Design, synthesis and properties of synthetic chlorophyll proteins.

A chemoselective method is described for coupling chlorophyll derivatives with an aldehyde group to synthetic peptides or proteins modified with an aminoxyacetyl group at the epsilon-amino group of a lysine residue. Three template-assembled antiparallel four-helix bundles were synthesized for the ligation of one or two chlorophylls. This was achieved by coupling unprotected peptides to cysteine residues of a cyclic decapeptide by thioether formation. The amphiphilic helices were designed to form a hydrophobic pocket for the chlorophyll derivatives. Chlorophyll derivatives Zn-methyl-pheophorbide b and Zn-methyl-pyropheophorbide d were used. The aldehyde group of these chlorophyll derivatives was ligated to the modified lysine group to form an oxime bond. The peptide-chlorophyll conjugates were characterized by electrospray mass spectrometry, analytical HPLC, and UV/visible spectroscopy. Two four-helix bundle chlorophyll conjugates were further characterized by size-exclusion chromatography, circular dichroism, and resonance Raman spectroscopy.     

Selection and properties of Escherichia coli mutants defective in the synthesis of cyclopropane fatty acids.

Mutants of Escherichia coli K-12 defective in the synthesis of cyclopropane fatty acids (CFA) have been selected and isolated by a L-[methyl-3H]methionine suicide procedure. Two mutants were isolated. Stationary-phase cultures of both mutants contain less than 0.7% of the CFA content found in the parental strain. The CFA deficiency is attributed to a deficiency of CFA synthetase activity. Extracts of both mutants contain less than 10% of the CFA synthetase activity found in extracts of the parental strain. Experiments in which parental and mutant extracts were mixed indicate that the lack of activity in the mutant strains is not due to an inhibitor of CFA synthetase present in the mutant extracts. We have not yet detected a physiological phenotype for these mutants. These strains grow normally at various temperatures in a variety of media. We have tested survival (colony-forming ability) in response to (i) prolonged incubation in stationary phase, (ii) exposure to drying, and (iii) exposure to detergents, heavy metals, low pH, high salt concentration, and a variety of other environmental conditions. The survival of both mutants is identical to that of the parental strain under all conditions tested. The compositions (excepting the CFA deficiency) and metabolic turnover rates of the phospholipids of both mutant strains are indistinguishable from those of the wild-type strain. The transport of several amino acids also seems normal in these mutants.     

Distance analysis and sequence properties of functional domains in nucleic acids and proteins

We present a unified algorithm to analyze distances between short oligomers in large collections of nucleic acids and protein sequences (DISTANP). This extended version of DISTAN methodology not only permits analysis of distances between selected pairs of oligomers, but also allows a user to analyze distances between groups of residues (such as acidic and hydrophobic amino acids). This capacity allows differentiation of sequence properties of known functional domains in nucleic acids and proteins.     

Nucleoside 5''-phosphordiamidates, synthesis and some properties.

A simple way of preparing nucleoside 5'-phosphordiamidate is described. The procedure is based on the ammonolysis of nucleoside 5'-phosphordichloridates by dilute aqueous ammonium hydroxide. The behaviour of nucleoside phosphordiamidates under acidic and alkaline conditions is also reported. Alkaline hydrolysis results in the formation of the parent nucleoside, whereas one amide group can be removed selectively by mild acid hydrolysis. This property of nucleoside phosphordiamidates served as a basis for the elaboration of a simple synthesis of nucleoside phosphoramidates starting from nucleosides.     

Relation between sequence similarity and structural similarity in proteins. Role of important properties of amino acids

