Structure prediction and phylogenetic analysis of a functionally diverse family of proteins homologous to the MT-A70 subunit of the human mRNA:m(6)A methyltransferase

MT-A70 is the S-adenosylmethionine-binding subunit of human mRNA:m(6)A methyl-transferase (MTase), an enzyme that sequence-specifically methylates adenines in pre-mRNAs. The physiological importance yet limited understanding of MT-A70 and its apparent lack of similarity to other known RNA MTases combined to make this protein an attractive target for bioinformatic analysis. The sequence of MT-A70 was subjected to extensive in silico analysis to identify orthologous and paralogous polypeptides. This analysis revealed that the MT-A70 family comprises four subfamilies with varying degrees of interrelatedness. One subfamily is a small group of bacterial DNA:m(6)A MTases. The other three subfamilies are paralogous eukaryotic lineages, two of which have not been associated with MTase activity but include proteins having substantial regulatory effects. Multiple sequence alignments and structure prediction for members of all four subfamilies indicated a high probability that a consensus MTase fold domain is present. Significantly, this consensus fold shows the permuted topology characteristic of the b class of MTases, which to date has only been known to include DNA MTases.     

Probabilistic Approach to Predicting Substrate Specificity of Methyltransferases

We present a general probabilistic framework for predicting the substrate specificity of enzymes. We designed this approach to be easily applicable to different organisms and enzymes. Therefore, our predictive models do not rely on species-specific properties and use mostly sequence-derived data. Maximum Likelihood optimization is used to fine-tune model parameters and the Akaike Information Criterion is employed to overcome the issue of correlated variables. As a proof-of-principle, we apply our approach to predicting general substrate specificity of yeast methyltransferases (MTases). As input, we use several physico-chemical and biological properties of MTases: structural fold, isoelectric point, expression pattern and cellular localization. Our method accurately predicts whether a yeast MTase methylates a protein, RNA or another molecule. Among our experimentally tested predictions, 89% were confirmed, including the surprising prediction that YOR021C is the first known MTase with a SPOUT fold that methylates a substrate other than RNA (protein). Our approach not only allows for highly accurate prediction of functional specificity of MTases, but also provides insight into general rules governing MTase substrate specificity.     

Bacteriophage T4 Dam DNA-(N6-adenine)-methyltransferase. Processivity and orientation to the methylation target

We carried out steady state and pre-steady state (burst) kinetic analyses of the bacteriophage T4 Dam DNA-(N(6)-adenine)-methyltransferase (MTase)-mediated methyl group transfer from S-adenosyl-l-methionine (AdoMet) to Ade in oligonucleotide duplexes containing one or two specific GATC sites with different combinations of methylated and unmodified targets. We compared the results for ligated 40-mer duplexes with those of the mixtures of the two unligated duplexes used to generate the 40-mers. The salient results are as follows: (i) T4 Dam MTase modifies 40-mer duplexes in a processive fashion. (ii) During processive movement, T4 Dam rapidly exchanges product S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine (AdoHcy) for substrate AdoMet without dissociating from the DNA duplex. (iii) T4 Dam processivity is consistent with an ordered bi-bi mechanism AdoMet downward arrow DNA downward arrow DNA(Me) upward arrow AdoHcy upward arrow. However, in contrast to the steady state, here DNA(Me) upward arrow signifies departure from a methylated site GMTC upward arrow without physically dissociating from the DNA. (iv) Following methyl transfer at one site and linear diffusion to a hemimethylated site, a reconstituted T4 Dam-AdoMet complex rapidly reorients itself to the (productive) unmethylated strand. T4 Dam-AdoHcy cannot reorient at an enzymatically created GMTC site. (v) The inhibition potential of fully methylated sites 5'-GMTC/5'-GMTC is much lower for a long DNA molecule compared with short single-site duplexes.     

