonal fragment screening methods of native state mass spectrometry and surface plasmon resonance a 3-unsubstituted 2,4-oxazolidinedione fragment was found to have low micromolar binding affinity to the zinc metalloenzyme carbonic anhydrase II (CA II). This affinity approached that of fragment sized primary benzenesulfonamides, the classical zinc binding group found in most CA II inhibitors. Protein X-ray crystallography established that 3-unsubstituted 2,4-oxazolidinediones bound to CA II via an interaction of the acidic ring nitrogen with the CA II active site zinc, as well as two hydrogen bonds between the oxazolidinedione ring oxygen and the CA II protein backbone. Furthermore, 3-unsubstituted 2,4-oxazolidinediones appear to be a viable starting point for the development of an alternative class of CA inhibitor, wherein the medicinal chemistry pedigree of primary sulfonamides has dominated for several decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The repeat region of the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (CSP) is a major vaccine antigen because it can be targeted by parasite neutralizing antibodies; however, little is known about this interaction. We used isothermal titration calorimetry, X-ray crystallography and mutagenesis-validated modeling to analyze the binding of a murine neutralizing antibody to Plasmodium falciparum CSP. Strikingly, we found that the repeat region of CSP is bound by multiple antibodies. This repeating pattern allows multiple weak interactions of single FAB domains to accumulate and yield a complex with a dissociation constant in the low nM range. Because the CSP protein can potentially cross-link multiple B cell receptors (BCRs) we hypothesized that the B cell response might be T cell independent. However, while there was a modest response in mice deficient in T cell help, the bulk of the response was T cell dependent. By sequencing the BCRs of CSP-repeat specific B cells in inbred mice we found that these cells underwent somatic hypermutation and affinity maturation indicative of a T-dependent response. Last, we found that the BCR repertoire of responding B cells was limited suggesting that the structural simplicity of the repeat may limit the breadth of the immune response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The putrescine aminotransferase KES24511 from Pseudomonas sp. strain AAC was previously identified as an industrially relevant enzyme based on the discovery that it is able to promiscuously catalyse the transamination of 12-aminododecanoic acid. Here, the cloning, heterologous expression, purification and successful crystallization of the KES24511 protein are reported, which ultimately generated crystals adopting space group I2. The crystals diffracted X-rays to 2.07 Å resolution and data were collected using the microfocus beamline of the Australian Synchrotron. The structure was solved using molecular replacement, with a monomer from PDB entry as the search model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psammaplin C is one of only two described natural product primary sulfonamides. Here we report the synthesis of psammaplin C and evaluate the inhibition profile against therapeutically relevant carbonic anhydrase (CA) zinc metalloenzymes. The compound exhibited unprecedented inhibition of an important cancer-associated isozyme, hCA XII, with a Ki of 0.79 nM. The compound also displayed good isoform selectivity for hCA XII over other CAs. We present the first reported protein X-ray crystal structures of psammaplin C in complex with human CAs. We engineered the easily crystallized hCA II enzyme to mimic both the hCA IX and hCA XII binding sites and then utilized protein X-ray crystallography to determine the binding pose of psammaplin C within the hCA II, hCA IX, and hCA XII mimic active sites, all to high resolution. This is the first time a natural product primary sulfonamide inhibitor has been assessed for inhibition and binding to CAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

6-Hydroxymethyl-7,8-dihydropterin pyrophosphokinase (HPPK) is a member of the folate biosynthesis pathway found in prokaryotes and lower eukaryotes that catalyzes the pyrophosphoryl transfer from the ATP cofactor to a 6-hydroxymethyl-7,8-dihydropterin substrate. We report the chemical synthesis of a series of S-functionalized 8-mercaptoguanine (8MG) analogues as substrate site inhibitors of HPPK and quantify binding against the E. coli and S. aureus enzymes (EcHPPK and SaHPPK). The results demonstrate that analogues incorporating acetophenone-based substituents have comparable affinities for both enzymes. Preferential binding of benzyl-substituted 8MG derivatives to SaHPPK was reconciled when a cryptic pocket unique to SaHPPK was revealed by X-ray crystallography. Differential chemical shift perturbation analysis confirmed this to be a common mode of binding for this series to SaHPPK. One compound (41) displayed binding affinities of 120 nM and 1.76 μM for SaHPPK and EcHPPK, respectively, and represents a lead for the development of more potent and selective inhibitors of SaHPPK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) is contingent on the development of analytical methods to identify weak protein-fragment noncovalent interactions. Herein we have combined an underutilized fragment screening method, native state mass spectrometry, together with two proven and popular fragment screening methods, surface plasmon resonance and X-ray crystallography, in a fragment screening campaign against human carbonic anhydrase II (CA II). In an initial fragment screen against a 720-member fragment library (the "CSIRO Fragment Library") seven CA II binding fragments, including a selection of nonclassical CA II binding chemotypes, were identified. A further 70 compounds that comprised the initial hit chemotypes were subsequently sourced from the full CSIRO compound collection and screened. The fragment results were extremely well correlated across the three methods. Our findings demonstrate that there is a tremendous opportunity to apply native state mass spectrometry as a complementary fragment screening method to accelerate drug discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fragment-based screening of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) integrase revealed several aromatic carboxylic acid fragment hits, some of which bound weakly at the site on the HIV-integrase catalytic core domain that binds the lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF). Virtual