In a previous paper we obtained ten (orthogonal) factors, linear combinations of which can express the properties of the 20 naturally occurring amino acids. In this paper, we assume that the most important properties (linear combinations of these ten factors) that determine the three-dimensional structure of a protein are conserved properties, i.e., are those that have been conserved during evolution. Two definitions of a conserved property are presented: (1) a conserved property for an average protein is defined as that linear combination of the ten factors that optimally expresses the similarity of one amino acid to another (hence, little change during evolution), as given by the relatedness odds matrix of Dayhoff et al.; (2) a conserved property for each position in the amino acid sequence (locus) of a specific family of homologous proteins (the cytochromec family or the globin family) is defined as that linear combination of the ten factors that is common among a set of amino acids at a given locus when the sequences are properly aligned. When the specificity at each locus is averaged over all loci, the same features are observed for three expressions of these two definitions, namely the conserved property for an average protein, the average conserved property for the cytochromec family, and the average conserved property for the globin family; we find that bulk and hydrophobicity (information about packing and long-range interactions) are more important than other properties, such as the preference for adopting a specific backbone structure (information about short-range interactions). We also demonstrate that the sequence profile of a conserved property, defined for each locus of a protein family (definition 2), corresponds uniquely to the three-dimensional structure, while the conserved property for an average protein (definition 1) is not useful for the prediction of protein structure. The amino acid sequences of numerous proteins are searched to find those that are similar, in terms of the conserved properties (definition 2), to sequences of the same size from one of the homologous families (cytochromec and globin, respectively) for whose loci the conserved properties were defined. Many similar sequences are found, the number of similarities decreasing with increasing size of the segment. However, the segments must be rather long (15 residues) before the comparisons become meaningful. As an example, one sufficiently large sequence (20 residues) from a protein of known structure (apo-liver alcohol dehydrogenase that is not a member of either family) is found to be similar in the conserved properties to a particular sequence of a member of the family of human hemoglobin chains, and the two sequences have similar structures. This means that, since conserved properties are expected to be structure determinants, we can use the conserved properties to predict an initial protein structure for subsequent energy minimization for a protein for which the conserved properties are similar to those of a family of proteins with a sufficiently large number of homologous amino acid sequences; such a large number of homologous sequences is required to define a conserved property for each locus of the homologous protein family.     

Selection based on the folding properties of proteins with ribosome display

Ribosome display is a powerful tool for selecting and evolving protein functions through ligand-binding. Here, this in vitro system was used to perform selection based on the folding properties of proteins, independent of specific ligand-binding. The selection is based on two properties of misfolded proteins: (1) increased sensitivity to proteolysis and (2) greater exposure of hydrophobic area. By targeting these properties, we show that compactly folded and soluble proteins can be enriched over insoluble and random coil proteins. This approach may be especially useful for selection and evolution of folded proteins from random sequence libraries.     

Pi-turns in proteins and peptides: Classification, conformation, occurrence, hydration and sequence.

The i + 5-->i hydrogen bonded turn conformation (pi-turn) with the fifth residue adopting alpha L conformation is frequently found at the C-terminus of helices in proteins and hence is speculated to be a "helix termination signal." An analysis of the occurrence of i + 5-->i hydrogen bonded turn conformation at any general position in proteins (not specifically at the helix C-terminus), using coordinates of 228 protein crystal structures determined by X-ray crystallography to better than 2.5 A resolution is reported in this paper. Of 486 detected pi-turn conformations, 367 have the (i + 4)th residue in alpha L conformation, generally occurring at the C-terminus of alpha-helices, consistent with previous observations. However, a significant number (111) of pi-turn conformations occur with (i + 4)th residue in alpha R conformation also, generally occurring in alpha-helices as distortions either at the terminii or at the middle, a novel finding. These two sets of pi-turn conformations are referred to by the names pi alpha L and pi alpha R-turns, respectively, depending upon whether the (i + 4)th residue adopts alpha L or alpha R conformations. Four pi-turns, named pi alpha L'-turns, were noticed to be mirror images of pi alpha L-turns, and four more pi-turns, which have the (i + 4)th residue in beta conformation and denoted as pi beta-turns, occur as a part of hairpin bend connecting twisted beta-strands. Consecutive pi-turns occur, but only with pi alpha R-turns. The preference for amino acid residues is different in pi alpha L and pi alpha R-turns. However, both show a preference for Pro after the C-termini. Hydrophilic residues are preferred at positions i + 1, i + 2, and i + 3 of pi alpha L-turns, whereas positions i and i + 5 prefer hydrophobic residues. Residue i + 4 in pi alpha L-turns is mainly Gly and less often Asn. Although pi alpha R-turns generally occur as distortions in helices, their amino acid preference is different from that of helices. Poor helix formers, such as His, Tyr, and Asn, also were found to be preferred for pi alpha R-turns, whereas good helix former Ala is not preferred. pi-Turns in peptides provide a picture of the pi-turn at atomic resolution. Only nine peptide-based pi-turns are reported so far, and all of them belong to pi alpha L-turn type with an achiral residue in position i + 4. The results are of importance for structure prediction, modeling, and de novo design of proteins.     

Slippage synthesis of simple sequence DNA.