Sequence-specific Labeling of Nucleic Acids and Proteins with Methyltransferases and Cofactor Analogues

S-Adenosyl-l-methionine (AdoMet or SAM)-dependent methyltransferases (MTase) catalyze the transfer of the activated methyl group from AdoMet to specific positions in DNA, RNA, proteins and small biomolecules. This natural methylation reaction can be expanded to a wide variety of alkylation reactions using synthetic cofactor analogues. Replacement of the reactive sulfonium center of AdoMet with an aziridine ring leads to cofactors which can be coupled with DNA by various DNA MTases. These aziridine cofactors can be equipped with reporter groups at different positions of the adenine moiety and used for Sequence-specific Methyltransferase-Induced Labeling of DNA (SMILing DNA). As a typical example we give a protocol for biotinylation of pBR322 plasmid DNA at the 5’-ATCGAT-3’ sequence with the DNA MTase M.BseCI and the aziridine cofactor 6BAz in one step. Extension of the activated methyl group with unsaturated alkyl groups results in another class of AdoMet analogues which are used for methyltransferase-directed Transfer of Activated Groups (mTAG). Since the extended side chains are activated by the sulfonium center and the unsaturated bond, these cofactors are called double-activated AdoMet analogues. These analogues not only function as cofactors for DNA MTases, like the aziridine cofactors, but also for RNA, protein and small molecule MTases. They are typically used for enzymatic modification of MTase substrates with unique functional groups which are labeled with reporter groups in a second chemical step. This is exemplified in a protocol for fluorescence labeling of histone H3 protein. A small propargyl group is transferred from the cofactor analogue SeAdoYn to the protein by the histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) MTase Set7/9 followed by click labeling of the alkynylated histone H3 with TAMRA azide. MTase-mediated labeling with cofactor analogues is an enabling technology for many exciting applications including identification and functional study of MTase substrates as well as DNA genotyping and methylation detection.     

Sequence-structure-function studies of tRNA:m5C methyltransferase Trm4p and its relationship to DNA:m5C and RNA:m5U methyltransferases

Three types of methyltransferases (MTases) generate 5-methylpyrimidine in nucleic acids, forming m5U in RNA, m5C in RNA and m5C in DNA. The DNA:m5C MTases have been extensively studied by crystallographic, biophysical, biochemical and computational methods. On the other hand, the sequence-structure-function relationships of RNA:m5C MTases remain obscure, as do the potential evolutionary relationships between the three types of 5-methylpyrimidine-generating enzymes. Sequence analyses and homology modeling of the yeast tRNA:m5C MTase Trm4p (also called Ncl1p) provided a structural and evolutionary platform for identification of catalytic residues and modeling of the architecture of the RNA:m5C MTase active site. The analysis led to the identification of two invariant residues that are important for Trm4p activity in addition to the conserved Cys residues in motif IV and motif VI that were previously found to be critical. The newly identified residues include a Lys residue in motif I and an Asp in motif IV. A conserved Gln found in motif X was found to be dispensable for MTase activity. Locations of essential residues in the model of Trm4p are in very good agreement with the X-ray structure of an RNA:m5C MTase homolog PH1374. Theoretical and experimental analyses revealed that RNA:m5C MTases share a number of features with either RNA:m5U MTases or DNA:m5C MTases, which suggested a tentative phylogenetic model of relationships between these three classes of 5-methylpyrimidine MTases. We infer that RNA:m5C MTases evolved from RNA:m5U MTases by acquiring an additional Cys residue in motif IV, which was adapted to function as the nucleophilic catalyst only later in DNA:m5C MTases, accompanied by loss of the original Cys from motif VI, transfer of a conserved carboxylate from motif IV to motif VI and sequence permutation.     

Crystal structure of MboIIA methyltransferase

DNA methyltransferases (MTases) are sequence-specific enzymes which transfer a methyl group from S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) to the amino group of either cytosine or adenine within a recognized DNA sequence. Methylation of a base in a specific DNA sequence protects DNA from nucleolytic cleavage by restriction enzymes recognizing the same DNA sequence. We have determined at 1.74 A resolution the crystal structure of a beta-class DNA MTase MboIIA (M.MboIIA) from the bacterium Moraxella bovis, the smallest DNA MTase determined to date. M.MboIIA methylates the 3' adenine of the pentanucleotide sequence 5'-GAAGA-3'. The protein crystallizes with two molecules in the asymmetric unit which we propose to resemble the dimer when M.MboIIA is not bound to DNA. The overall structure of the enzyme closely resembles that of M.RsrI. However, the cofactor-binding pocket in M.MboIIA forms a closed structure which is in contrast to the open-form structures of other known MTases.     

