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Life Sciences	50%

Selected Abstracts

The crystal structure of a xyloglucan-specific endo-,-1,4-glucanase from Geotrichum sp.

FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 18 2009
M128 xyloglucanase reveals a key amino acid residue for substrate specificity
Geotrichum sp. M128 possesses two xyloglucan-specific glycoside hydrolases belonging to family 74, xyloglucan-specific endo-,-1,4-glucanase (XEG) and oligoxyloglucan reducing-end-specific cellobiohydrolase (OXG-RCBH). Despite their similar amino acid sequences (48% identity), their modes of action and substrate specificities are distinct. XEG catalyzes the hydrolysis of xyloglucan polysaccharides in endo mode, while OXG-RCBH acts on xyloglucan oligosaccharides at the reducing end in exo mode. Here, we determined the crystal structure of XEG at 2.5 Å resolution, and compared it to a previously determined structure of OXG-RCBH. For the most part, the amino acid residues that interact with substrate are conserved between the two enzymes. However, there are notable differences at subsite positions ,1 and +2. OXG-RCBH has a loop around the +2 site that blocks one end of the active site cleft, which accounts for its exo mode of action. In contrast, XEG lacks a corresponding loop at this site, thereby allowing binding to the middle of the main chain of the substrate. At the ,1 site in OXG-RCBH, Asn488 interacts with the xylose side chain of the substrate, whereas the ,1 site is occupied by Tyr457 in XEG. To confirm the contribution of this residue to substrate specificity, Tyr457 was substituted by Gly in XEG. The wild-type XEG cleaved the oligoxyloglucan at a specific site; the Y457G variant cleaved the same substrate, but at various sites. Together, the absence of a loop in the cleft and the presence of bulky Tyr457 determine the substrate specificity of XEG. [source]

Structure and reactivity of Trypanosoma brucei pteridine reductase: inhibition by the archetypal antifolate methotrexate

MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2006
Alice Dawson
Summary The protozoan Trypanosoma brucei has a functional pteridine reductase (TbPTR1), an NADPH-dependent short-chain reductase that participates in the salvage of pterins, which are essential for parasite growth. PTR1 displays broad-spectrum activity with pterins and folates, provides a metabolic bypass for inhibition of the trypanosomatid dihydrofolate reductase and therefore compromises the use of antifolates for treatment of trypanosomiasis. Catalytic properties of recombinant TbPTR1 and inhibition by the archetypal antifolate methotrexate have been characterized and the crystal structure of the ternary complex with cofactor NADP+ and the inhibitor determined at 2.2 Å resolution. This enzyme shares 50% amino acid sequence identity with Leishmania major PTR1 (LmPTR1) and comparisons show that the architecture of the cofactor binding site, and the catalytic centre are highly conserved, as are most interactions with the inhibitor. However, specific amino acid differences, in particular the placement of Trp221 at the side of the active site, and adjustment of the ,6-,6 loop and ,6 helix at one side of the substrate-binding cleft significantly reduce the size of the substrate binding site of TbPTR1 and alter the chemical properties compared with LmPTR1. A reactive Cys168, within the active site cleft, in conjunction with the C-terminus carboxyl group and His267 of a partner subunit forms a triad similar to the catalytic component of cysteine proteases. TbPTR1 therefore offers novel structural features to exploit in the search for inhibitors of therapeutic value against African trypanosomiasis. [source]

Phage display selection of hairpin loop soyacystatin variants that mediate high affinity inhibition of a cysteine proteinase

THE PLANT JOURNAL, Issue 5 2001
Hisashi Koiwa
Summary Two hairpin-loop domains in cystatin family proteinase inhibitors form an interface surface region that slots into the active site cleft of papain-like cysteine proteinases, and determine binding affinity. The slot region surface architecture of the soybean cysteine proteinase inhibitor (soyacystatin N, scN) was engineered using techniques of in vitro molecular evolution to define residues that facilitate interaction with the proteinase cleft and modulate inhibitor affinity and function. Combinatorial phage display libraries of scN variants that contain mutations in the essential motifs of the first (QVVAG) and second (EW) hairpin-loop regions were constructed. Approximately 1010,1011 phages expressing recombinant scN proteins were subjected to biopanning selection based on binding affinity to immobilized papain. The QVVAG motif in the first hairpin loop was invariant in all functional scN proteins. All selected variants (30) had W79 in the second hairpin-loop motif, but there was diversity for hydrophobic and basic amino acids in residue 78. Kinetic analysis of isolated scN variants identified a novel scN isoform scN(LW) with higher papain affinity than the wild-type molecule. The variant contained an E78L substitution and had a twofold lower Ki (2.1 pm) than parental scN, due to its increased association rate constant (2.6 ± 0.09 × 107 m,1sec,1). These results define residues in the first and second hairpin-loop regions which are essential for optimal interaction between phytocystatins and papain, a prototypical cysteine proteinase. Furthermore, the isolated variants are a biochemical platform for further integration of mutations to optimize cystatin affinity for specific biological targets. [source]

Autocitrullination of human peptidyl arginine deiminase type 4 regulates protein citrullination during cell activation

ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 6 2010
Felipe Andrade
Objective To address mechanisms that control the activity of human peptidyl arginine deiminase type 4 (PAD-4). Methods PAD-4 autocitrullination was determined by anti,modified citrulline immunoblotting, using purified recombinant and endogenous PAD-4 from activated human primary neutrophils and cell lines expressing PAD-4. The citrullination sites in PAD-4 were determined by mass spectrometry. Mechanisms of autocitrullination-induced inactivation and the functional consequences of autocitrullination in PAD-4 polymorphic variants were addressed using purified components and cell lines expressing PAD-4 wild-type, PAD-4 mutant, and PAD-4 polymorphic variants relevant to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Results PAD-4 is autocitrullinated in vitro and during activation of primary cells and cell lines expressing PAD-4. Interestingly, this modification inactivated the function of the enzyme. The efficiency of inactivation differed among genetically defined PAD-4 variants relevant to RA. PAD-4 was citrullinated at 10 sites, which are clustered into 3 distinct regions, including a cluster of arginines around the active site cleft where Arg-372 and -374 were identified as the potential autocitrullination targets that inactivate the enzyme. Autocitrullination also modified the structure of PAD-4, abrogating its recognition by multiple rabbit antibodies, but augmenting its recognition by human anti,PAD-4 autoantibodies. Conclusion Our findings suggest that autocitrullination regulates the production of citrullinated proteins during cell activation, and that this is affected by structural polymorphisms in PAD-4. Autocitrullination also influences PAD-4 structure and immune response. [source]