The analysis of slippage synthesis of simple sequence DNA in vitro sheds some light on the question of how simple sequences arise in vivo. We show that it is possible to synthesize all types of repetitious di- and trinucleotide motifs starting from short primers and a polymerase in vitro. The rate of this synthesis depends on a sequence specific slippage rate, but is independent of the length of the fragments being synthesized. This indicates that only the ends of the DNA fragments are involved in determining this rate and that slippage is accordingly a short range effect. Slippage synthesis occurs also on a fixed template where only one strand is free to move, a situation which resembles chromosome replication in vivo. It seems therefore likely that slippage during replication is the cause of the observed length polymorphism of simple sequence stretches between individuals of a population.     

Design, synthesis and structural characterization of model heterodimeric coiled-coil proteins.

We report the design and synthesis of model heterodimeric coiled-coil proteins and the packing contribution of interchain hetero-hydrophobic side-chains to coiled-coil stability. The heterodimeric coiled-coils are obtained by oxidizing two 35-residue polypeptide chains, each containing a cysteine residue at position 2 and differing in amino acid sequences in the hydrophobic positions ("a" and "d") responsible for the formation and stabilization of the coiled-coil. In each peptide, a single Ala residue was substituted for Leu at position "a" or "d". The formation and stability of heterodimeric coiled-coils were investigated by circular dichroism studies in the presence and absence of guanidine hydrochloride and compared to the corresponding homodimeric coiled-coils. The coiled-coil proteins with an Ala substitution at position "a" were less stable than those with an Ala substitution at position "d" in both the homodimeric (Ala-Ala interchain interactions) and heterodimeric (Leu-Ala interchain interactions ) coiled-coils. The 70-residue disulfide bridged peptides (homo- and heterodimeric coiled-coils) can be readily separated by reversed-phase chromatography (RPC) even though they have identical amino acid compositions as well as in the hydrophobic "a" and "d" positions. The elution of the 70-residue peptides prior to their corresponding 35-residue monomers suggests that these proteins are retaining a large portion of their coiled-coil structure during RPC at pH2 and their retention behavior correlates with protein stability.     

Tricarboxylate-binding proteins of Salmonella typhimurium. Purification, crystallization, and physical properties

Citrate transport in Salmonella typhimurium involves inducible periplasmic components. Two forms of a tricarboxylate-binding protein, C1 and C2, were isolated, in high yield, from the periplasm of a cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase mutant. These immunologically cross-reactive Mr = 29,000 proteins were crystallized using ammonium sulfate. CD measurements indicated considerable secondary structure: 24% a helix, and 12% beta structure. The amino acid compositions of C1 and C2 were identical. The NH2-terminal sequence of C1 was determined; C2 was found to have a blocked NH2 terminus (pyroglutamate). C1 and C2 are products of the same gene (Somers, J. M., and Kay, W. W. (1983) Mol. Gen. Genet. 190, 20-26). C1 and C2 bound a variety of citrate analogues and organic acids, with a predominant specificity for tricarboxylates (citrate KD 1.4 X 10(-7) M), and both required a deprotonated central carboxyl group for binding. Citrate was not bound to C protein as either a salt or metal ion complex.     

Purification, properties, and sequence of glycerol trinitrate reductase from Agrobacterium radiobacter.

Glycerol trinitrate (GTN) reductase, which enables Agrobacterium radiobacter to utilize GTN and related explosives as sources of nitrogen for growth, was purified and characterized, and its gene was cloned and sequenced. The enzyme was a 39-kDa monomeric protein which catalyzed the NADH-dependent reductive scission of GTN (Km = 23 microM) to glycerol dinitrates (mainly the 1,3-isomer) with a pH optimum of 6.5, a temperature optimum of 35 degrees C, and no dependence on metal ions for activity. It was also active on pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), on isosorbide dinitrate, and, very weakly, on ethyleneglycol dinitrate, but it was inactive on isopropyl nitrate, hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, ammonium ions, nitrate, or nitrite. The amino acid sequence deduced from the DNA sequence was homologous (42 to 51% identity and 61 to 69% similarity) to those of PETN reductase from Enterobacter cloacae, N-ethylmaleimide reductase from Escherichia coli, morphinone reductase from Pseudomonas putida, and old yellow enzyme from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, placing the GTN reductase in the alpha/beta barrel flavoprotein group of proteins. GTN reductase and PETN reductase were very similar in many respects except in their distinct preferences for NADH and NADPH cofactors, respectively.     

Properties,synthesis, and accumulation of storage proteins in Pieris rapae L.