Many paths to methyltransfer: a chronicle of convergence

S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) dependent methyltransferases (MTases) are involved in biosynthesis, signal transduction, protein repair, chromatin regulation and gene silencing. Five different structural folds (I-V) have been described that bind AdoMet and catalyze methyltransfer to diverse substrates, although the great majority of known MTases have the Class I fold. Even within a particular MTase class the amino-acid sequence similarity can be as low as 10%. Thus, the structural and catalytic requirements for methyltransfer from AdoMet appear to be remarkably flexible.     

DsaV methyltransferase and its isoschizomers contain a conserved segment that is similar to the segment in Hhai methyltransferase that is in contact with DNA bases.

The methyltransferase (MTase) in the DsaV restriction--modification system methylates within 5'-CCNGG sequences. We have cloned the gene for this MTase and determined its sequence. The predicted sequence of the MTase protein contains sequence motifs conserved among all cytosine-5 MTases and is most similar to other MTases that methylate CCNGG sequences, namely M.ScrFI and M.SsoII. All three MTases methylate the internal cytosine within their recognition sequence. The 'variable' region within the three enzymes that methylate CCNGG can be aligned with the sequences of two enzymes that methylate CCWGG sequences. Remarkably, two segments within this region contain significant similarity with the region of M.HhaI that is known to contact DNA bases. These alignments suggest that many cytosine-5 MTases are likely to interact with DNA using a similar structural framework.     

Crystal structure of protein isoaspartyl methyltransferase: a catalyst for protein repair

BACKGROUND: Formation of isoaspartyl residues is one of several processes that damage proteins as they age. Protein L-isoaspartate (D-aspartate) O-methyltransferase (PIMT) is a conserved and nearly ubiquitous enzyme that catalyzes the repair of proteins damaged by isoaspartyl formation. RESULTS: We have determined the first structure of a PIMT from crystals of the T. maritima enzyme complexed to S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (AdoHcy) and refined it to 1.8 A resolution. Although PIMT forms one structural unit, the protein can be divided functionally into three subdomains. The central subdomain closely resembles other S-adenosyl-L-methionine-dependent methyltransferases but bears a striking alteration of topological connectivity, which is not shared by any other member of this family. Rather than arranged as a mixed beta sheet with topology 6 upward arrow7 downward arrow5 upward arrow4 upward arrow1 upward arrow2 upward arrow3 upward arrow, the central sheet of PIMT is reorganized to 7 upward arrow6 downward arrow5 upward arrow4 upward arrow1 upward arrow2 upward arrow3 upward arrow. AdoHcy is largely buried between the N-terminal and central subdomains by a conserved and largely hydrophobic loop on one rim of the binding cleft, and a conserved Ser/Thr-rich beta strand on the other. The Ser/Thr-rich strand may provide hydrogen bonds for specific interactions with isoaspartyl substrates. The side chain of Ile-206, a conserved residue, crosses the cleft, restricting access to the donor methyl group to a deep well, the putative isoaspartyl methyl acceptor site. CONCLUSIONS: The structure of PIMT reveals a unique modification of the methyltransferase fold along with a site for specific recognition of isoaspartyl substrates. The sequence conservation among PIMTs suggests that the current structure should prove a reliable model for understanding the repair of isoaspartyl damage in all organisms.     

Characterization of DNA methyltransferase specificities using single-molecule, real-time DNA sequencing

DNA methylation is the most common form of DNA modification in prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes. We have applied the method of single-molecule, real-time (SMRT®) DNA sequencing that is capable of direct detection of modified bases at single-nucleotide resolution to characterize the specificity of several bacterial DNA methyltransferases (MTases). In addition to previously described SMRT sequencing of N6-methyladenine and 5-methylcytosine, we show that N4-methylcytosine also has a specific kinetic signature and is therefore identifiable using this approach. We demonstrate for all three prokaryotic methylation types that SMRT sequencing confirms the identity and position of the methylated base in cases where the MTase specificity was previously established by other methods. We then applied the method to determine the sequence context and methylated base identity for three MTases with unknown specificities. In addition, we also find evidence of unanticipated MTase promiscuity with some enzymes apparently also modifying sequences that are related, but not identical, to the cognate site.     