screening of an internal database identified an analogue that bound with higher affinity and in an isomerised form to the LEDGF binding site. The starting lactone was stable in CDCl3; however, an unexpected isomerisation process occurred in [D6]DMSO to give the same isomer found in the LEDGF binding site. This hit led directly to a series of low-micromolar LEDGF inhibitors and, via a scaffold hop, to a series of allosteric binding site inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The N-isopropylammelide isopropylaminohydrolase from Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP, AtzC, provides the third hydrolytic step in the mineralization of s-triazine herbicides, such as atrazine. We obtained the X-ray crystal structure of AtzC at 1.84 Å with a weak inhibitor bound in the active site and then used a combination of in silico docking and site-directed mutagenesis to understand the interactions between AtzC and its substrate, isopropylammelide. The substitution of an active site histidine residue (His249) for an alanine abolished the enzyme’s catalytic activity. We propose a plausible catalytic mechanism, consistent with the biochemical and crystallographic data obtained that is similar to that found in carbonic anhydrase and other members of subtype III of the amidohydrolase family [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assembly and anchorage of various pathogenic proteins on the surface of Gram-positive bacteria is mediated by the sortase family of enzymes. These cysteine transpeptidases catalyze a unique sorting signal motif located at the C-terminus of their target substrate and promote the covalent attachment of these proteins onto an amino nucleophile located on another protein or on the bacterial cell wall. Each of the six distinct classes of sortases displays a unique biological role, with sequential activation of multiple sortases often observed in many Gram-positive bacteria to decorate their peptidoglycans. Less is known about the members of the class D family of sortases (SrtD), but they have a suggested role in spore formation in an oxygen-limiting environment. Here, the crystal structure of the SrtD enzyme from Clostridium perfringens was determined at 1.99 Å resolution. Comparative analysis of the C. perfringens SrtD structure reveals the typical eight-stranded β-barrel fold observed in all other known sortases, along with the conserved catalytic triad consisting of cysteine, histidine and arginine residues. Biochemical approaches further reveal the specifics of the SrtD catalytic activity in vitro, with a significant preference for the LPQTGS sorting motif. Additionally, the catalytic activity of SrtD is most efficient at 316 K and can be further improved in the presence of magnesium cations. Since C. perfringens spores are heat-resistant and lead to foodborne illnesses, characterization of the spore-promoting sortase SrtD may lead to the development of new antimicrobial agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activity of the allophanate hydrolase from Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP, AtzF, provides the final hydrolytic step for the mineralization of s-triazines, such as atrazine and cyanuric acid. Indeed, the action of AtzF provides metabolic access to two of the three nitrogens in each triazine ring. The X-ray structure of the N-terminal amidase domain of AtzF reveals that it is highly homologous to allophanate hydrolases involved in a different catabolic process in other organisms (i.e., the mineralization of urea). The smaller C-terminal domain does not appear to have a physiologically relevant catalytic function, as reported for the allophanate hydrolase of Kluyveromyces lactis, when purified enzyme was tested in vitro. However, the C-terminal domain does have a function in coordinating the quaternary structure of AtzF. Interestingly, we also show that AtzF forms a large, ca. 660-kDa, multienzyme complex with AtzD and AtzE that is capable of mineralizing cyanuric acid. The function of this complex may be to channel substrates from one active site to the next, effectively protecting unstable metabolites, such as allophanate, from solvent- mediated decarboxylation to a dead-end metabolic product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although part of the coenzyme A pathway, vanin 1 (also known as pantetheinase) sits on the cell surface of many cell types as an ectoenzyme, catalyzing the breakdown of pantetheine to pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) and cysteamine, a strong reducing agent. Vanin 1 was initially discovered as a protein involved in the homing of leukocytes to the thymus. Numerous studies have shown that vanin 1 is involved in inflammation, and more recent studies have shown a key role in metabolic disease. Here, the X-ray crystal structure of human vanin 1 at 2.25 Å resolution is presented, which is the first reported structure from the vanin family, as well as a crystal structure of vanin 1 bound to a specific inhibitor. These structures illuminate how vanin 1 can mediate its biological roles by way of both enzymatic activity and protein-protein interactions. Furthermore, it sheds light on how the enzymatic activity is regulated by a novel allosteric mechanism at a domain interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

6-Hydroxymethyl-7,8-dihydropterinpyrophosphokinase (HPPK), anenzyme from the folate biosynthesis pathway, catalyzes the pyrophosphoryltransfer from ATP to 6-hydroxymethyl-7,8-dihydropterin and is a yet-to-be-druggedantimicrobial target. Building on our previous discovery that 8-mercaptoguanine(8MG) is an inhibitor of Staphylococcus aureusHPPK (SaHPPK), we have identified and characterized the bindingof an S8-functionalized derivative (3). X-ray structuresof both the SaHPPK/3/cofactor analogue ternary and theSaHPPK/cofactor analogue binary complexes have provided insight intocofactor recognition and key residues that move over 30 Å uponbinding of 3, whereas NMR measurements reveal a partiallyplastic ternary complex active site. Synthesis and binding analysisof a set of analogues of 3have identified an advancednew lead compound (11) displaying >20-fold higheraffinityfor SaHPPK than 8MG. A number of these exhibited low micromolar affinityfor dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS), the adjacent, downstream enzymeto HPPK, and may thus represent promising new leads to bienzyme inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]