Two kinds of storage proteins (SP-1, SP-2) were confirmed in hemolymph and fat body of Pieris rapae during metamorphosis. Both proteins were present in high concentrations in the hemolymph during the last larval instar. Hemolymph concentrations of SP-1 and SP-2 dropped after pupation as the proteins were being deposited in fat bodies. SP-2 is present in a larger amount than SP-1. Detailed studies on storage proteins determined their properties, mode of synthesis, and accumulation in the fat body. SP-1 has a molecular weight of 500,000 and consists of one type of subunit (M_r 77,000), while SP-2 has a molecular weight of 460,000 and is composed of two types of subunits (M_r 80,000 and 69,000). The pl values of SP-1 and SP-2 were determined to be 6.97 and 7.06, respectively. Fat body cells from 1-day-old fifth instar larvae synthesized storage proteins in large amounts, whereas those from late prepupae exhibited high protein sequestration. Proteins taken up in fat body accumulated in dense granules during the pupal stage but sharply decreased at the adult stage. Morphological changes in the fat body tissues were observed during the larval-pupal transformation; the nuclei of fat body cells became irregularly shaped, and the boundaries between cells seemed to be obscure. Synthesis, storage, or degradation of storage proteins in fat body during development is closely associated with morphological changes in the tissues.     

Yeast ribosomal proteins. VIII. Isolation of two proteins and sequence characterization of twenty-four proteins from cytoplasmic ribosomes

Summary Two proteins, YL41 and YL43, were isolated from 80S ribosomes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by filtration through a Sephacryl S-200 column and by chromatography on a column of carboxymethylcellulose. Their amino acid compositions are presented. Twenty-four proteins including these two proteins were subjected to sequence analyses by automated Edman degradation. Amino-terminal amino acid sequences were determined for 17 proteins, YS3, YS9, YS23, YS24, YS29, YL6, YL8, YL11, YL15, YL17, YL23, YL28, YL33, YL37, YL39, YL41, and YL43. YL41, which has a 72.7% lysine and arginine content, was found to be particular to eukaryotic ribosomes. The aminotermini of another seven proteins, YS2, YS5, YS8, YS12, YS13, YS20, and YS27, were suggested to be blocked.Comparison of the amino-terminal sequences with all other ribosomal protein sequences so far available indicates that YS9 shows sequence homology to rat liver ribosomal protein S8 (Wittmann-Liebold et al. 1979).     

The priB and priC replication proteins of Escherichia coli. Genes, DNA sequence, overexpression, and purification.

The Escherichia coli DNA replication proteins n and n" function in vitro in the assembly of the primosome, a mobile multiprotein replication priming complex thought to operate on the lagging-strand template at the E. coli DNA replication fork. Both proteins have been purified from E. coli HMS83 cells based on their requirement for the reconstitution of bacteriophage phi X174 complementary strand DNA synthesis in vitro with purified proteins. As a step toward understanding the role of these proteins in vivo, the genes for primosomal proteins n and n", designated priB and priC, respectively, have been cloned molecularly. priB encodes a 104-amino acid 11.4-kDa polypeptide and corresponds to an previously identified open reading frame between rpsF and rps R within a ribosomal protein operon at 95.5 min on the E. coli chromosome. priC encodes a 175-amino acid 20.3-kDa polypeptide. These two gene products were overexpressed at least 1000-fold in E. coli using a bacteriophage T7 transient expression system. Both proteins have been purified to apparent homogeneity from extracts prepared from these overproducing strains.     

Nucleosomes, DNA-binding proteins, and DNA sequence modulate retroviral integration target site selection.

Integration of retroviral DNA can serve as a paradigm for cellular functions that are affected by the packaging of DNA into chromatin. We have used a novel polymerase chain reaction-based assay to survey DNA and chromatin for the precise distribution of many integration sites. Integration into naked DNA targets is non-uniform, implying a nucleotide sequence bias. In chromatin, integration occurs preferentially at positions where the major groove is on the exposed face of the nucleosomal DNA helix, generating a 10 bp periodic spacing of preferred sites. Chromatin assembly enhances the reactivity of many sites, so that integration occurs most frequently at sites in nucleosomal, rather than nucleosome-free, regions of minichromosomes. In contrast, integration is prevented in a region occupied by a site-specific DNA-binding protein. Comparisons of integration events mediated by viral nucleoprotein complexes or by two different retroviral integrases show that the integration machinery also affects target site selection.