Recycling of protein subunits during DNA translocation and cleavage by Type I restriction-modification enzymes

The Type I restriction-modification enzymes comprise three protein subunits; HsdS and HsdM that form a methyltransferase (MTase) and HsdR that associates with the MTase and catalyses Adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP)-dependent DNA translocation and cleavage. Here, we examine whether the MTase and HsdR components can 'turnover' in vitro, i.e. whether they can catalyse translocation and cleavage events on one DNA molecule, dissociate and then re-bind a second DNA molecule. Translocation termination by both EcoKI and EcoR124I leads to HsdR dissociation from linear DNA but not from circular DNA. Following DNA cleavage, the HsdR subunits appear unable to dissociate even though the DNA is linear, suggesting a tight interaction with the cleaved product. The MTases of EcoKI and EcoAI can dissociate from DNA following either translocation or cleavage and can initiate reactions on new DNA molecules as long as free HsdR molecules are available. In contrast, the MTase of EcoR124I does not turnover and additional cleavage of circular DNA is not observed by inclusion of RecBCD, a helicase-nuclease that degrades the linear DNA product resulting from Type I cleavage. Roles for Type I restriction endonuclease subunit dynamics in restriction alleviation in the cell are discussed.     

Identification and preliminary characterization of an O6-methylguanine DNA repair methyltransferase in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains a DNA repair methyltransferase (MTase) that repairs O6-methylguanine. Methyl groups are irreversibly transferred from O6-methylguanine in DNA to a 25-kilodalton protein in S. cerevisiae cell extracts, and methyl transfer is accompanied by the formation of S-methylcysteine. The yeast MTase is expressed at approximately 150 molecules/cell in exponentially growing yeast cultures but is not detectable in stationary phase cells. Unlike mammalian and bacterial MTases, the yeast MTase is very temperature-sensitive, having a half-life of about 4 min at 37 degrees C, which may explain why others have failed to detect it. Like other DNA repair MTases, the S. cerevisiae MTase repairs O6-methylguanine more efficiently in double-stranded DNA than in single-stranded DNA. Synthesis of the yeast DNA MTase is apparently not inducible by sublethal exposures to alkylating agent, but rather MTase activity is depleted in cells exposed to low doses of alkylating agent. Judging from its molecular weight and substrate specificity, the yeast DNA MTase is more closely related to mammalian MTases than to Escherichia coli MTases.     

High plasticity of multispecific DNA methyltransferases in the region carrying DNA target recognizing enzyme modules.

Multispecific cytosine C5 DNA methyltransferases (MTases) methylate more than one specific DNA target. This is due to the presence of several target recognizing domains (TRDs) in these enzymes. Such TRDs form part of a variable centre in the MTase primary sequence, which separates conserved enzyme core sequences responsible for general steps in the methylation reaction. By deleting, rearranging and exchanging several TRDs of multispecific MTases, we demonstrate their modular character; they mediate target recognition independent of a particular TRD or core sequence context. We show also that multispecific MTases can accommodate inert material of non-MTase origin within their variable region without losing their activity. The remarkable plasticity with respect to the material that can be integrated into this region suggests that the enzyme core sequences preceding or following it form separable functional domains. In spite of the documented flexibility multispecific MTases could not be endowed with novel specificities by integration of putative TRDs of monospecific MTases, pointing to differences between multi- and monospecific MTases in the way their core and TRD sequences interact.     

Diversity of DNA methyltransferases that recognize asymmetric target sequences

DNA methyltransferases (MTases) are a group of enzymes that catalyze the methyl group transfer from S-adenosyl-L-methionine in a sequence-specific manner. Orthodox Type II DNA MTases usually recognize palindromic DNA sequences and add a methyl group to the target base (either adenine or cytosine) on both strands. However, there are a number of MTases that recognize asymmetric target sequences and differ in their subunit organization. In a bacterial cell, after each round of replication, the substrate for any MTase is hemimethylated DNA, and it therefore needs only a single methylation event to restore the fully methylated state. This is in consistent with the fact that most of the DNA MTases studied exist as monomers in solution. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that some DNA MTases function as dimers. Further, functional analysis of many restriction-modification systems showed the presence of more than one or fused MTase genes. It was proposed that presence of two MTases responsible for the recognition and methylation of asymmetric sequences would protect the nascent strands generated during DNA replication from cognate restriction endonuclease. In this review, MTases recognizing asymmetric sequences have been grouped into different subgroups based on their unique properties. Detailed characterization of these unusual MTases would help in better understanding of their specific biological roles and mechanisms of action. The rapid progress made by the genome sequencing of bacteria and archaea may accelerate the identification and study of species- and strain-specific MTases of host-adapted bacteria and their roles in pathogenic mechanisms.     

Prokaryotic DNA methyltransferases: the structure and the mechanism of interaction with DNA

The review considers current views on the function of DNA methyltransferases (MTases) that belong to prokaryotic type II restriction-modification systems. A commonly accepted classification of MTases is described along with their primary and tertiary structures and molecular mechanisms of their specific interaction with DNA (including methylation). MTase inhibitors are also considered. Special emphasis is placed on the flipping of the target heterocyclic base out of the double helix and on the methods employed in its analysis. Base flipping is a fundamentally new type of DNA conformational changes and is also of importance in the case of other DNA-operating enzymes. MTases show unique sequence homology, and are similar in structure of functional centers and in the mechanism of methylation. These data contribute to the understanding of the general biological significance of methylation, since prokaryotic and eukaryotic MTases are structurally and functionally similar.     

Phylogenomic analysis of 16S rRNA:(guanine-N2) methyltransferases suggests new family members and reveals highly conserved motifs and a domain structure similar to other nucleic acid amino-methyltransferases.

The sequences of known Escherichia coli 16S rRNA:m2G1207 methyltransferase (MTase) RsmC and hypothetical 16S rRNA:m2G966 MTase encoded by the ygjo open reading frame were used to carry out a database search of other putative m2G-generating enzymes in finished and unfinished genomic sequences. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis of 21 close homologs of RsmC and YgjO revealed the presence of the third paralogous lineage in E. coli and other gamma-Proteobacteria, which might correspond to the subfamily of MTases specific for G1516 in 16S rRNA. In addition, the comparative sequence analysis supported by sequence/structure threading suggests that rRNA:m2G MTases are very closely related to RNA and DNA:m6A MTases and that these two enzyme families share common architecture of the active site and presumably a similar mechanism of methyl group transfer onto the exocyclic amino group of their target bases.     

Prokaryotic DNA Methyltransferases: The Structure and the Mechanism of Interaction with DNA

The review considers current views on the function of DNA methyltransferases (MTases) that belong to prokaryotic type II restriction–modification systems. A commonly accepted classification of MTases is described along with their primary and tertiary structures and molecular mechanisms of their specific interaction with DNA (including methylation). MTase inhibitors are also considered. Special emphasis is placed on the flipping of the target heterocyclic base out of the double helix and on the methods employed in its analysis. Base flipping is a fundamentally new type of DNA conformational changes and is also of importance in the case of other DNA-operating enzymes. MTases show unique sequence homology, and are similar in structure of functional centers and in the mechanism of methylation. These data contribute to the understanding of the general biological significance of methylation, since prokaryotic and eukaryotic MTases are structurally and functionally similar.     

In silico identification, structure prediction and phylogenetic analysis of the 2'-O-ribose (cap 1) methyltransferase domain in the large structural protein of ssRNA negative-strand viruses

The Escherichia coli RrmJ gene product has recently been shown to be the 23S rRNA:U2552 specific 2'-O-ribose methyltransferase (MTase) (RrmJ). Its structure has been solved and refined to 1.5 A resolution, demonstrating conservation of the three-dimensional fold and key catalytic side chains with the vaccinia virus VP39 protein, which functions as an mRNA 5'm(7)G-cap-N-specific 2'-O-ribose MTase. Using the amino acid sequence of RrmJ as an initial probe in an iterative search of sequence databases, we identified a homologous domain in the sequence of the L protein of non-segmented, negative-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses. The plausibility of the prediction was confirmed by homology modeling and checking whether important residues at substrate/ligand-binding sites were conserved. The predicted structural compatibility and the conservation of the active site between the novel putative MTase domain and genuine 2'-O-ribose MTases, together with the available results of biochemical studies, strongly suggest that this domain is a 5'm(7)G-cap-N-specific 2'-O-ribose MTase (i.e. the cap 1 MTase). Evolutionary relationships between these proteins are also discussed.